Save your memories — now!

Answer these 2 questions for me:

1. Do you take photos with a digital camera at least once in a while?
   
2. Do you upload your photos to an online photo-sharing site?
   

If you answered yes to both of these questions, then I'm very proud of you. If you answered yes to number one and no to number two, then we need to talk. I have just witnessed yet another friend's heartbreak over losing all of their photos due to a (computer) hard drive failure ... they are gone, FOREVER. 

As a compulsive amateur photographer, I can't tell you how important it is to back up your photos — your memories — to an online photo sharing site. It's easy and most are free. And it's not just malfunctions that could cause you to lose all those precious family photos, what if your computer is stolen? Again, they'd be gone — FOREVER. 

I'm writing this not only because of my friend's experience, but also my own. About a year or so ago I switched to the new operating system Apple introduced and it wiped away all of my photos —  from iPhoto. I was sickened but luckily I had backed up most of my collection online. Note: if you think iPhoto is backing up your photos online, think again. It lives on your desktop (though if you have the new Leopard operating system, they say you should be okay with their TimeMachine software, but again, if your computer is stolen ... well, I don't know, and I just don't like to trust it.) 

Here's a run down of some of the sites I've used (and still use), plus some of their features:

• snapfish.com
  
• Sharing, prints, photo gifts
  
• Can order prints to be picked up at a Walgreens, Meijer or Staples anywhere in the U.S. — so if your granny lives in Omaha, you can send them there and she can pick 'em up)

• shutterfly.com
  
• Sharing, prints, photo gifts
  
• Groups (allows more than one user to add to an album, you can invite several people to join the groups you set up. You also get a "website" or URL and email to go with it)

• photoworks.com
  
• Sharing, prints, photo gifts
  
• Can sell your photos by setting up a "store"
  
• Kodak "Perfect Touch" color correction option

• kodakgallery.com
  
• Sharing, prints, photo gifts
  
• Obviously, all prints come on Kodak paper (always a plus)

Strictly sharing photo sites (no prints of gifts in other words):

• flickr.com
  
• Great for sharing and joining groups

• picasa (linked with Google)
  
• A sharing site that works with blogger.com (in case you want to start a blog — it's free too)
  

Pay photo-sharing sites

• smugmug.com
  
• Sharing, prints, photo gifts
• I use this one because it allows me to add tags, captions and I can always download the original full resolution photo anytime, anywhere I need to. If I lose my computer for any reason, I am backed up in at least four different states with smugmug
  
• You can upgrade and add videos, though only short ones.

UK site worth taking a look at (if you live in the UK or have peeps there):

• photobox.co.uk
  
• Sharing, prints, photo gifts
• Create your own photo blog
  
• Link to your Facebook profile
  

Another reason you should put your photos online: say you're visiting a friend 800 miles away from home and you get to talking about so-an-so's wedding you went to, well instead of saying "I'll send you some photos when I get home," you can just log in and show them right then and there. Easy-peasy lemon squeezy. 

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to add a comment to this blog and I will reply the best I can. Good luck!