Storing And Sharing Images, Copyright And Fair Use

Overview of importing photos and videos into Photos on Mac – Import your photos and videos into your photo library so you can organize and edit them with Photos. You can import photos and videos in a variety of ways:

Common Image File Formats:

TIFF (Tagged Image File Format) produces the largest files. It is uncompressed, meaning the original image can be reconstructed without omission from the file.
PNG (Portable Network Graphics, pronounced “ping”) is similar to TIFF, but employs a kind of compression that is reversible. It also has the ability to carry an “alpha channel,’ making it useful for graphics work.
RAW (so-named because they are unprocessed) contains the data just as it came from the sensor. They are actually smaller than TIFF, but require interpretation before use. Each manufacturer can have different definitions of their RAW files, so software must handle that. In other words, they’re not especially portable.
JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group) uses “lossy” compression to reduce file sizes. The amount of loss is selected by the creator of an image, and can produce images that are hard to tell from the original. They have become a defacto standard for image transfer, and therefore compatible with most image software.
HEIF (High Efficiency Image file Format) is the still image version of HEIC, developed by the Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG) also known as H.265. The format can produce higher quality images than JPEG, with smaller files. Rather than a single file, it is a container, and therefore can contain multiple images. Apple has adopted this standard for the newest iPhones and it allows for features like “Live Photo” with short segments of video for each selectable still image.

Storage Devices:

SanDisk 128GB iXpand Flash Drive Go for iPhone and iPad – An easy way to free up memory. Will also keep files safe by plugging in the drive to automatically back up your photos, videos and contacts.

Extremely small Solid State Drives (SSD) available in several sizes from 256 GB to 2 TB. Suitable for use with the iPhone or iPad with a suitable adapter and power supply.

Sabrent 1TB Rocket Nano External SSD –

Samsung 1TB T5 Portable SSD –

SanDisk 1TB Extreme Pocket SSD –

Storage Connecting Adapters:

Lightning to SD Card Reader – Use to connect an SD card directly to iPhone of iPad.

Lightning to USB 3 Camera Adapter – Allows the connection of an external Thumb Drive or SSD with iPhone or iPad when additional power is required.

Lightning to USB Camera Adapter – Allows for the connection of some low-power thumb drives.

Lightning to micro USB Camera Adapter – Allow the direct connection of some digital cameras with iPhone or iPad where the supplied cable is micro USB.

Photo Sharing Sites:

Photo Sharing Service Comparison – Spreadsheet showing various photo sharing sites, their features and cost.

Instagram – Social Media site for sharing photos – Free

Flickr – Social Media site for sharing photos – Unlimited ($71.99/year)

Dropbox – Cloud storage service for storing all types of files. Integrates with may other services and is very popular – 2 TB ($9.99/month)

Amazon Photos – Cloud storage, editing and print services for photos – Free Unlimited photo storage + 5 GB of video storage (Prime Membership), 100 GB ($19.99/yr), 1 TB ($59.99/yr), 2 TB (199.98/yr)

iCloud Photos – Cloud storage and editing service that integrates with Apple Mac OS and iOS – 50 GB ($.99/month), 200 GB ($2.99/month), 2 TB ($9.99/month)

Google Photos – Cloud storage, editing tools and print services for photos – 100 GB ($1.99/month), 200 GB ($2.99/month), 2 TB ($9.99/month) with larger sizes available

SmugMug – Broad range of plans from Basic (unlimited photo uploads – $13/month) to a professional package that offer galleries with templates and licensing.

How to Choose a Photo Storage Service – Helpful comparison on The Verge with information about photo services like Flickr, Google, 500px, Photobucket, DeviantArt and Amazon

Photography Resources on the Web

Google – The world’s information at your fingertips. It is still surprising to me how often a simple question like “how do I transfer photos from an iPhone to a Mac” will result in useful answers. Google understands natural language, so form a question and ask . . .

YouTube – The second largest search engine on the planet (behind Google), There are countless videos on almost any topic you can name. It’s my “go to” for quick information about equipment or procedures. Try searching for “iPhone Photography” or “iPhone Photography Gadgets.”

Apple.com – Lots of help here. Try: “About the Camera Features on your iPhone.“

Smartphone Photography 101 – Ad supported Smart Phone photography course

iPhone Photography School – Paid Online Course with free samples. Pretty comprehensive including both iPhone camera operation and more general photography skills. They also have a YouTube Channel.

ICloud Photos

support.apple.com is a source excellent information site for Apple. The articles below will help you get started with iCloud Photos.

How to Backup your iPhone or iPad

How to Set Up and Use iCloud Photos on your iPhone or iPad – iOS, Mac or PC