Upload pictures here please, not external hosts

[Peckris]

Many people upload their pictures directly here, despite the maximum size per post. Others prefer to use an external host and then use the 'direct link' URL to get the picture displayed here.

Until fairly recently, either method was just as good. However, looking through older posts on this site, it's quite apparent that external hosts cannot be relied on. I've lost count of Photobucket and TinyPic links that are broken and therefore there is no picture displayed. And last year, Dropbox broke all links to existing shared 'Public folder' links all over the internet.

So, despite the upload limit - and there are ways to reduce file sizes if you ask, or look in the appropriate 'sticky' in the beginners forum - please upload your pictures direct to this website, and future users will thank you when they see the accompanying picture actually displayed. Thanks! 

[Nick]

I mostly used to use an external host, because it allowed me to retain control.  If at any point, I wanted to edit or delete a photo, then I could.  Upload a photo here now and you can do neither, even though the copyright resides with the photographer.

[Peckris]

On 13 January 2018 at 6:31 PM, Nick said:

I mostly used to use an external host, because it allowed me to retain control.  If at any point, I wanted to edit or delete a photo, then I could.  Upload a photo here now and you can do neither, even though the copyright resides with the photographer.

I take your point, but at least your picture will always be here (I shouldn't think many members want to delete pictures?). If you use Photobucket, TinyPic, or Dropbox, you must now pay for a premium account to guarantee your links might survive, and even then, there's no guarantee. I should think most external hosts will sooner or later adopt this as a business model.

[1949threepence]

I never use an image hosting site these days. I take my own pics using my tablet, e mail them to my PC, save the pic, and then upload directly from there. Not had a problem with size doing it that way. 

Not bothered about control. I have the coin, and the pic is just that - a pic. If it helps others to gain any perspective, then it's well worth it.    

 

[secret santa]

I do something very similar - I take high quality pics with a digital SLR and macro lens, store them on my PC and on ONEdrive (cloud) whilst keeping a duplicate set of pics reduced in size by 60% using Photostudio (from 2 or 3 megabytes to <500 Kb) on both for uploading to here or websites.