With so much digital gadgetry at our
fingertips, we’re snapping more pictures than ever- but what happens when the
memory card’s full?
The traditional photo album has become an
endangered species. Now that we’re taking pictures digitally on smartphones and
tablets as well as digital cameras, our precious memories can languish in the
system. But not if you follow our guide…
Look
after your photos: Take steps to safeguard them now
Storing photos
Memory full? It’s time to transfer your
images
Absolute beginners
To move photos off your camera, phone or
tablet on to your computer, attach it to the PC/Mac’s USB port using the
connecting cable. The computer will ask if you want to transfer the images.
Store them in you’re my PICTURES/PHOTOS folder.
To
move photos off your camera, phone or tablet on to your computer, attach it to
the PC/Mac’s USB port using the connecting cable
Back up
Got an iPhone, iPod or iPad*? Transfer
photos to your computer wirelessly with iCloud…
Cloud
Newer Macs come with the iCloud app, but if
you have a Windows 7 PC, install iCloud for PCs, then switch on the iCloud
Backup on your device.
Find a photo
Locate picture fast
Darn it!
Searching for a photo without success?
Attach some memorable tags (descriptive keywords) to it.
Easy access
Got a PC? Select a photo and press ADD A
TAG in the details section at the bottom. Type in your keywords (eg, Uncle
Fred; Xmas 2011), separated by semicolons, and save. To find photos, select
START and enter a keyword in the search box.
Free download
If your PC uses Windows XP, download
Windows Live Photo Gallery to add tags to images. (Note: photos are only
searchable within this software)
Go Apple!
To add tags on a Mac: open iPhoto; select
KEYWORDS from the VIEW menu; click beneath the image and type in a tag (press
RETURN after each tag). To find, type your keywords into the search box.
Magic
moments: capture now – keep for ever!
Ways to share
Email, online… the choice is yours!
Handset ready?
Share photos from your smartphone using
MMS, email or Bluetooth.
In with the in-crowd
From a Mac, share photos by right-clicking
on the image and selecting NEW EMAIL WITH ATTACHMENT. Use the menu in the
bottom right-hand corner of the email window to select the right size.
Just close friends
Set up a Twitter account and download the
apps to share pictures from your handset with followers.
Keep it simple
From your PC, right-click a photo and
select EMAIL PICTURE. Windows will re-size the image.
Loads to show?
If you have lots to share, try free
photo-sharing services. You can upload, edit and share up to 1GB of digital
photos with Picasa software.
More copies?
Use online services to print photos – and
even make photobooks. Prints start at 9p each at Snapfish.
Keep the, safe
For your peace of mind
Not a disaster
Phones and laptops can get lost or stolen,
hard drives can crash… Back up, and you won’t have to worry.
Offload
Copy you’re my photos folder to DVDs. Right-click,
then select send to the DVD RW drive. A DVD holds around 15,000 good-quality
pictures.
Copy
you’re my photos folder to DVDs
Precious memories
Store DVDs in plastic cases away from
sunlight and extreme temperatures, and they should last for 50 years**.
Quick as you like
Print digital photos straightaway with a
compact photo printer. Simply plug it in, insert a memory card or USB stick,
edit images on the printer’s display and print.
Rated by us
Buying a compact photo printer? Our testers
rate the Canon Selphy 8100 ($150, 020 8588 8000; canon.co.uk). A $21
ink-and-paper pack will produce around 36 photos.
Speedy scanning
Making digital copies of old photos can be
time-consuming. Scan several at a time, leaving a small gap between the edge of
the pictures for easier cropping.
Treasure
Back up images on an external hard drive
(from around $75 for 320GB). Connect to your computer via the USB port and copy
pictures across. Then keep it somewhere safe!
Up in the air
Copy photos to an online back-up service
and access them at any time from any machine. Microsoft’s SkyDrive offers
enough space for 60,000 photos for free.
Microsoft’s
SkyDrive
Vip (very impressive printer)
Buying a new printer/copier/scanner? The
GHI rates the HP Photosmart 5510 (0845 605 6013; hp.co.uk) for good, all-round
results.
Who do you think you are?
Tracking your ancestors? Scan old photos
into your computer using a printer/scanner to make digital copies – and save
them as JPEGs in the MY PICTURES folder.
Xpect the unexpected
When scanning photos into the computer, use
printer software to adjust the resolution to 300dpi (dots per inch) – just in
case originals get damaged.
Years and years
Print snaps on to good-quality photo paper
and they should last up to 100 years in an album, or 30 years kept under
glass***.
Zero tolerance
Don’t keep photos you won’t look at again –
headless people, blurry landscapes, etc. be selective!
