Photos

[Judy]

How can we include photos in reviews?

 

[Keitht]

You can't directly. You will have to send the photographs to the review manager for the area. They can then resize them and add them to the resort information.

 

[abbekit]

Can the photos be larger?

In the old review system the photos were larger. Now they are very small and hard to see. Can they be larger like they were in the old reviews?

 

[Keitht]

When the new database was being created, we as Review Reps, were asked to keep the images reasonably small as many members still have slow network connections. For the European reviews I make them about 400x300. If you are using IE the image will be reduced if the window is smaller than the image (if that makes sense). Enlarging the window may provide a larger image.
Small images appear even smaller on many modern monitors due to the higher resolution. 400x300 on an old 640x480, or even 800x600, display will still look a decent size. On my 1280x1024 display they only occupy about 1/10th of the screen.

 

[KristinB]

Abbekit,

Are you talking about the thumbnails provided on the review page? Or are you talking about the size of the photos after you click on a thumbnail?

 

[abbekit]

Abbekit,

Are you talking about the thumbnails provided on the review page? Or are you talking about the size of the photos after you click on a thumbnail?

I am referring to the size of the photos after you click on the thumbnails.

On my computer when I click on the thumbnail it opens another small window with a very small version of the photo in one corner. Larger than the thumbnail but still hard to see any detail. They are much, much smaller than the photos were in old review system. I find myself using the old review pages to look at photos rather than the new review pages (so I hope the old site isn't taken down after all the reviews are transfered to the new site).

One travel site that is doing a good job with photos is TripAdvisor. I like the way you can download photos and view photos on that site.

 

[Keitht]

I am referring to the size of the photos after you click on the thumbnails.

On my computer when I click on the thumbnail it opens another small window with a very small version of the photo in one corner. Larger than the thumbnail but still hard to see any detail.

By default the window containing the larger version is itself very small. You can increase the size of the window and therefore the image.

 

[abbekit]

Didn't work for me

By default the window containing the larger version is itself very small. You can increase the size of the window and therefore the image.

I tried this idea. The window got larger but the actual photo stayed the same size. Am I the only one with this problem? Could it be my computer or browser?

 

[Makai Guy]

Could just be the particular photos you happen to be trying, actually are small.

 

[KristinB]

Abbekit,

Take a look at the Pacific Palms review page. If you select either the first or last images and enlarge the window, the images will stay the same size. That's because that's the size they were on RCI's page for this resort. (And are the same size that they would be on the old review pages.) The second image came from II's page, and the same applies. But the rest of the photos were contributed by Bruce Bailey and are sized somewhat larger. When you expand the window, you should see a difference.

 

[funtime]

Larger pictures please

If there is any way you can change the system please do. Those small thumbnail pictures are sterile. I am on a 56 dial up modem and trust me, I would wait for the larger pictures. The larger pictures really personalized the resorts and the resort reviews. The smaller pictures make it look more like a prepackaged ad - might as well not have them at all.

 

[KristinB]

Funtime,

As mentioned above, all you need to do to see the fullsize photos is to click on the thumbnail. The thumbnails are there to be more user-friendly for everyone, including those on dial-up. The photos that stay small were always that size (because if we were to enlarge small photos from RCI or II, there would be an unacceptable loss of quality).

 

[abbekit]

I guess it is different depending on the review

I was able to see larger photos on the Pacific Palms review.

The reviews that I have been looking at are the Pahio KEK and Shearwater for Kauai. If you look at the old review pages the photos submitted by TUGS members are much larger than the same exact photos posted on the new review pages.

I would still love to see a photo submission process more like TripAdvisor.com but I realize that is a commercial website and TUGS may not be able to re-write the program to easily submit or view photos. It would be a nice upgrade someday.

Thank you to all the volunteers who put up the reviews and photos.

 

[Keitht]

When the new database was being set up, the question about photo size was asked. A suggestion was made to standardise on the typical image size provided by RCI and II. That image size was approximately 250 x 190 pixels, and I suspect that many of the old, user submitted images were resized to that specification. I know I certainly did that initially when transferring the European Resort photos.
At that time there was actually little benefit in creating larger images as the window in which the image opened was quite small and could not be enlarged. There have been some changes to the system since, one of which was to allow the picture window to be scaled up. That makes it effective to post larger images and that is what I now do.
We do have to consider those with slow network connections and/or lower resolution monitors but maybe images of larger dimensions should be used. Physical dimensions of say 500 x 500 max could be effective as long as the file size is still kept down. Reducing the file size without unduly affecting the image quality is reasonably straightforward.
I can ask the question of 'the powers that be' and let you know the outcome. Unfortunately that will not help with images that have already been transferred.

 

[abbekit]

Thanks Keith!

Actual TUGGERS photos are so valuable to reviews. The RCI site photos are not very good and often very out of date. I'm so glad when there are any photos (even small pictures) added to the reviews as that really helps me evaluate a timeshare.

Thanks again for following up.

 

[ronandjoan]

A link?

What about putting links in for going to an online album - with say, 6 photos max?

 

[funtime]

Links to on line albums good idea as well as link to old review site.

The photos really personalize the reviews. I support links to on line albums but would not want to restrict it. In the past tuggers have been very good about sharing pictures and they often are more helpful than the reviews so the more pictures the better and the larger the better. Also, let's try to preserve what we already have by having a link to the old review site that has superior pictures. Thanks!

 

[KristinB]

The intention is for the old review pages to go away now that the new system has been fully implemented.

All of the RCI and II photos are the same size (which is on the smaller side), so nothing has been lost there. Many of the photos were transferred at their full size, so all you have to do is maximize the pop-up window to see them at the larger size.

I suggest that if you have a particular resort that you're missing a larger photo on, that you e-mail that resort rep. Perhaps he/she would be willing to re-transfer the original sized photo.