About 880 billion photographs will be taken in 2014, according to Yahoo, roughly 123 photos for every man, woman, and child on Earth. That’s a lot of birthdays, weddings, graduations, vacations, and selfies.
Even though photography has never been more popular, camera sales fell by 34 percent in 2013, according to the Consumer Electronics Association. Why? You need look no further than the do-everything device in your pocket or purse.
Smart phones are the new cameras of choice for casual photographers, because they unite two previously separate activities—shooting and sharing photos. That has changed not only how images are captured, but why: Rather than taking photos to be printed and placed in an album, consumers are impulsively capturing moments that can be shared with friends (or the entire world) instantly.
But sharing isn’t just for phones. Conventional cameras have adapted to meet that need. Many new models have built-in wireless features to link to a smart phone or to Internet services such as Facebook and Flickr via Wi-Fi or cell service.
You might roll your eyes at Snapchatting teenagers or stare with wonder at the stream-of-consciousness photography of a friend’s Instagram feed. Maybe you just want to chronicle a family vacation with a printed photo album that won’t break the bank. No matter how or why you share photos, there’s no one-size-fits-all service. But before you commit your photos to the cloud, there are practical considerations:
This guide should help clarify the situation. We compare popular photo-sharing services, offer tips on how to improve your photos, and highlight devices that make it easy to share.
There’s one in every family: the proud dad who posts 185 photos of his son’s soccer game to Facebook, or the overeager aunt who e-mails hourly links to her cruise snapshots. Don’t be that person! A smart photographer knows what to throw away.
Here’s how to apply an editorial eye to your photo feed:
A little planning and touch-up work can make a world of difference in a photo. Correcting red-eye (which is often caused by using a flash in low light) is just the start. Most new digital cameras and phones have a number of tools you should try.
(facebook.com; mobile apps: Android, iOS, and Windows)
Best for: Quick sharing with friends.
(flickr.com; mobile apps: Android and iOS)
Best for: Backing up full-resolution photos online. It also lets you connect with a strong photographic community.
(instagram.com; mobile apps: Android, iOS, and Windows in beta)
Best for: quickly sharing single images and adding a photo filter.
(picasa.google.com and plus.google.com; mobile apps: Android and iOS)
Best for: Keeping all of your images in one ecosystem, namely Google. Also, both Google+ and Google Drive offer various options for storing photos, including full-resolution images, which make them good for storing and sharing images.
(shutterfly.com; mobile apps: Android and iOS)
(snapfish.com; mobile apps: Android and iOS)
This article also appeared in the June 2014 issue of Consumer Reports magazine.