Tips for reducing digital photo file sizes
Messages sent to Klamath Basin Bird News can include attachments, but we ask that posters be considerate of folks with slow internet connections and limit the file size of attachments. A good rule-of-thumb is to keep attachments below 500 KB in size.
Digital photos are common attachments on bird-related mailing lists like Klamath Basin Bird News. Here we make some suggestions for handling digital photos in a way that does not clog readers' email programs.
One sure-fire way to do this is to post the photo/image in an online repository and then simply provide a link to the photo in your message. For example, if you have a Google account you can post the photo in a Picasa Web Album and share the link, like this photo of the Ruby-throated Hummingbird (2nd Oregon record!) that showed up in Dave Hewitt's yard in fall 2008.
Posting the photo to an online repository and then providing a link is by far the preferred approach!
If you must attach the photo to the email message, here are some helpful tips for reducing the file size of the photo. Bird photos can usually be reduced to 200-300 KB without losing important detail. Be sure to save the modified image as a new file so as not to overwrite your original copy. Using photo editing or graphics software, the two essential elements of the process are:
- Cropping the photo to include only the important subject. Cut out any unnecessary portions, such as around the edges.
- Re-scaling the photo for on-screen viewing. Keep in mind that most computer monitors have a resolution of about 1000 pixels in width, so photos can be safely reduced to 800 pixels wide and still contain plenty of detail for on-screen viewing.
Here are links to a couple good descriptions of the process:
http://graphicssoft.about.com/cs/digitalimaging/f/howreducesize.htm
http://www.pcdon.com/deReducingtheFileSizeofaPhoto.html
If you don't already have software for photo editing, here are two free and powerful programs you can try: