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User profile for user: Stephen Connor
Stephen Connor Author
User level: Level 1
35 points

How to use iCloud to host picture for forum posts?

I've just upgraded my photo library from Aperture to Photos and spent three weeks uploading all my pictures to the cloud. Now that they are up in the cloud I was wondering whether I can use iCloud to host pictures for posting on internet forums and the like? Many of these will not let you directly upload a photo, just link to where it is already hosted (using [IMG] tags). In the past I had been using SmugMug for this, but it seems silly to pay two subscription fees for cloud photos (my library is big enough I am having to pay Apple a monthly fee, for the extra storage).


I'm guessing the way to do this is to set up a Shared Album and set it to Public Website. There doesn't seem to be any option, in either the Photos app or the website generated, to set the resolution of the images linked to. Any suggestions?


Also: if you go on to edit the original photo, does the shared version automatically update? In my brief test converting the photo to Black & White in my Photos library doesn't change the picture's appearance in the Shared Album. This seems odd as it suggests Apple are hosting two versions of the picture - one for me and one for sharing. Surely that doubles their storage requirements? If the photos are not syncing, I might be better off just exporting the ones I want to post to Flikr, or something similar (but free), which is properly set up for what I am trying to do.


Thanks

Posted on Jan 18, 2016 2:51 PM

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User profile for user: léonie
léonie
User level: Level 10
194,519 points

Posted on Jan 19, 2016 4:23 AM

I'm guessing the way to do this is to set up a Shared Album and set it to Public Website. There doesn't seem to be any option, in either the Photos app or the website generated, to set the resolution of the images linked to. Any suggestions?

Yes. That is the only way to share image files.

The resolution is set automatically. iCloud Photo Sharing FAQ - Apple Support

iCloud Photo Sharing supports JPEG, TIFF, PNG, and most RAW photo formats. When shared, photos taken with standard point-and-shoot cameras, SLR cameras, or iOS devices will have up to 2048 pixels on the long edge. Panoramic photos can be up to 5400 pixels wide.


Also: if you go on to edit the original photo, does the shared version automatically update? In my brief test converting the photo to Black & White in my Photos library doesn't change the picture's appearance in the Shared Album.

No, you will simply have to share the edited version again and delete the previous version from the shared album.

This seems odd as it suggests Apple are hosting two versions of the picture - one for me and one for sharing. Surely that doubles their storage requirements?

Shared albums are using a different part of iCloud from your iCloud Photo Library. The storage for shared photos does not count against your iCloud subscription, but it is limited, see: iCloud: My Photo Stream and iCloud Photo Sharing limits

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User profile for user: léonie
léonie
User level: Level 10
194,519 points

Jan 19, 2016 4:23 AM in response to Stephen Connor

I'm guessing the way to do this is to set up a Shared Album and set it to Public Website. There doesn't seem to be any option, in either the Photos app or the website generated, to set the resolution of the images linked to. Any suggestions?

Yes. That is the only way to share image files.

The resolution is set automatically. iCloud Photo Sharing FAQ - Apple Support

iCloud Photo Sharing supports JPEG, TIFF, PNG, and most RAW photo formats. When shared, photos taken with standard point-and-shoot cameras, SLR cameras, or iOS devices will have up to 2048 pixels on the long edge. Panoramic photos can be up to 5400 pixels wide.


Also: if you go on to edit the original photo, does the shared version automatically update? In my brief test converting the photo to Black & White in my Photos library doesn't change the picture's appearance in the Shared Album.

No, you will simply have to share the edited version again and delete the previous version from the shared album.

This seems odd as it suggests Apple are hosting two versions of the picture - one for me and one for sharing. Surely that doubles their storage requirements?

Shared albums are using a different part of iCloud from your iCloud Photo Library. The storage for shared photos does not count against your iCloud subscription, but it is limited, see: iCloud: My Photo Stream and iCloud Photo Sharing limits

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User profile for user: Rogier1975
Rogier1975
User level: Level 1
4 points

Feb 14, 2016 6:25 AM in response to Stephen Connor

So far I do succeed in creating a Public web album. Yet how do I get to the actual image links to share on forums between [img] and [/img]. I only get Image Locations alike:

https://cvws.icloud-content.com/CAEQARoQ5y0SOtU7rRDUTzHdi9IQ7Q/0110cf43a1f195a10 252d99fd828fd4307d602b6e8/IMG_0005.JPG?v=0&p=25&x=1&a=BbunxsY9gv98A9okMQ%3D%3D&e =1455545874000&r=4cc2f243-7805-4180-9dce-dad6a626cddc-2&u=1455462775248&c=CpkECv UDCpgDCh1ldS1pcmwtMDAwMDEuczMuYW1hem9uYXdzLmNvbRBQGgNHRVQi1wEvMkxqWTFKWUJVdC1STE pFQXZyLXA_eC1jbGllbnQtcmVxdWVzdC1pZD00Y2MyZjI0My03ODA1LTQxODAtOWRjZS1kYWQ2YTYyNm NkZGMmRXhwaXJlcz0xNDU1NDYyNzc1JmJ5dGUtcmFuZ2U9MjI2MTQ0OS0zMjM2MjkyJkFXU0FjY2Vzc0 tleUlkPUFLSUFJM0xMTTdQM0RSR0NVU0lBJmJpbj0yMDMwMDAwMDEmU2lnbmF0dXJlPVRIYTd6dVNuZ1 U2RWx3UmZ3czFkTnpqUmttTSUzRCoESFRUUDIDMS4xOgRodHRwQisKCngtYW16LWRhdGUSHVN1biwgMT QgRmViIDIwMTYgMTQ6MTc6NTUgR01UQh4KBVJhbmdlEhVieXRlcz0yMjYxNDQ5LTMyMzYyOTJCDQoGQW NjZXB0EgMqLypKCXMzX2V1X2lybFIXY3Z3cy5pY2xvdWQtY29udGVudC5jb21Y0PPdgq4qEjAKFYHNlE GNa_0SjGMdbYaAwC69gdsEJRIRAauOGlBbAAM1Xym_MDTpr60Y_L87IAAaFDJMalkxSllCVXQtUkxKRU F2ci1wIhBBOG96R0QreTJQWG9zaDh4Eh8KFQEQz0Oh8ZWhAlLZn9go_UMH1gK26BIECAAQACgAIAI&s= z79JyDLa1eXWFmNHkEEGAZDf4lo


Nice for a weblink, not for hosting a forum image!


Best regards,


Rogier

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How to use iCloud to host picture for forum posts?

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