Shutterfly

[bob turner]

As most of you know, I am using Shutterfly for my images - I need a "host" in order to post photos here.

I was feeling guilty, using their service for free - so ordered some prints. My "aspect ratio" is "different" - that is, I crop my photos to something more closely resembling a bumper sticker than a candid photo. But Shutterfly sent me prints 4x6, with the front and back of each locomotive chopped off.

They cannot handle train photos cropped the way I do them for prints - but they may be able to do so in book form. I am considering doing a book of Cab Forwards, and maybe SP locomotives - not as a commercial venture, but more as an enticement to a possible museum donation in the next decade or so. I will keep you posted.

Meantime, we need more photos here - I strongly advise a Shutterfly account - free, and easy to use - and they make coffee mugs! I might do one of those for my Stearman buddies.

We have outlined how easy it is to use Shutterfly in past threads, but if you get started and need a quick set of suggestions, I am happy to repeat the steps here.

[ScaleCraft]

Good luck with your books.
My wife has done 50 or more, trips, grandkids, all sorts of things.

Them folks make it difficult.
They have recent grads in webdesign who think it's neat to change stuff. To the point it becomes unusable.

One change ended up with so much bandwidth we couldn't connect.
Layout changes, appearance changes, ability to put captions where you want them changes.

Takes lots of phone calls to sort it out.

Latest was (trying to remember exactly) the photos you load to choose for your book....used to be along the bottom and zoomed when hovering so you could see what it was.
Change made it not zoom. Had to load each tiny thumbnail to see, then remove.

Another phone call, they told her how to get into the older version, but we know from experience that will go away next time.

Specials.....40% off.....apply it and no change in price. Another call....yeah, we know, the 40% is included in the price. But total is MORE than last time without a discount coupon.

And if you though evilbait shipping could be a ripoff, wait until you get your book shipped.

Good quality and size.....she doesn't want to change that...but I get to listen to the screaming.

It's a shell game.

[Seaboard Air Line Fan]

The firearms forums I belong to use Fora (if I read it correctly) as their hosting software and all you need to do is select a photo on your own computer so others can see it. Very easy to do. Have no idea of the cost but there's no fee for the members, although many contribute anyway.

[up148]

For my limited photo posting on this forum, Shutterfly works great. I use it so seldom I always have to remind myself of the sequence to post, but it really is simple once you get it down. Never ordered any of their numerous products.

[bob turner]

This forum is not set up to store images. It used to have a limited capability, but no more. We have to use it the way it is - as I understand it, it exists only as a courtesy to us and as a memorial to its originator.

Good and bad in that - no censors is a good thing in my opinion, but apparently new folks have a very difficult time joining.

The Shutterfly folks were very polite in explaining the limitations on the auto print situation. They probably won't fix it just for train nuts.

[bob turner]

I just did a Google search to see if I could add some grey screen or something to the top or bottom of my photos to force the auto print to include the entire image. It may be possible in Photoshop, but the instructions are a bit baffling - you select a frame of the proper aspect ratio, then move your photo into that frame. I may give it a try, and will report back.

There is apparently no way to get prints made to include the entire image of high aspect ratio images without human intervention for each image - and humans are no longer available at print machines.

When I first started submitting articles, I had an awful time - that was before digital imaging and photoshop - and had to "train" each new print operator to actually look at the image and adjust density. Thank God those days are over - each set of images cost over ten bucks, not counting the two very painful drives to the photo store - and I had no idea whether they would be suitable for publication until the second trip. One solid week for a single set of photos.

At least now I can have a photo of anything I want, properly enhanced and cropped, within less than 15 minutes. I don't really need prints, unless some unknown force can crash my computer and the separate thumb drive.

[ScaleCraft]

I asked SWMBO how she does this.
First, NEVER let them "create" your book or use an overall book template.
ALWAYS "create your own book".

Then she find a frame or photo template, drags it in, then drags it width and height she wants, then inserts photo.

She does all sorts of odd shapes.

Says she has no problem doing that.