Tips For Uploading Better Quality Beer & Place Images

Help Discussion in 'BeerAdvocate Talk' started by LesDewitt4beer, Sep 12, 2023.

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  1. LesDewitt4beer

    LesDewitt4beer Grand High Pooh-Bah (6,315) Jan 25, 2021 Minnesota
    Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    Hello fiends! I need some tips on how to get better quality pics of cans, bottles and even places. I follow the specs and parameters for image sizes and MB but most of the time my pictures end up squashed, elongated or a bit fuzzy. My android phone camera set for portraits is perpendicular and centered to the subject and lighting is adequate. Am I too close or too far away? I just want to do right for Beer Advocate. Any tips for better pix would be much appreciated. Cheers to all!! and thanks!
     
    #1 LesDewitt4beer, Sep 12, 2023
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  2. Bigrock

    Bigrock Maven (1,301) Feb 4, 2013 Texas
    BA4LYFE Society

    No help from me, but I’ll be paying attention to this thread to try and pick up some pointers. Lighting and impatience setting up a shot are two things that bother me the most.
     
    #2 Bigrock, Sep 12, 2023
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  3. Orca

    Orca Grand Pooh-Bah (4,710) Sep 18, 2010 Washington
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    Who are you calling a fiend?!? :wink:

    If I upload a photo to BA, for what it’s worth, I use a computer, not my phone. I usually crop the beer photos to the required aspect ratio (1H:2V), keeping image quality at “max,” before uploading to one of the sites recommended on BA, then just make sure to set the max file size to 20kb and convert to 150x300. I use the old Picasa software that I think is unavailable for download now (it’s just what I’m used to), but there must be other apps that do the same thing.
     
    #3 Orca, Sep 12, 2023
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  4. LesDewitt4beer

    LesDewitt4beer Grand High Pooh-Bah (6,315) Jan 25, 2021 Minnesota
    Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    Sorry. I misspelled that. I didn't have my cheater glasses on. Mods? I use my laptop to edit the image and use picmonkey all successfully but the images are somewhat distorted.
     
    #4 LesDewitt4beer, Sep 12, 2023
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  5. Orca

    Orca Grand Pooh-Bah (4,710) Sep 18, 2010 Washington
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    Eh, the “fiend” thing is kind of funny and got me to respond—leave it alone. But curse the idiot who invented the English language and made those two words so similar.

    If your images are distorted maybe you aren’t locking the aspect ratio? Are you saying they are stretched (vertically or horizontally)? It sounded at first like you were struggling with resolution—and that does take some trial and error to get right—but if they are coming out distorted that sounds like more of a simple math/dimensions issue.

    I’m really not a graphics or computer person by any stretch, I’ve just worked out a method that seems to work that isn’t too cumbersome. But it does still require a few steps to get a decent image that meets BA specs.
     
    #5 Orca, Sep 12, 2023
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  6. riptorn

    riptorn Pooh-Bah (1,776) Apr 26, 2018 Georgia
    BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    If you post 1 or 2 of your pics that demonstrate the aspects of the less-than-desirable quality, some friendly BA'er might be able to help resolve it.
     
    #6 riptorn, Sep 12, 2023
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  7. LesDewitt4beer

    LesDewitt4beer Grand High Pooh-Bah (6,315) Jan 25, 2021 Minnesota
    Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    Good idea. Will do. Cheers!
     
    #7 LesDewitt4beer, Sep 12, 2023
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  8. LesDewitt4beer

    LesDewitt4beer Grand High Pooh-Bah (6,315) Jan 25, 2021 Minnesota
    Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    #8 LesDewitt4beer, Sep 12, 2023
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  9. Todd

    Todd Founder (13,518) Aug 23, 1996 Finland
    STAFF Mod Team Society Pooh-Bah

    Just removed that photo. It shouldn't have been approved, but based on what I saw it looks like you want to lock your aspect ratio before resizing, otherwise your image is going to look stretched.
     
    #9 Todd, Sep 12, 2023
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  10. LesDewitt4beer

    LesDewitt4beer Grand High Pooh-Bah (6,315) Jan 25, 2021 Minnesota
    Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    Gotcha. I'll do that. Many thanks sir! and I'll produce a better image for Venn Pilsner, which is fantastic.
     
    #10 LesDewitt4beer, Sep 12, 2023
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  11. LesDewitt4beer

    LesDewitt4beer Grand High Pooh-Bah (6,315) Jan 25, 2021 Minnesota
    Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    [​IMG]
    I am still cruising thru different aspect ratio options and so far one works well. It dawned on me that crowlers, tall cans, long neck bottles and larger bottles are more challenging. At least for me. Getting better! :beers:
     
    #11 LesDewitt4beer, Sep 12, 2023
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  12. PapaGoose03

    PapaGoose03 Grand High Pooh-Bah (6,057) May 30, 2005 Michigan
    BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah

    While you're at it, with some apps it's also a quick, easy step to lighten the pics that need it. You'll be a real expert then. :slight_smile:
     
    #12 PapaGoose03, Sep 13, 2023
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  13. LesDewitt4beer

    LesDewitt4beer Grand High Pooh-Bah (6,315) Jan 25, 2021 Minnesota
    Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    I've done that on a few. On a long walk this morning I thought that maybe a dedicated spot just for BA can & bottle pix could be the next step. I've some different lights n such and I think minimal background noise would be better. Not perfect, but better :sunglasses::beers::beers: Cheers brother! Keep on chooglin'
     
    #13 LesDewitt4beer, Sep 13, 2023
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  14. PapaGoose03

    PapaGoose03 Grand High Pooh-Bah (6,057) May 30, 2005 Michigan
    BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah

    I don't know if you're also having any difficulty getting the beer or place pics down to the 20kb restriction, but if so, give https://bulkresizephotos.com/en a try. I don't know how this app does its thing, but it just took a 51kb photo down to 15.5kb in two seconds. And it's a free site without any pop-up ads, etc. Regardless that the URL has a plural word for 'photo', you can use it for a single or multiple pics.

    After uploading your pic, just choose File Size as your goal for the resizing. (You can use it for other things too but I haven't looked into them. I always have cropping and lighting done before I decide that I need to use the resizing app.) If it doesn't get up to 20kb or lower, redo it and use the adjustment slider. It defaults to 97kb, but goes much lower. And there doesn't seem to be any loss in picture quality!
     
    #14 PapaGoose03, Sep 13, 2023
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  15. LesDewitt4beer

    LesDewitt4beer Grand High Pooh-Bah (6,315) Jan 25, 2021 Minnesota
    Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    I think I pretty much got it figured out with picmonkey. Plus I've already shelled out for a subscription. I'm plum outa new items to upload! so I'm eager to have better pix.
     
    #15 LesDewitt4beer, Sep 14, 2023
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  16. LesDewitt4beer

    LesDewitt4beer Grand High Pooh-Bah (6,315) Jan 25, 2021 Minnesota
    Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    Just edited this 500 ml bottle and this is what I'd upload and send to Mission Control. Had to lower the resolution but at least it's not all wonky, stretched or squashed looking. I'll work on retaining better resolution. :beers:
    [​IMG]
     
    #16 LesDewitt4beer, Sep 14, 2023
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  17. mactrail

    mactrail Grand High Pooh-Bah (8,999) Mar 24, 2009 Washington
    Mod Team BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    Thank you for persevering! I have been the bad cop on a number of submissions but I always try to have a conversation with the person submitting. Even some prolific shutter bugs get sloppy with poor lighting and angles. We have the tools to provide good photos!
     
    #17 mactrail, Sep 22, 2023
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  18. LesDewitt4beer

    LesDewitt4beer Grand High Pooh-Bah (6,315) Jan 25, 2021 Minnesota
    Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    Tip Top! I will continue my quest to better our beer world. I learn as I go. A large CHEERS! to all moderators here and abroad. Thanks for all you do!!
     
    #18 LesDewitt4beer, Sep 22, 2023
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  19. LesDewitt4beer

    LesDewitt4beer Grand High Pooh-Bah (6,315) Jan 25, 2021 Minnesota
    Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    Getting better each time. Better resolution with sharpening tools and a decent, mostly clean background.
    This one's better than the orig.
    [​IMG]

    Orig shot.
    [​IMG]
     
    #19 LesDewitt4beer, Sep 23, 2023
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  20. LesDewitt4beer

    LesDewitt4beer Grand High Pooh-Bah (6,315) Jan 25, 2021 Minnesota
    Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    Dangit! Pix are stretchy again. I'm trying. That's a 12 oz can.
    [​IMG]
     
    #20 LesDewitt4beer, Oct 12, 2023
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