Getting pictures onto the blog

[peregrina2000]

Hi, everyone,

I finally learned how to create a blog and add text -- that was two caminos ago, and I was very happy to have made that big jump. My children now tell me that it's boring to read a blog without pictures, so I'm trying to figure that step out. I prefer to ask you for help, since though they try hard to be patient, they clearly think I'm a techno-idiot. Which I am.

I have a small device from which I upload camera pictures to picasa, and I assume I can use that same thing from a computer in Spain to upload a few pictures from my camera to my blog. I have more or less figured out how to do that on two different computers here, but am wondering what differences I'm likely to encounter in Spain.

When I stick the stick into the USB port of the computer, a window comes up giving me lots of choices about how to view the pictures, download them, print them, upload them to picasa, etc. I find that "open folder to view files" is the easiest way to view them, and it uses something called Canon_DC. Then I have to open another folder called DCIM, and then yet another folder called 100Canon embedded in it, and I finally get to the pictures. From there, it's easy to upload a picture, because blogspot seems to go directly to those images rather than the other ones on my computer.

I wonder if anyone could give me some advice as to what to expect in Spain. Am I likely to be able to use basically the same process to get pictures off my camera card onto the blog? Is there any risk I will lose my pictures or have my card corrupted (I remember something along these lines in an old post, but can't find it)?

Many thanks, and buen camino! Laurie

 

[miguel_gp]

Hi Laurie, PM'd you about this for fear of exposing my Geekieness on the forum.

Saludos
Mig

 

[jirit]

Hi Laurie

Based on your description is appears you have a Canon EOS digital camera and I guess you are copying the images from the camera to a memory card reader/USB stick that allows you to connect to a computer via the USB port?

Or are you simply connecting the digital camera directly to the computer via a USB cable?

Either way, you will find most (but not all) Spanish computers have a USB port or two that will allow you to connect your camera or memory card reader. Once you are connected, then you will be able to access any photos you have taken (via Explorer for example) and upload these to your blog. And normally you will find the actual images in the folder labelled DCIM (you may get multiple sub folders under this folder as the images start to accumulate.)

This said it is very unlikely you will find a Spanish computer that can read the actual SD memory card from your camera. So take either the memory card reader (or what ever you are calling the USB stick) or the USB cable that came with your camera. The latter will allow you to direct connect your camera to the computer.

Finally there should be no need to copy the images to the computer in order to upload them. The risk of corrupting the images is minimal too.

Another hint: Upload your images to your Picasa photo account at the same time. This way you will have a remote off line back up your images if in case the worse case occurs.

Trust this makes sense

Cheers

Neville

 

[peregrina2000]

Many thanks to both of you. I have copied all your hints into my journal and will get to try them out in about two months time! Can't wait, and thanks again. Buen camino, Laurie

p.s. I guess the "memory card reader" is the proper term for the little do-dad I have. I put the small card from my camera into this thing, stick it into the computer and the pictures are transferred from the card to the computer. Magic!

 

[KiwiNomad06]

OK, now the main question is sorted, I have a related query. I know how to put photos on blogs at home, but have never done it overseas. I was wondering about trying to do it occasionally this time. I was going to take a small USB card reader that I can put the camera memory card into, or I could take the Canon USB camera cord. The cord isn't much heavier than the reader, though it is slightly bulkier. But I wasn't sure how easy USB access would be with just a reader. At home I have USB access on my keyboard which is very easy and very handy. Do people who have done it overseas have any preferences?
Margaret

PS Three weeks until I leave home.... not that I am counting down the days or anything!

 

[jirit]

OK, now the main question is sorted, I have a related query. I know how to put photos on blogs at home, but have never done it overseas. I was wondering about trying to do it occasionally this time. I was going to take a small USB card reader that I can put the camera memory card into, or I could take the Canon USB camera cord. The cord isn't much heavier than the reader, though it is slightly bulkier. But I wasn't sure how easy USB access would be with just a reader. At home I have USB access on my keyboard which is very easy and very handy. Do people who have done it overseas have any preferences?
Margaret

PS Three weeks until I leave home.... not that I am counting down the days or anything!

Most of the computers I ever used in Spain always had the USB port in the front, nearby where the keyboard would be. Easy to access most of the time. I would lean towards taking just the cable and leaving the card reader behind.

 

[NaKwendaSafari]

I attach a picture of a card reader, some are smaller, which attaches to a USB connection in a computer. This is used to transfer pictures from your camera memory card into the computer which has Picasa or other photo editing software to manipulate the pictures. If you carry a camera connection cable, or iPhone cable, the cable is attached to the computer's USB port to also transfer, save, post and edit pictures using the installed computer software. Will not corrupt the pictures but can wipe the pictures clean from the memory card if you press delete.

Some card readers have a snap on cover where you can safely store spare memory cards, these compact readers are smaller than a matchbox, the USB folds into the reader out of the way during storage, and weighs less than a matchbox.

Modern computers have a narrow slot on the side or front where mainly SD cards (most cameras including the Canon use SD cards) can be plugged directly into the computer and pictures can be saved, edited or posted without a separate wire or reader. This facility may not be readily available on the Camino computers so take a backup wire or card-reader

Hope this does not make it more confusing. As miguel_gp points out Geekiness has drawn some unfriendly barbs in this forum, I am ducking, so if you need more info you can PM me.

Joe

 

[NaKwendaSafari]

Margaret,

I wasn't sure how easy USB access would be

Some public computers, eg in Singapore airport, where there are many free internet computers, hide the USB access from the public for fear of getting virus and other undesirables into their system but generally there is a USB access available. Some are in the front, some at the side, some even at the back, some covered with a snap open flap, just ask.

Look forward to your blog in three weeks!

Buen Camino.

Grandpa Joe

 

[jennysa]

Hi Laurie, PM'd you about this for fear of exposing my Geekieness on the forum.

Saludos
Mig

I am sure that there of many of us like Laurie who also haven't mastered the art of adding pictures to one's blog - I for one! Please wont you share your geekiness with us as well. I also have friends who are walking at the end of April, who have set up a blog, but dont know how to upload pictures to it.

Ivan, perhaps we need a special section here for 'technology on the Camino'?

 

[peregrina2000]

All I want to add to my previous post is a resounding chorus of "geek appreciation." I was surprised to see that some of you who are blessed with high tech abilities feel that the rest of us throw barbs at you. I for one am very thankful that you have taken the time to put this into language that a non-geek can understand.

Maybe just another reminder that we all need to check our judgmental sides at the door.
Buen camino, Laurie

 

[jirit]

I attach a picture of a card reader, some are smaller, which attaches to a USB connection in a computer. This is used to transfer pictures from your camera memory card into the computer which has Picasa or other photo editing software to manipulate the pictures.

Some card readers have a snap on cover where you can safely store spare memory cards, these compact readers are smaller than a matchbox, the USB folds into the reader out of the way during storage, and weighs less than a matchbox.

Joe

Now looking at this particular card reader I can this might be better to carry and use than the cable. Certainly a lot more compact. The issue for me, is I use a Nikon D70 and it only uses a larger compact flash cards, which do not work in most card readers (these normally work for the smaller SD memory cards)

But for Laurie, assuming she is taking a compact Canon digital camera, this is an excellent alternate.

Neville
The reason why I use my Nikon D70
https://picasaweb.google.com/1094336834 ... tiago2011#

 

[alipilgrim]

Another photo type question....re: online storage. Instead of carrying both a camera and an iPhone, I am planning to take only my iPhone 4S as the camera in it takes quite good photographs but I am concerned about the storage capacity of the phone. Can anyone recommend a good online photo storage website? Or, better yet, one with an App so that I can upload photos directly from my iPhone when I get to an area with a strong wi-fi signal?

Thanks! Allison

 

[miguel_gp]

Hi Laurie, PM'd you about this for fear of exposing my Geekieness on the forum.

My comment was very tongue-in-cheek. Really just didn't want to bore people with the technicalities, it wasn't for fear of being ridiculed . I basically said the same as Neville in my PM so nobody has missed out on any Rocket Science!

Regards
Mig

 

[vagabondette]

adding pics also has a lot to do with which blogging platform you're using...

For storage, check out dropbox. You can even make photo albums there and make them public so people can check the pics directly.

 

[unadara]

I had a lot of experiences last year trying to upload pics to my blog so I think they might be useful here.
Some pcs are coin operated for time allowance, if the money runs out while the pics are in the middle of saving to your blog/storage site etc you may run into difficulty. I lost photos as the box that says "delete all photos from your card after transfer" (or something like that) must have been ticked by the previous user, may have been in SPANISH/even, and the pics did not save to picasa and were wiped from my card. I could not add pics from picasa to my blog as picasa is an online site.
I am now much more familiar with adding pics to my gallery (on the blog) and later choosing those to add to a post.
Beware if you tired, pc's are slow, you are drinking wine!
If you use the lead you need power in your batteries and this may waste battery. Also if you have a litium battery and you plug it in PLEASE remember to put it in the camera before you leave next am. I forgot mine and was without a camera for last stages of Camino.
This year I bring my new Canon s1200, 2 aa's (eneloops) and 2 sd cards. And I will try and blog too. I blog now by a gmail message, and I am going to try that for adding a pic too. Will let you know asap if this works.

 

[jirit]

Another photo type question....re: online storage. Instead of carrying both a camera and an iPhone, I am planning to take only my iPhone 4S as the camera in it takes quite good photographs but I am concerned about the storage capacity of the phone. Can anyone recommend a good online photo storage website? Or, better yet, one with an App so that I can upload photos directly from my iPhone when I get to an area with a strong wi-fi signal?

Thanks! Allison

Hi Allison

You have a couple of choices:

You could upload the photos to Apple's iCloud. Important thing to remember is iCloud while free for the photos taken by your iPhone, only keeps the last 1,000 images and only for 30 days. Normally through iCloud you would sync to your Apple Mac at home and these images show up on Mac at home in iPhoto. It is really a type of service that makes sense for travelers that are going away for less than a month for example. Once home from your vacation everything you took with your iPhone is nicely synced with your Mac at home.

For longer trips like walking the Camino for example, the other choice is to use Dropbox. Again is it free for the first 2GB of data. Again you would copy the images from your iPhone Camera Roll (this is where the photos are stored on your iPhone) to Dropbox and you can get them later when you get home. There is no time limit but if you need more storage then you must pay for this but the cost is minor.

Finally consider using Picasa as I suggested earlier, and simply upload the photos to this site (it is operated by Google) and store them in a hidden folder (if you don't anybody to see them just yet) or published them as you go along the Camino

Either way best to wait until you have Wifi connection since the costs of using 3/4G in Europe for a data uploads and downloads, especially if you are using a Canadian iPhone, will give you a shock!

Neville

 

[alipilgrim]

Thanks Neville. I will look into Dropbox further (I did read some reviews and I was led to believe you have to load each photo individually) as well as Picasa. My iPhone is my only Apple device so unfortunately the iCloud doesn't do me much good - it only saves automatically to other Apples devices . And you're right, I'll only be using wi-fi while in Spain!!