Sunday, August 19, 2012

Blogger Question About Photo Storage

Update, 8/28/12:
I found this on one of Google's help pages. 

Free storage limits

Photos up to 2048 x 2048 pixels and videos up to 15 minutes won't count towards your free storage.

Automatic resizing

All photos uploaded in Google+ will be automatically resized to 2048 pixels (on their longest edge) and won't count towards your free storage quota.
All photos uploaded from the Picasa software or in Picasa Web Albums over the free size limit will count towards your 1 GB of free storage. When you reach your storage limit, any new photos you upload larger than the free size limit will be automatically resized to 2048 pixels (on their longest edge).

Source: http://support.google.com/picasa/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=1224181

----------------------------------------------------------

Original Post:

I was just updating my blog layout this afternoon, when I received a slightly alarming message from Blogger that read something like this:

"No more pictures for you."

Okay, not exactly.  What it really said was that my Picasa Web Album was full and I had exceeded the free storage space for photos.

There are different types of infinity, but, sadly, the internet is not one of them.

Eh, excuse me?

Then I proceeded to waste precious hours reading about the free storage available on Picasa (only 1 GB), which Blogger uses to store uploaded photos, and how I could purchase extra space for a monthly fee if I needed more room, and then I resorted to deleting as many photos as I could from my album (which I only use as a means to store photos for this blog).  This was a "beyond boring" way to spend my afternoon.  I really, really hope that I did not delete pictures that are included in my blog posts.  The album was not very user friendly, in my opinion.  It would have been really nice if the photos included information about where I was using them, but the only information that I could use to determine if a picture might be posted on my blog was the number of page views.  So basically, it was a big guessing game, which including looking through all of my posts since the beginning of time this blog in April 2011.  Apparently, Picasa continues to store all photos that were uploaded even if I did not actually publish them in a blog post.  There were many duplicates and sometimes a large number of page views were split between two duplicates (What does that mean exactly?).  I have reduced the used storage in my album to about 80%, but it is only a matter of time before I max it out again.

Dear Fellow Bloggers and Friends,

Is this a blogging problem that you have also encountered?
Do you have a solution to this problem?
Are you paying monthly fees for more photo space?

I love that blogging is a free and creative pastime.  I understand that web space is not really free and that Google is just extra-special-awesome for making so many things as close to free as they possibly can.  I already take advantage of many of these services: Gmail, YouTube, Blogger, and, I guess, Picasa, although I did not know that I was using the web album until today.  I am hoping that maybe there is an alternative to paying for more space, although I will admit that the fee for the next level is very small at about $2.50/month.


IMG_4821shrunk
Test photo shared from a new location.  Pay no attention to the parrot in the foreground.  This photo is supposed to be of Rapa the Wonder Budgie.

34 comments:

  1. I started having that problem about a year a half ago. It's only an issue when updating my header or layout and not with actual blog posts (at least so far). I just delete old stuff when I no longer need it and as of now I've been able to hold off purchasing any space:)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I was editing the layout when this happened. I wonder if it was a coincidence or if the album reduces picture size for the actual posts.

      Delete
  2. Two things - one is keeping the file size of the photos down. If you have the option, 72 dpi will do for web pictures. Also, you can also store photos other places besides Picasa.

    I re-size and store pictures on my computer, but there is also photobucket and flickr.

    Whichever place you choose, file size is key. You may have an option on your camera to reduce the dpi there, but if you don't want to do that, I believe both of the above programs have some sort of image editing functions. Look for image size on the editing psge...

    Hope this helps. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for the suggestion about photo size.

      I have tons of space to store photos at home. My husband is a computer specialist, so he set us up with backups and lots of storage. My problem seems to be that I have to upload photos on Picasa for them to appear on this blog. That is where the limit is showing up.

      Delete
    2. Interesting. I have blogger as well, and upload directly from my computer, the web and photo storing sites. Blogger should offer you all of those options when you upload - at least it does for me.

      Nonetheless - you can store uploaded photos on the other sites mentioned and access them for your blog... spread your photos around if you don't feel like resizing them. :)

      Delete
  3. I purchased extra space about a year ago. I think I pay a nominal annual fee. They may have changed to a monthly fee since then.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Okay. Thanks, Annette.

      I might have to ask you how to fix my comment photo. I must have deleted it. I saw that you changed yours a couple times, so I guess you know how to do it.

      Delete
  4. A few years ago I bit the bullet and subscribed to Flickr. I link to my photos from there a lot of the time. My way of justifying it is that if there's a disaster my favourite photos are saved on the web.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for the suggestion. Do you get lots more space?

      Delete
    2. it's unlimited. which is helpful because I take LOTS of photos. :)

      Delete
    3. Unlimited sounds pretty darn good!

      Do you just copy the embed code? My parrot photo below is from Flickr. I do not like that the photo links back to Flickr. Can I prevent this?

      Delete
  5. Huh. I've never had that problem. Thanks for the heads up!

    On a related note, I hate picasa.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Now I have to go wade through Picassa to how much space I have left! I've been blogging since 2009 and haven't had this problem yet, though. I usually only include one picture per post and I recycle them, though. Some posts don't get pictures at all. I'm not big on the pictures. Blogger frequently has trouble with loading them and I'm not a very patient person. I've heard Worpress is better as far as as pictures go, but haven't tried it out yet.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I really like using pictures and I have a nice camera with high resolution. I guess that I am going to have to bite the bullet and start reducing picture sizes.

      Delete
  7. I don't have this problem so wouldn't know how to help. I upload most of my photos from my iphoto on my Mac. I had a thought that if you wanted to save your photos indefinitely you could download them onto a disk each month and label them. Then you could delete extras on Picassa and have a clean slate so to speak.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Unfortunately, it seems that the pictures have to be on Picasa for them to show up on my blog. Otherwise, I would delete them all right now. I have tons of storage at home. Major bummer.

      Delete
  8. Sigh. I hear you. Apparently I deleted the thumbnail photo for my comments. I tried putting it back, but it is not working. I still have a profile picture, so I am not sure why it is not showing.

    My husband made the same suggestion about photo size. It is just that it takes more time to resize pictures and I tend to use a lot of them. During the school year, time is precious.

    ReplyDelete
  9. To clarify - to utilize photos from photobucket or flickr accounts, you can copy the embed code they offer under the share function, and paste that directly into the html page of bloggers new post page.

    Just put your cursor where you want the picture to load on the new post page, click on the HTML button (next to the COMPOSE button - top left of page) - and paste the code there at the bottom of the existing text. When you go back to the compose page, your picture will appear. This is how you bypass picassa (who apparently has a proprietary relationship with blogger...)

    Photobucket also has a one click resize function with lots of speedy options and I haven't run into any storage problems there.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Thank you for your very detailed explanation. I may have to start doing that. I really appreciate the follow up comment and help.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Google drive gives you 5GB for free. Other than that I am 0 help.

    ReplyDelete
  12. If you use windows then you can download a resizer - google windows 7 (or whatever version you use) resizer.

    Then all you need to to is select the pics, right click and resize to either small, medium or large. It keeps the original photo and then you also have A resized version too, which you can delete later after uploading. Maybe this is why I haven't had the same storage problem?

    ReplyDelete
  13. That sounds great, Lisa. I will definitely look for the download.

    Thank you!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Well shoot! I had no idea that if you remove photos from the Picasa album that they disappear from the blog too. I don't think I have done that yet. I just figured when it got too full, I would just empty my album. Hmmm. One of the things I have done for the most part is upload my photos before I start a blog and either name the album what I title the post or date it accordingly, then I go about writing and entering photos. If you hear of a good photo solution please do share. I am going to re read what Calm Forward Straight said a couple hundred times to see if I can replicate that. Codes and HTML stuff makes my head spin a bit. I think the photos definitely make the blog.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I hear you, Mary. There has been some good advice in the comments here. I was pretty oblivious to the whole Picasa thing until the storage filled up.

      And now every time I publish a comment, the little minus sign icon stares me in the face (replaced my horse icon for some reason). I can't make it go away!

      Delete
    2. I am not a real fan of your "minus sign" either. hrrumph, I hope you get it back soon.

      Delete
  15. I've come from the help forum to check on your problem.

    The photos you upload froom your computer have to be hosted somewhere. You don't want them to be hosted at home--to me that is like everyone reaching into your computer to look at them all the time. You can host them elsewhere than picasaweb--one of the other hosting services such as photobucket or flickr. The posting is a little different if you do.

    Another thing that affects it is the size of your image files. I upload my images in a compressed file--my editing software does it for me so I don't have to get all technical about it. You don't really need the highest resolution files on the web, so the smaller files extend how much that free 1 GB of hosting per account can show.

    The circle and minus are and indication that permission to view that file is restricted. Are you sure you checked all your albums when you made sure they were public? Does a new comment still show the no permission icon?

    Katney--Blogger TC

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Katney,

      Thank you so much for stopping by to try and help me. I understand your explanation of why I must store my photos in internet land. I am going to try some of the suggestions made here in the comments to resize my photos and possibly store them somewhere else.

      As for the pesky minus sign, I will publish this comment to demonstrate that it is still a minus.

      Delete
    2. Wait a minute. My icon is back.

      Katney,

      Are you a blog doctor? That was amazing!

      Delete
    3. Before your comment appeared I removed and then re-uploaded my profile picture. That was my second attempt, so I am not sure why if worked the first time.

      Any idea how to correct my old comments which now all show a minus sign? This is throughout the entire blog and on blogs by other authors.

      Delete
  16. The old comments are linked to the old, and without permission, file. If you can figure out where that resides and change the permission, the affected icons should correct themselves. I know you have looked unsuccessfully. I can't suggest where else to look.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Katney.

      I really appreciate that you took the time to stop by and offer your help.

      Delete
  17. Parrot photo bomb!

    I have not run into this problem myself (yet), but I store all the photos on my desktop- which is apparently not recommended. Hmmm.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Blogger let's you do that? I didn't think that I had a choice in the matter.

      That is Avery. He does not believe in sharing attention or camera time. ;)

      Delete

Leave a comment or add to my memoirs with some of your own.