Helppp! (a question about image-heavy posts on LJ)

[chamekke]

I'm working on a meta essay for lifein1973 that's *cough* just a bit image-heavy. The pics are in JPEG format and already optimized for the Web; that part's fine. But there are several dozen (at present), and even if I reduce the number somewhat and then split the essay into parts... that's still quite a lot. The task is intimidating enough that I've been procrastinating over this like crazy.

So, I want to ask those of you who've uploaded/inserted multiple images into a LiveJournal post: what's the easiest, most efficient method? Do you save the pics to PhotoBucket and link to them? Do you use LJ's Scrapbook feature? *shudder* Or is there another approach that works well for you?

Thanks ♥

And now, because you've been so kind as to read this...here's a Lovely Owl!

 

Comments

[talkingtothesky]

Woot, I'm so excited for your meta! ♥

Photobucket's probably much quicker for uploading lots of images at once, but I find it almost impossible to retrieve the right links afterwards (i.e. the ones that take you directly to the images, where the URL ends in .jpg).

What I tend to do is upload to LJ Scrapbook, copy the links into Notepad, do all the <*img src="url"> stuff there, then copy into the html tab for the post.

[chamekke.livejournal.com]

Thank you for the tip! Whichever on I end up using, I'll take your suggestion and do most of my HTML coding in Notepad. Cheers ♥

[thesmallhobbit.livejournal.com]

Sorry, can't help at all, but the owl is lovely.

[chamekke.livejournal.com]

It is, isn't it? It's got the most adorable sleepy eyes!

[loz]

Photobucket used to be good for this, but now it sucks badtime. I guess scrapbook would be better, though still take time.

[chamekke.livejournal.com]

Yes, I'm not sure why they changed PhotoBucket. It used to be much more user-friendly :-P

[phantym-56.livejournal.com]

I'm pretty sure my method is not the fastest or easiest, but this is what I do:

My image-heavy things tend to be pictures that came together, whether screencaps or photos straight off my camera and they tend to have names like ABC657.jpg which means all I really have to think about is the number on the end.

I upload them all to Photobucket and then while they're processing, I open Notepad and type the HTML code and the first part of the address (the photobucket.com/user/album/ABC bit) and then I copy-paste that however many times, depending how many pictures I've got.

Then I just add the number of the image onto the end of each line so I end up with:

photobucket.com/user/album/ABC001.jpg
photobucket.com/user/album/ABC002.jpg
photobucket.com/user/album/ABC003.jpg

and so on and so on.

Then I copy-paste that into posting box. It takes quite a while but it strikes me as being much quicker than going through four or five Photobucket pages copying every individual URL.

[chamekke.livejournal.com]

Ah, this is a brilliant suggestion! Thank you. I'll probably take some version of this approach. (I do prefer using PhotoBucket even if it hasn't got the most user-friendly interface, because it's still miles ahead of LJ Scrapbook IMO.)

And you're right about copying each individual URL, I want to avoid that like the plague, so your tip is terrific. Yay! ♥

[thirdbird-fic.livejournal.com]

Photobucket is good for me but I've never had to deal with more than half a dozen images at a time. But I have to agree that the Lovely Owl is hysterical. The kittens are all alarmed at the noises I made while watching it.

[chamekke.livejournal.com]

I've never been a particularly owly person, but this is indeed the most wonderful owl video EVER. And I can only imagine the entertaining noises you must have made. (What am I saying, I made them myself ;-)

[anodyna.livejournal.com]

Preface: HAHA I just read this over, why am I so instructional first thing in the morning? Anyway I hope it helps, even if it is TOTAL OVERKILL!

*****
I use Photobucket--I personally think it's the easiest way though I know everyone's mileage varies. Once you've uploaded your photos there are two easy ways to add them:

To get the code one photo at a time:

1. In Photobucket, hover your mouse over the photo in your album. A box pops up automatically with three links in it.
2. Do one of these two things:
To get just the url for the image, click the "Direct Link" field. The link is automatically copied. Paste it into your LJ and add image tags. You're done!
OR
Click inside the field labeled "HTML code". Go to your LJ post and paste the code in. You don't need to add any tags. This option displays the image and links it back to the original on Photobucket. I usually choose this option, then manually delete the url from the "a href=" part so clicking the photo doesn't do anything.

To get the code for a bunch of photos at once:

1. Hover your mouse over a photo and click the checkbox next to the file name in the popup. Do this for all the photos you want links for.
2. At the bottom of the album page, there's a menu called "Choose Action". Click "Generate Link Codes for Selected".
3. A window comes up with the link codes for all your photos. Do one of these things:
To get just the image urls, copy the code from the "Full Size" box in the second group. You'll need to change the square brackets to carrots when you paste the code into LJ.
OR
Copy the code from "Full Size" in the first group and paste it into your LJ. You're done unless you want to change the "a href=" destination so the photos don't link back to Photobucket.

Tip: With any of these options, if the image is showing up the wrong size in your post and you don't want to have to go back, edit, and re-upload, you can add a "width" or "height" attribute to the img tag. Example:

[img src="http://imaginaryimage.jpg" width="400"]

That forces the image to be displayed at 400 pixels wide, no matter what the original size is.

It's really not different doing a dozen photos vs. one, it's just a scale thing. I'm sure you'll be fine! Just preview a lot and if something breaks just delete that piece of code and try it again.

[chamekke.livejournal.com]

Thank you! Wow, if I may say so, you would make a fab technical writer. Your instructions are extremely clear and thorough! The bulk-photo tip in particular is exactly what I was looking for, and yes, good idea to tweak the dimensions using a search-and-replace in Notepad or Word or what have you.

Marvellous, thanks again ♥ *hugs gratefully*

[anodyna.livejournal.com]

You're welcome! I learned that bulk-photo tip when I was making a lot of icons, because the icon table generators need that list of image urls. It was never that intuitive but it got a bit worse with the redesign, now that the checkbox is hiding in the popup. I'm so glad it was new/useful info!

(Funny enough, the first job of my previous career was in tech support. :) I don't do it anymore but I don't think it ever leaves you--it rearranges your explanation synapses or something.)

[basaltgrrl.livejournal.com]

I don't have any advice for you, but...

OWLS!!! I love owls! *glomps*

[chamekke.livejournal.com]

Me too! Especially the little ones. I wonder if the little blissful skritch-receiving fella is a sawwhet owl? They're about the cutest things ever!

[draycevixen.livejournal.com]

I think just about everything I have to say has been covered here but, just in case...

What I've found to be the simplest thing is to upload all the images to my photobucket account (I'm careful to create a new album for them first so they're all together in one spot) and then just copy the "direct link" for each into the spot I want it in my posting (in the HTML window of course).

I've never had any trouble with this and it seems to work faster/is more reliable that the LJ scrapbook. I only use scrapbook when I'm posting a single image and then only because it's faster than opening my photobucket account.

[chamekke.livejournal.com]

Ooh, I love the suggestion of making a specific album for them. And TBH this is going to be a one-off use, so a single album makes a lot of sense.

Yup, gonna use your suggestion in combination with a couple of other ones. Thank you so much! <333

[gritsinmisery.livejournal.com]

I once did a two-part and a three-part picspam semi-spoof of two of the episodes of Scarlet Pimpernel, used Photobucket and had no problems whatsoever. I have no problems w/ PB at any time, so if you have any questions, give me a shout-out.

I gave up on LJ's scrapbooking feature the minute I tried to use it lo these many years ago. Got me on Photobucket and never went back. I especially love the thumbnail option.

[chamekke.livejournal.com]

Will check out the example picspams, thank you! And I deeply appreciate the offer of help if I have any questions. I think I'll be fine, but it'll be great to see how you did it in your Pimpernel posts.

I do wish LJ Scrapbook was less user-hostile. A small corner of my heart has its fingers permanently crossed that someday they'll do an enhancement and it'll actually become the simple little interface it claims to be.

Thank you! <333

[saintvic.livejournal.com]

Well I am behind everyone else but just thought I'd drop in and say I use photobucket and like drayce tend to put things for one post e.g. one of my picspams in a new album. I like photobucket as I can edit things a bit there which you can't do in the scrapbook.

[chamekke.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I think I'll do the same, i.e. create a single album for per picspam. And it sounds like there's near-consensus on PhotoBucket!

P.S. Icon love <333

[saintvic.livejournal.com]

Well Gene in the green shirt is a thing of beauty.

[fern-tree.livejournal.com]

Came to this post a tad late.... But I'd say go with Photobucket, too. You can create albums to organise things before posting, and it's a HELL of a lot better still than sites like Imageshack. Imageshack.... *shudders*

And that owl is adorable. HOW DOES IT MAKE THOSE FACES XD

[chamekke.livejournal.com]

I KNOW! I LOVE THAT OWL SO MUCH <333

*ahem* And yay PhotoBucket, sounds like it's the one to go with! TBH I never even considered Imageshack... ;-)