Photo Tip #105: Fun New Ways to Order From You Camera Phone, Facebook, and More

Greetings Fellow Photographers!
Today I'd like to tell you about a few new options you have to order your favorite photos, and give you some information on voting for the most recent photo contest. As we all know, photos are not just on our memory cards and computers these days. We keep photos everywhere: our cell phones, various software applications, social networking sites, and much more. So, what if you want to order prints of the photos you have in those various apps and sites? Well, now you can! Read on for a few brand new popular ways to order your photos.

Facebook
Facebook photos have always been fun to look at, but virtually impossible to print through your local photofinisher...until now. To order prints of any of your Facebook photos, simply install the Facebook photo ordering app from your Facebook account. The app is still a Beta release, meaning your feedback is welcome to help make it perfect via the feedback link in the app. Once it is installed, you can order any photos from your Facebook photo albums, or any Facebook photos you are tagged in. Select the photos you wish to order, press "Add to Cart" to put them in your shopping cart, and when you are ready to order, press "Go to Cart" to open the shopping cart and complete the order. The order is sent to your trusted local photofinisher, just as any other order you place using your online photo account.

Ordering Facebook photos is a great way to preserve your memories so you can enjoy your Facebook photos anytime, even when you are not in front of a computer. I recommend ordering 4x6 or 5x7 prints from Facebook, since the resolution on Facebook photos is usually too low to get a good quality print in any larger size.

iPhone
Imagine this: you are walking down the street and bump into your favorite celebrity. You pull out your iPhone for a quick photo, and it comes out great. But, how do you make a print? Well, thankfully, I have the answer. Download LifePics for iPhone. The free iPhone app lets you order any photos from your iPhone to your local photofinisher, or any photofinisher near you if you are traveling. Order 4x6, 5x7, 8x10, or 11x14 prints (print size availability is based on which sizes the photofinisher offers). You can also access your photos that are stored in your online photo account and order those through the app as well. The app is a great way to print and preserve your memories captured on your iPhone. A similar version will soon be released for Android phones; you can download the current Android phone app now (search "LifePics" in the Android market on your phone), but the printing capability is not included yet.

Adobe Lightroom
Adobe Lightroom is a software application many people use to edit and share photos. Up until recently, there was no way to order those photos directly from the software. Thankfully, you can now install the Lightroom plug-in, which allows you to order all of your Lightroom photos through your local photofinisher. This plug-in is free and is a great tool for Lightroom users. People who use Lightroom often spend hours editing and manipulating a photo until it looks just right, but what's the point if you cannot print the photo and hang somewhere? Well, now you can. Install the plug-in and give it a shot!

Fotobounce
Fotobounce is a free photo sharing and organizing tool. It uses facial recognition to organize your photos based on who is in them, or by date, name, or a variety of other methods. And now, you can order any of your Fotobounce photos through your local photofinisher. Simply install the latest version of Fotobounce, select photos to order, and select "File," "Print" from the top menu bar, or right-click on the photos and select "print." The orders will be sent to your trusted local photofinisher, just as any regular order from your online photo account.

Well, that's it for now. There sure are a lot of ways to order! Hopefully one of these methods applies to you and you have time to give it a shot. With the holidays around the corner, it is a good idea to print some of these photos now to give as gifts so you have one less thing to do in December. Keep an eye out for several new apps and integrations coming over the next few months, making it easier to order your favorite photos to your local photofinisher!

Looking for Halloween photo tips? Here you go: Halloween tip number 1 and Halloween tip number 2. Happy Halloween!