Commentary: Photo sites offer Father's Day gifts

Daily Record, The (Baltimore), Jun 3, 2005 by Larry Fiorino

Digital cameras, as part of a cell phone or on their own, are one of the hottest items in the electronics market today. But once those pictures are taken, what options do consumers have?

Where should all of these images be stored? What can be done with them? What makes them better and more flexible than just regular photos?

As Father's Day approaches, it is useful to note that there are a host of online services that consumers can use to store and print photos, as well as incorporate them into a host of personalized items.

Most popular among online services is ofoto.com from Kodak. This site allows for photos to be plastered across playing cards, clothing and even pre-assembled photo album coffee table books. Reviewers commonly recommend the print quality of ofoto.com over other online sites for printed photos.

Snapfish.com also allows for about 80 different items to be personalized with your photos, including the most traditional Father's Day gifts: the necktie.

Several recommendations to make the most of your online photo experience include: shooting at your camera's highest resolution, avoiding detailed shots, like group shots or big landscapes, which won't transfer well to a small item like a stamp or coffee mug. Large shots like this may be more suited to a T-shirt, poster or tote bag.

When uploading photos to an online service, consumers should be familiar with the terms of use. Most services require consumers to make at least one purchase within six months or a year after creating their account. To make sure that you don't lose access to your pictures, be aware of the rules and make sure to stay current.

InfoTrends estimates that 20 million people uploaded pictures to photo Web sites in 2004 and 6.2 million people got their prints from these sites. The digital photo trend appears to be on the upswing, and there are many exciting ways to take part in the trend.

Larry Fiorino, the founder and chief executive of G1440, a Baltimore-based e-solutions firm, writes this column, Web Sightings, every week for The Daily Record. The opinions expressed are Mr. Fiorino's and not necessarily those of The Daily Record. He can be reached at 410-843-3800.