Adding captions

[Terry Pinnell]

I'd appreciate hearing how others would tackle the following simple
exercise please. I've finally got around after some 6 months to
publishing photos of my 2005 Thames Path walk on my home pages:
http://dspace.dial.pipex.com/terrypin/Walks/TP05/walkphotos05.htm
(Links to the two previous years' walks are also included.)

As you see, the layout is basic layout and so is the presentation
method: each captioned thumbnail takes you to an individual enlarged
photo (about 640 x 420, made by resizing the edited originals). But
that loses the captions, and I'd like them included.

I've experimented before with adding captions within the photo itself,
but don't really like the result, which can spoil the composition.

So I'm now considering making new images, say about 640 x 440, with
the caption in the added white space below the photo.

(As an aside, anyone have any ideas on fast/automated ways of
achieving that? Doing it manually for each image will be tedious.
Given that the text already exists under the thumbnails, it should be
possible somehow to automate it...)

But what other approaches would others recommend please?

 

[Rob Giordano \(Crash\)]

One way is to use JAlbum. It's free and highly "skinable" and can be
incorporated into a FP web quite easily. However, adding new images to an
already completed album is awkward. But JAlbum is something you should
definitely look at.

Or you could do your image index page the way you are, but instead of
letting FP generate the enlarged image pages on the fly (actually they're
not real pages - thats why you have no control of how it looks) - rather,
you could create separate pages that your thumbs link to.

Or look for a database solution geared towards displaying photos with
captions and exif info. There are lots around - this will also depend on
what your host supports; ASP/Access/MSsql or PHP/MySql. FIRST, check with
your host sometimes they have offerings. I know my host offers a package for
only 50-100 bucks (flat fee) and they'd install it on the server for me.


| I'd appreciate hearing how others would tackle the following simple
| exercise please. I've finally got around after some 6 months to
| publishing photos of my 2005 Thames Path walk on my home pages:
| http://dspace.dial.pipex.com/terrypin/Walks/TP05/walkphotos05.htm
| (Links to the two previous years' walks are also included.)
|
| As you see, the layout is basic layout and so is the presentation
| method: each captioned thumbnail takes you to an individual enlarged
| photo (about 640 x 420, made by resizing the edited originals). But
| that loses the captions, and I'd like them included.
|
| I've experimented before with adding captions within the photo itself,
| but don't really like the result, which can spoil the composition.
|
| So I'm now considering making new images, say about 640 x 440, with
| the caption in the added white space below the photo.
|
| (As an aside, anyone have any ideas on fast/automated ways of
| achieving that? Doing it manually for each image will be tedious.
| Given that the text already exists under the thumbnails, it should be
| possible somehow to automate it...)
|
| But what other approaches would others recommend please?
|
| --
| Terry, West Sussex, UK

 

[Ronx]

pipex.net does not support databases or custom server side scripting -
except for those limited scripts they provide. Unfortunately, the
database supplied by Pipex is not suitable for this application.

 

[Rob Giordano \(Crash\)]

Nice bridge pix btw. I love bridges.


| I'd appreciate hearing how others would tackle the following simple
| exercise please. I've finally got around after some 6 months to
| publishing photos of my 2005 Thames Path walk on my home pages:
| http://dspace.dial.pipex.com/terrypin/Walks/TP05/walkphotos05.htm
| (Links to the two previous years' walks are also included.)
|
| As you see, the layout is basic layout and so is the presentation
| method: each captioned thumbnail takes you to an individual enlarged
| photo (about 640 x 420, made by resizing the edited originals). But
| that loses the captions, and I'd like them included.
|
| I've experimented before with adding captions within the photo itself,
| but don't really like the result, which can spoil the composition.
|
| So I'm now considering making new images, say about 640 x 440, with
| the caption in the added white space below the photo.
|
| (As an aside, anyone have any ideas on fast/automated ways of
| achieving that? Doing it manually for each image will be tedious.
| Given that the text already exists under the thumbnails, it should be
| possible somehow to automate it...)
|
| But what other approaches would others recommend please?
|
| --
| Terry, West Sussex, UK

 

[E. T. Culling]

Wonderful photos! I certainly don't think it is necessary to have the
captions with the larger image. An article to help you:
http://www.eleanorstravels.com/galleryconsiderations.htm
Or you can make a nice separate page for each of the larger images. Once you
made it, with a space for the caption, you can save it over and over again
with a new name such as leavingreading.htm, sonninglock.htm,
soningbridge.htm etc. Notice there are no spaces in the page name.
Example of JAlbum:
http://www.silvermoonartglass.com/Dimensional/index.html
Eleanor

 

[Terry Pinnell]

Wonderful photos! I certainly don't think it is necessary to have the
captions with the larger image. An article to help you:
http://www.eleanorstravels.com/galleryconsiderations.htm
Or you can make a nice separate page for each of the larger images. Once you
made it, with a space for the caption, you can save it over and over again
with a new name such as leavingreading.htm, sonninglock.htm,
soningbridge.htm etc. Notice there are no spaces in the page name.
Example of JAlbum:
http://www.silvermoonartglass.com/Dimensional/index.html

Thanks for all those helpful replies. Will take another look at
JAlbum.

Rob: I don't let "FP generate the enlarged image pages" but do it the
way you mentioned.

Impatience got the better of me! So for several hours I've been
slogging through it manually. Not really too bad, using as many
shortcuts as I can. FWIW, key steps are:

Setup:
a. Have web page open, so that thumbnail captions can be copied.
b. Make new folder to contain captioned images

For each enlarged image, using IrfanView:
1. Open image

2. Image > Canvas Size > Add white border of 20 px at bottom.
(I wrote a little 'macro' with an external power utility I have,
called Stiletto, to enter the half dozen keystrokes that part actually
takes. That helps a lot.)

3. Draw a rectangle to hold the text.
(Unfortunately there's no key-based way of doing that. And even if
there was, the positioning varies slightly as each image is a slightly
different size. So this is the most tedious bit of the procedure.)

4. Add the text, mainly using Copy/Paste from the thumbnail caption.
The font size and style only needed setting once.

5. Save that new file, with old name plus suffix '+cap' to the new
folder.

6. Close the image and proceed to the next one.

Have now republished 2004

http://dspace.dial.pipex.com/terrypin/Walks/TP04/walkphotos04.htm

and hope to finish 2003 and 2005 soon.

 

[E. T. Culling]

But the large version is still in the top left and the viewer still has to
use the back button.
I'd like to suggest again that you make a Larger-Page-Template page with a
table in it ...one cell for for the large photo and another, below it, for
the caption. Then have a link back to the 'gallery page'.
Eleanor

 

[E. T. Culling]

Here's an idea:
http://www.coffeecup.com/photo-gallery/
Eleanor

 

[Trevor L.]

But what other approaches would others recommend please?

Terry,
First, let me say that your photos are great and well presented.

I have read the responses, including those from the guru (ETC)

I personally would not spend my time adding the caption to each picture.
Sure it can be done, but another way may be to add the caption as the title
to the image, or underneath it (which needs a new page for every image, or
at least one page into which each image is loaded).

Go to my site (below) | Picture Album | Personal Photo Gallery (Click to
Enter)
Click on any photo. You will see that the caption is in the title.

I only typed it once. It appears in the Personal Photo Gallery as a caption,
in the title of each photo when expanded, and when a slideshow is used (one
of the slideshow buttons).

Some of these ways are fairly straightforward, some involve a bit of JS
coding. Let me know if you are interested in any of these.

May I also give a plug (unsolicited) to a great UK website
http://fotopic.net

They supply 250Mb of space for free. We (my wife and I) have put many
(1000's) of photos up there, and are nearly reaching our 250MB allocation
after a couple of years. Extra space doesn't cost a lot- we'll get some soon
)

If you want to look at some of our examples, see here
Fotopic Websites
Trevor's Personal: http://trevor.lawrence.fotopic.net
Trevor's Scenery: http://trevor.lawrence-2.fotopic.net
Trevor's Nature: http://trevor.lawrence-3.fotopic.net
Carole's Bus and Coach Photos: http://carole.lawrence.fotopic.net
Carole's Other Transport Photos: http://carole.lawrence-2.fotopic.net

I think the fotopic site started as a hobby, but has now expanded to serve
people all over the world. (We are in Australia, for example). They support
it by advertising and by selling extra services.

 

[E. T. Culling]

Thanks, Trev, you made my day!
ETC
www.eleanorstravels.com

 

[Terry Pinnell]

But the large version is still in the top left and the viewer still has to
use the back button.
I'd like to suggest again that you make a Larger-Page-Template page with a
table in it ...one cell for for the large photo and another, below it, for
the caption. Then have a link back to the 'gallery page'.

Thanks Eleanor, I fully agree. This was just my impatience to get the
captions on the larger pictures. I'll definitely be improving it along
the lines you and Trevor suggest as soon as I get a bit more time.
(OK, arguably I could have invested the effort I spent slogging away
with my method into making new pages instead; live and learn!)

And that CoffeeCup at first glance looks brilliant. Have downloaded
the trial and will have a play with it soon.

 

[Terry Pinnell]

Terry,
First, let me say that your photos are great and well presented.

I have read the responses, including those from the guru (ETC)

I personally would not spend my time adding the caption to each picture.
Sure it can be done, but another way may be to add the caption as the title
to the image, or underneath it (which needs a new page for every image, or
at least one page into which each image is loaded).

Go to my site (below) | Picture Album | Personal Photo Gallery (Click to
Enter)
Click on any photo. You will see that the caption is in the title.

I only typed it once. It appears in the Personal Photo Gallery as a caption,
in the title of each photo when expanded, and when a slideshow is used (one
of the slideshow buttons).

Some of these ways are fairly straightforward, some involve a bit of JS
coding. Let me know if you are interested in any of these.

May I also give a plug (unsolicited) to a great UK website
http://fotopic.net

They supply 250Mb of space for free. We (my wife and I) have put many
(1000's) of photos up there, and are nearly reaching our 250MB allocation
after a couple of years. Extra space doesn't cost a lot- we'll get some soon
)

If you want to look at some of our examples, see here
Fotopic Websites
Trevor's Personal: http://trevor.lawrence.fotopic.net
Trevor's Scenery: http://trevor.lawrence-2.fotopic.net
Trevor's Nature: http://trevor.lawrence-3.fotopic.net
Carole's Bus and Coach Photos: http://carole.lawrence.fotopic.net
Carole's Other Transport Photos: http://carole.lawrence-2.fotopic.net

I think the fotopic site started as a hobby, but has now expanded to serve
people all over the world. (We are in Australia, for example). They support
it by advertising and by selling extra services.

Terrific post, and excellent web site, thanks Trevor. See what you
mean about the picture presentation; same approach Eleanor suggested,
with centralisation and a link back (or several in your case).

Great family album. Looks like you've been busy with your scanner <g>.

I'm really keen to explore that fotopic site. Very timely, as I have
only 50 MB of free space with Pipex DialSpace, and during yesterday's
exercise I apparently went over the top. (Took me a while to discover
though, as there are no messages of any kind!)

 

[Terry Pinnell]

Thanks Eleanor, I fully agree. This was just my impatience to get the
captions on the larger pictures. I'll definitely be improving it along
the lines you and Trevor suggest as soon as I get a bit more time.
(OK, arguably I could have invested the effort I spent slogging away
with my method into making new pages instead; live and learn!)

And that CoffeeCup at first glance looks brilliant. Have downloaded
the trial and will have a play with it soon.

But on second glance - well, an hour or so trying it - that looks
prematurely generous. Probably being very dense, but I can't make any
sense out of the upload procedure. It seems to be asking in two places
for me to upload, not just in one dialog. And some of the files and
folders I have on my HD are not actually shown in the dialog. And I'm
supposed to copy/paste a lot of code in "each page" I use...

Do you actually use CoffeeCup? If so, am I really making heavy weather
of it? Maybe it's that I'm so used to simply using CuteFTP to upload
my files. This mixture of 'wizard + manual tweaking' isn't really my
cup of, er, coffee.

 

[Terry Pinnell]

Wonderful photos! I certainly don't think it is necessary to have the
captions with the larger image. An article to help you:
http://www.eleanorstravels.com/galleryconsiderations.htm
Or you can make a nice separate page for each of the larger images. Once you
made it, with a space for the caption, you can save it over and over again
with a new name such as leavingreading.htm, sonninglock.htm,
soningbridge.htm etc. Notice there are no spaces in the page name.
Example of JAlbum:
http://www.silvermoonartglass.com/Dimensional/index.html

Prompted by your and Rob's post about JAlbum (and another similar
recommendation elsewhere) I re-discovered that I had already installed
JAlbum a long time back. But have never really used it until now.
After updating to 6.3, I've been playing with it, and it does
indeed look good.

However, the facility that I've so far been unable to find is the key
one: viewing captions with the large picture. Can you/anyone point me
in the right direction please?

 

[Rob Giordano \(Crash\)]

The albums are all slightly different, being written by several diff.
people, I'm pretty sure I remember at least one that does that.


|
| >Wonderful photos! I certainly don't think it is necessary to have the
| >captions with the larger image. An article to help you:
| >http://www.eleanorstravels.com/galleryconsiderations.htm
| >Or you can make a nice separate page for each of the larger images. Once
you
| >made it, with a space for the caption, you can save it over and over
again
| >with a new name such as leavingreading.htm, sonninglock.htm,
| >soningbridge.htm etc. Notice there are no spaces in the page name.
| >Example of JAlbum:
| >http://www.silvermoonartglass.com/Dimensional/index.html
|
| Prompted by your and Rob's post about JAlbum (and another similar
| recommendation elsewhere) I re-discovered that I had already installed
| JAlbum a long time back. But have never really used it until now.
| After updating to 6.3, I've been playing with it, and it does
| indeed look good.
|
| However, the facility that I've so far been unable to find is the key
| one: viewing captions with the large picture. Can you/anyone point me
| in the right direction please?
|
| --
| Terry, West Sussex, UK

 

[E. T. Culling]

No, I haven't used it, sorry. go back and take another look at JAlbum. That
one many of us have used.
Eleanor

 

[E. T. Culling]

Did you look at this example?
http://www.silvermoonartglass.com/Dimensional/index.html
Eleanor

 

[Rob Giordano \(Crash\)]

BluBlu Plus and Exhibit Plus skins definitely have comments on the large
pages.


| The albums are all slightly different, being written by several diff.
| people, I'm pretty sure I remember at least one that does that.
|
|
| ||
|| >Wonderful photos! I certainly don't think it is necessary to have the
|| >captions with the larger image. An article to help you:
|| >http://www.eleanorstravels.com/galleryconsiderations.htm
|| >Or you can make a nice separate page for each of the larger images. Once
| you
|| >made it, with a space for the caption, you can save it over and over
| again
|| >with a new name such as leavingreading.htm, sonninglock.htm,
|| >soningbridge.htm etc. Notice there are no spaces in the page name.
|| >Example of JAlbum:
|| >http://www.silvermoonartglass.com/Dimensional/index.html
||
|| Prompted by your and Rob's post about JAlbum (and another similar
|| recommendation elsewhere) I re-discovered that I had already installed
|| JAlbum a long time back. But have never really used it until now.
|| After updating to 6.3, I've been playing with it, and it does
|| indeed look good.
||
|| However, the facility that I've so far been unable to find is the key
|| one: viewing captions with the large picture. Can you/anyone point me
|| in the right direction please?
||
|| --
|| Terry, West Sussex, UK
|
|

 

[Trevor L.]

Terrific post, and excellent web site, thanks Trevor. See what you
mean about the picture presentation; same approach Eleanor suggested,
with centralisation and a link back (or several in your case).

Thank you.
I spent a bit of time putting it together (not a hassle, it was fun) and now
I can add extra photos to it fairly easily

Great family album. Looks like you've been busy with your scanner <g>.

Actually, while some older ones were scanned, most of the photos are
digital. Ain't modern technology wonderful )

I'm really keen to explore that fotopic site. Very timely, as I have
only 50 MB of free space with Pipex DialSpace, and during yesterday's
exercise I apparently went over the top. (Took me a while to discover
though, as there are no messages of any kind!)

I can't recommend fotopic too highly. For one thing, they always try to do
the right thing ASAP if there are any glitches in their system. Most of our
photos are now posted there instead of on my website.

And there is a bar at the top of the page used for editing your own
galleries which tells you how much space you have used
Mine now says
Quota: 87%
250.00 MB available
218.26 MB used (4,307 images)
31.64 MB remaining

Another good thing about fotopic is that it links easily to all sites with
subjects you may be interested in

 

[Terry Pinnell]

BluBlu Plus and Exhibit Plus skins definitely have comments on the large
pages.

Eleanor/Rob/Any JAlbum expert:

JAlbum is just great - so pleased you recommended it, thank you.

And I think the BluBlu Plus skin will be excellent for my needs.

However, I've been struggling with a LINKS issue for hours now, and
would greatly appreciate a bit of help please.

In brief, it's clearly something to do with this message, on choosing
my preferred option of 'Link to originals'.
"The created album will contain links to original files outside the
output directory!
If you are uploading the album to a web server, make sure you also
upload the original files and not just the output directory..."

But just *where* do I have to place these original images? I reckon
I've tried just about everywhere. Yet, when I click a thumbnail from
the index page, I get only the auxiliary stuff, thumbnails, etc, not
the enlarged image.

For example, here is the status of my folder structure on my Pipex
Dialspace server at present (based on viewing it repeatedly with
CuteFTP):
/Walks
/images03
/res
/slides
/thumbs
/TP03
/TP04
/TP05
index.htm

As you see, I followed up the Publish procedure in JAlbum by copying
the images03 folder from my HD to the server under the Walks folder.
That doesn't work. Nor if I put it in the slides folder. Or individual
images in either. Yet it works fine when I View Album in JAlbum.

I also have a mental block about why this manual intervention is
necessary anyway? As I've specified the image folder to JAlbum, why
can it not automate all of this?

IOW, if I go here
http://dspace.dial.pipex.com/terrypin/Walks/
I see the main page, but cannot get any large pictures.

Also, I sometimes appear to be inadvertently triggering a slide show
(or it would be, if the photos were displayed), with continual
skipping to subsequent pages.

I'll press on, but basically I'm now baffled. Trial and error is not
the way to do this!