I do look at your site often and also considered SmugMug. My question is, I know that you are technologically savvy and your site looks great. Is it easy to make your site look this good? My blog is limited to the templates provided by blogspot, I don't have the knowledge to make it look different although I know that it is possible using blogspot.

The site is very easy to use, and I am very lazy so it has to be.

While you can create your own backgrounds, I use all templates on mine. There is a standard set of about 50 to choose from as well as literally thousands of others that people have created and you can search through and use.

Uploading the photos is a basic drag and drop Java platform, but they also have several other uploaders if that doesn't work for you. It is very easy to do, and there is a basic photo editor built into SmugMug as well.

I use it for all of my photo storage. All the photos on my website and in my clues are on there. The clue photos are in a hidden, lock gallery, so it hides some of my mystery boxes from those that are simply looking on my SmugMug site for them. I do have a few other things hidden on there as well, so needless to say, it works well for letterboxing.

Cost if $40 a year. If you enter my email address (Cyclonic07@aol.com) if you sign up, you get $5 off the first year.

I have been very pleased with the service over the past five years and plan to continue using them.

OK, I just tried uploading 265 vacation photos on SmugMug's free 14 day trial. The pictures uploaded in a scattered order instead of chronologically. It will allow me to move them around but I really don't want to do that. I also uploaded in Shutterfly as a comparison and they uploaded in the correct order. What's up with that?

I have used Shutterfly for years. I love it and have used it to also make calendars and books.

I highly recommend one of the online backup services. I use mozy.com. Carbonite.com is the other major player, and there are numerous others. The cost is approximately $5/month. You can select which files from your computer that you wish to have backed up. The initial backup is very slow, but afterwards, it backups according to a schedule you select, and it is very efficient. I chose mozy because, at the time I signed up, it was the only one that was supporting external hard drives. It is such a peace of mind to know that I now have all my photos and important documents stored off-site in the event of theft or disaster at my house. If you accidentally delete something from your computer, it is very easy to retrieve. The site will store files that have been deleted from your computer for 30 days before deleting them itself.

Puppy Pals

The site will store files that have been deleted from your computer for 30 days before deleting them itself.

After I back up my files on several discs (I keep one within easy access, my son in law keeps one, and I put one in our safe storage) I delete them from my computer. I have been through five different computers since I started using a digital camera. Are you saying that this site will delete the photos when I do?

My understanding is that it backs up everything you select for it to do so (either by specifying the file itself or the folder it is in). If that file vanishes from your computer, it remains at the site for 30 days, and then, yes, it is deleted as well. You will only have a backup of what remains on your computer. That is why having a site that could backup the external drive was so important to me. All my photos are stored on the external drive (with yet another as an at-home backup). As much as I love this site, my security comes from it being yet another backup, not my sole backup.

Your process sounds as if it is also labor intensive. I use Memory Manager software from Creative Memories. Once I upload the files to my computer, a shadow copy is made by the software automatically onto another drive. The only work to my process is the initial upload. All backups are done by Memory Manager and Mozy. I echo what someone else recommended about your getting an external hard drive (or two). You could make your photos more secure and save yourself a lot of time as well.

I have a cannon 40D and its amazing, its kinda pricy but if you know a thing or two about photography then its really worth the money.

I recommend looking into Cannon or Nikon, they both make good cameras

I'm hoping to get some help and advice as how to convert XIF files to something I can open and view in another program. I am using Windows XP. I have a lot of OLD Family Genealogy pictures that I scanned in many years ago. Now, I can't view them. They are all xif files.

Does anyone have knowledge, know how and/or suggestions?

Carole of Da Kool Kats
Sacramento, CA

Option 1.
Easiest way? Find your old scanner software and install ScanSoft Pagis.

Option 2.
Purchase one of the company's other programs:
Nuance OmniPage 17
Nuance TextBridge Pro
Logipole Konvertor
ScanSoft Pagis Viewer

Option 3.
Find a third party program to do it. This one claims it can.
http://www.ivanview.com/converter/xif-batch-converter.html

Thanks Eidolon for the response.

Option 1. Won't work. The new computers do not have floppy drives so we got rid of all of our floppies.

Option 3. I/we looked at this last night and it does look promising, but I am going to hold off until after my family reunion in Louisville, KY. July 13th - 23rd. I was hoping for a real quick fix to take pictures back for the reunion.

Right now, I'm also trying to put the finishing touches on the family tree and getting it printed out.

So, I will give you an update on progress as soon as I find something that works.

Once again, many thanks for the suggestions.

Carole of DKK

I just had one of my pictures make an exhibit. The contest was “Trees as Sculpture” I did not place but I did make the exhibit...I am so excited :) BBG

Congrats! That's awesome!!

yay you!

deniserows
and congratulations

That's fantastic!!! ;o)

Any chance we can see your picture?

Pete

you can check it out on my share site

http://headleehappenings.shutterfly.com/fairpix#2009-01-12

password is 2cute4u

:)

Nice photo!!!!

When I first saw the image, it made me think of this:
Oscar the Grouch

Can you see the similarity??? LOL!!! ;o)

Pete

LOL I wish I would have thought of that! I could not think of a good title :) BBG

I have wanted a new digital camera for a long time. The one on my phone takes great pics but when I seen some recent sports photography pics. I wanted a big camera. SO...I got this one used at a great price. the down side is I have no user manual. I did order one online and its in the mail.

as I sit here looking at it. I am just in awe at all the buttons and such. I have been all over youtube watching video after video of specific uses. I think at this point I am over whelmed with all this camera can do. I still need to figure out how to use the video feature. Maybe I need to take a photography class.... LOL

Thanks for listening,
~Aurora

Fun! I have a Cannon similar to that.

The fun part about digital is that you can experiment all you want and see the photos instantly to see what worked and what did not. So go ahead and play with it!

Looks like if you click on the camera on that link there is a video that may tell you how to use it. Or go somewhere that sells them & look at their manual. Maybe you could even order one from Canon.

I have a manual already ordered. Its in the mail. I was just wondering what every ones favorite feature of their camera was or little a trick they wanted to share. =)

~Aurora

Maybe I need to take a photography class

That sounds like a very good idea. I really learned a lot when I took mine.

I find it hard to remember all the little "tricks" of a camera, so as I went through the manual I marked the pages I wanted to come back to, and then I made up a little "cheat sheet" for my camera bag so I could remember how to do things like color swap, or deal with back lighting, or make the picture black and white. I love my Cannon. It is very easy to do things like stitch-assist and videotape. The "face-finder" feature is great in timing mode, too. Have fun!

I know you have already ordered a manual, but if you cannot wait, it is downloadable from the link you sent. Click on Brochures and Manuals.

My daughter just purchased a digital SLR. She had a lot of fun using long exposure to take light-painting pictures in the dark.

They also sell little "cheat sheets" for most of the major camera brands. I have one for my dslr camera that I got at either barnes and noble or ritz camera. Very handy when your brain just doesn't want to work.

I received my manual in the mail today. =) charged the battery and spent about 45 minutes getting more confused. I think I will just do the Auto settings for a while. then learn a new tricks a little at a time. This thing does so much!!

~Aurora

I will just do the Auto settings for a while

With the newer cameras, this can be all you may ever need......depending on your expectations or what you may be trying to get pictures of.

Another almost auto type of setting that I prefer is "Program". It allows me to choose to not use the flash even though the camera "thinks" it would be a good idea. I can set things that I feel are important to me.....not what the camera feels may be right.

Have fun!......and try some new things gradually to see if you like the options that they provide.

.......I think most folks feel disappointed with the video that most digital SLRs have. You may want to keep a nice pocket camera around if "easy" video is important to you.

I think most folks feel disappointed with the video that most digital SLRs have.

I have an older SLR but enjoy the video on it. I was the one taking all the video for my son's Odyssey of the Mind Competitions since when the other parents did it off their pocket cameras and it never turned out as good.

This video had some very challenging lighting and distance issues but I think it turned out pretty good:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zBj0EIXN4dI

I have an older SLR but enjoy the video on it

Most folks seem to have trouble with the camera's ability to change it's focus while tracking movement, both side to side and moving away from or towards you.
I haven't used mine for much video....only once on a stationary performer on a stage. Mine turned out fine. Mine is a Nikon D-90.

I was mainly commenting on video performance from complaints I've heard.......which I've heard much more negative than positive in regards to the video performance from a digital SLR.

I'm glad your experiences have been good. It's too bad everyone can't say the same.

Can anyone recommend a free photo stitch program to download for a Mac? Thanks.
Red Bird