Over the past few weeks the question of, how should I publish my photos online, has come up on a regular basis.
At an ever increasing rate the big cloudy world on The Internet is becoming welcomed by both older and inexperienced users who want to share their beautiful images with the world. Well there is plenty of ways to publish your photos online, here is a summary of my suggestions.
So, Which one’s right for you?
Flickr
Straight off the bat, this is without question the best and most popular social photo sharing method on the Net today. Only takes a minute to register and is available as a free registration or for a small price you get a whole lot more. Create groups, comment on other peoples and friends photos, make notes, add photos to your favorites and even create your own public or private albums.
www.flickr.com
Picasa Web Albums
Google’s answer to Flickr, search and become part of online communities. It is a little less social then flickr but very Google.
www.picasaweb.google.com
4images
An old favourite, I used this for many years before moving to Flickr. 4Images is a terrific gallery but you need to do one thing, provide your own database. So you will need a hosting account. Once setup visitors can register, upload their own photos and comment on pictures. I love this app!
www.4homepages.de
Zenphoto
A nice PHP script with an easy to use and manage gallery setup. Easily inserted into an existing website or page. Also requires access to a database so a hosting account is also required. I love the back end to this, it is easy to use and simpe to upload and manage photos.
www.zenphoto.org
Minishowcase
Powered by AJAX, minishowcase is a small and simple php/javascript online photo gallery. Simple to setup and looks nice too. Is in my opinion, more of a image management tool than a way of showing off photos. Definitely worth a look though!
www.minishowcase.frwrd.net
Imagevuex
Now this is just damn sexy! If you want a flashy way to display galleries than this is the way to go. A great back end and a very sexy interface. Along with more customisation options than you could ever think of. I have used this many times and absolutely love it! The great thing is, no database needed.
www.imagevuex.com
PhotoStack
Another easy to use image organization system featuring nested albums, template driven layout, smart caching, automatic thumbnail creation, RSS feeds, picture level EXIF date extraction, and picture level descriptions, all without the need for a database. Plus it’s free!
http://photostack.org
Slideshow Pro
I have used this for clients websites on a few occasions. It provides a simple to use and navigate Flash image gallery that can be inserted into pretty much any page or website. A simple to use back end setup and yes, this one requires a database. View a sample of its use at Stuart Hale’s website. Small fee for a nice gallery management system!
www.slideshowpro.net
Simpleviewer
This is great! No need for a database and comes with a heap of features and it’s free!.
www.airtightinteractive.com
iPap
This is where my interest in having an online image gallery all started. You need a database and only a little bit of time to get it configured how you want. You can bulk upload images and tweak the layout to just how you want it. A terrific PHP–based application from Rebel Pixel Productions.
www.rebelpixel.com/projects
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