It's all a question of value. From my point of view, the weekend workshop is worth at least $15,000 - and that's being conservative.

I invite you to try it out. You have my personal "Better Than Money Back" guarantee... If, after the first day, you don't agree that you'll get at least $15,000 out of the workshop, you can get your money back AND keep the course material and bonus items.

Jim Miotke, Founder and President, BetterPhoto.com

Established in 1996, BetterPhoto was the first to teach photography online and remains the worldwide leader in online photography education. The CERTIFIED BETTER PHOTOGRAPHER Program is the serious choice and is an investment in yourself and your photography.

Testing is included in your certification registration. The fee for each level of certification is $1,437.00 including full 32 credit course path and testing.

Once your exam has been submitted, there are no additional images accepted. Please be sure to check your images carefully before your final submission.

Yes! BetterPhoto students can apply past courses to certification and "test out". If you have 32 or more credits, examination links will be in your member center. Passing grade of portfolio examination will award you certification status.

Certification courses have been selected to be sure you master core photography skills before moving to Advanced levels. Electives are offered to provide flexibility.

BetterPhoto students who have completed 32 or more course credits as of May 1, 2010 are eligible for certification exemption. After May 31st, completion of specific courses is required for certification.

The Certified Better Photographer (CBP) Program was created in response to the requests of our students to offer a structured path to photography excellence.

Established in 1996, BetterPhoto was the first to teach photography online and remains the worldwide leader in online photography education. The BetterPhoto certification program is recognized as having the most respected and successful professional instructors with precise lessons that will improve your performance.

Although we are do not offer accreditation, we follow the same guidelines of accredited postsecondary institutions. We are committed to offering:

* Quality assurance
* Continued improvement
* Performance
* Integrity

The BetterPhoto Certification Program uses professional photographers for preparing and scoring in the examination process. Although CBP certification credits are not transferable to college, completion of our program demonstrates your commitment to mastering your craft. The comprehensive exam is designed to assess the individual's overall knowledge of the photography core concepts.

The Certified Better Photographer program will hone your craft. Skills you master in the CBP program will set you apart from the rest.

YES! If you choose the payment plan option, the payments are made in thirds and a non-refundable processing fee of 6% is applied.

In selecting Payment Plan for Certification, the first third is due upon enrollment; the second and third payments are due in six-week intervals thereafter. The credit card used at enrollment will be automatically charged on these dates.

Yes! Coming soon - Style Majors!
After attaining the basic certification, you will be offered a path to a bundle of courses to major in Photographing People, Nature & Landscapes or Photoshop skills.

The core courses for each certification level are designed to teach specific skills before moving on to focus on a particular style of photography. Since not all of our students are interested in advancing in skill, these style majors will be available at each level of certification. Stay tuned!

Certification courses are listed in your Member Center under the My Courses Tab.

Exam photos are uploaded from your Member Center. First, upload images, then under the BetterPhotos Tab:

Choose: Edit your photos (link on left)
You will see the button "Get Certified" under your uploaded images.

Certification Testing Requirements

1. Log into Member Center, click on the "Better Photos" tab > "Edit Your Photos" link.
2. If you have enough credits for certification, you will see "Get Certified" buttons under each photo. Select 20 photos for your certification test in accordance with the requirements listed below. Make sure to add titles and descriptions to your testing photos as described below.
3. Select your certification testing level, add the test to your cart, and proceed to checkout.
4. Your test will be graded within 7 days by a professional photographer. You will be notified with results via email.

Go at your own pace! The Certified Better Photographer program consists of a photography course path with 32 weeks of instruction. You can take longer if you like.

Your test will be graded within 7 days by a professional photographer. You will be notified with results via email.

Your test will be graded within 7 days by a professional photographer. You will be notified with results via email.

View Your Course Credits Online

In your Member Center, click on My Courses

Your completed course credits and credit requirements will appear.

Ready to test? Go to the BetterPhoto Tab

Once you attain Advanced Certification, you are eligible to register for the Masters Certification Bundle. Testing is included in the Masters Certified Better Photographer Bundle fee.

* A film or digital camera; an SLR type with interchangeable lenses is suggested.
* Access to a computer (and scanner if you are using a film camera) as you will upload images to your online classroom.
* A printer is not necessary but you may want to print lessons if you plan to travel and want to take your lesson on the road.
* A working knowledge of basic camera controls and the ability to control exposure using the lens aperture and shutter speed.
* A lens, or lenses that cover an angle of view from wide-angle to a medium telephoto.
* A lens with a close (macro) focusing ability is suggested.
* A camera with a Depth of Field preview function is recommended.
* A tripod is recommended, strongly.
* Any image editing software that can open and process image files produced by your digital camera, or film scanner.

Certification Testing Steps

1. Log into Member Center, click on the "Better Photos" tab > "Edit Your Photos" link.
2. If you have enough credits for certification, you will see "Get Certified" buttons under each photo. Select 20 photos for your certification test in accordance with the requirements (you will be given a link to view requirements). Make sure to add titles and descriptions to your testing photos as described.
3. Select your certification testing level, add the test to your cart, and proceed to checkout.
4. Your test will be graded within 7 days by a professional photographer. You will be notified with results via email.

Our goal is that every student be certified. Once your exam is graded, you will receive an email with the results. If you do not pass with an 80% exam grade, your exam fee may be applied to a future test.

Examination will consist of 20 images demonstrating comprehension and application of elements included in the Basic Courses curriculum.

We want you to be happy, and to be improving. If you are not satisfied with the value of our certification process, you may request a refund. Refunds are available within the first 30 days of certification. After certification testing, no refunds are permitted.

Go at your own pace. As soon as you have completed all course credit requirement and have successfully completed the examination process, your CBP emblems will display under your name at BetterPhoto.

TODAY! Courses start the first Wednesday of every month but we'll send your first lesson within 60 seconds of registration. Space is limited in class so sign up today here:

http://www.betterphoto.com/certification/

As soon as you have completed all course credit requirements, and have successfully completed the examination process, your CBP emblems will display under your name at BetterPhoto.

Once you have submitted your exam, test results will be sent by email within 7 days. Email to passing students will include certification logos for use on business cards, website and promotional materials. Upon successful completion of CBP requirements, certification logos will appear under student's name in the Betterphoto forums and large photo display.

Certificate of Competency will be mailed to the address on your Betterphoto account within 14 days.

Certified Better Photographer Course Listing
Under the Course Outine Tab here:
http://www.betterphoto.com/certification/certified.asp#4

Advanced Better Photographer Course Listing
Under the Course Outine Tab here:
http://www.betterphoto.com/certification/certified-advanced.asp

Masters Better Photographer Course Listing
Under the Course Outine Tab here:
http://www.betterphoto.com/certification/certified-master.asp

The BetterPhoto Certification Program uses professional photographers for preparing, scoring, and portfolio review in the examination process.

Yes. We will gladly refund you within the first 30 days of placing your order.

The gallery that comes with Basic membership allows you to showcase up to 1000 of your images. Learn more at: http://www.betterphoto.com/members.asp

With a Basic photo gallery, you will have a URL similar to this:

http://www.betterphoto.com/gallery/gallery.asp?memberID=124

You can also use a nickname for your gallery. For instance:

http://www.betterphoto.com?jim

Finally, visitors can find you by typing your name into the search field in the upper right of any BetterPhoto page. In the search results, your photo gallery will be listed.

Furthermore, your gallery can also be found in our gallery listings:

http://www.betterphoto.com/sites4photogs/allMGsList.asp

If you want to have your own domain name, you may be interested in either a Deluxe BetterPholio�:

http://www.betterphoto.com/sites4photogs/deluxe-photographer-websites.asp

Thanks for your question about entering a counter for your Basic Pholio. BetterPhoto does not furnish hit counters, but there are websites that supply and maintain them. If you acquire one,you may enter the code for a counter anywhere you can edit text for your gallery. For instance, your Gallery Text.

In your Member Center, click on the Member Info tab, then click the "Gallery Text" link on the left. If you already have a blurb there, just enter the code for the counter above or below the text. Also, if you have any HTML formatting code in that text blurb, make sure you are not breaking any of the tags with the counter code. As long as the code you enter is clean, you should be good to go.

All of the images uploaded to our site are copyrighted to the individual photographer and are not available for use without permission.

The best way to ask about a photo is to contact the photographer. Click on the link below the photo, either Read This Discussion or Discuss This Photo. Under the photo or discussion click on the link to add a discussion. Then you can ask the photographer a question.

Because these two product lines involve a number of complications, we do not apply the costs of Basic membership to web site purchases.

Here are step-by-step instructions for uploading to your Basic Pholio:

• Sign in to your Member Center & click on the "Better Photos" tab in your tool bar.
• Click on the Upload New Photos link.
• You will now be at a page titled Prepare to Upload.

Next, you will have two options:

Default Drag/Drop Uploader:

• Select the camera you used.
• Agree to Terms and Conditions and click on Submit.
• You will now be at the Drag/Drop Uploader page (Note: if this is your first upload with the Drag/Drop Uploader, you will be asked to trust and install our BP image uploader. Proceed with the prompts to install).
• Your page will now display your files on your computer.
• Select the file where your images are stored, they should then appear in the upper right hand box (to the right of your computer files).
• Simply drag and drop your images into the lower right hand box, there is no need to have resized your images.
• You will see that you have the option to rotate your images. Click the Title/Description link to name photos. Separate Title and Description by "@@" to add both during upload.
• Finally, hit the send button.

Check the Mac requirements at the bottom of the main uploading page. If you are having trouble with the Drag/Drop Uploader, we suggest you use the Alternate Image Uploader.

Alternate Image Uploader option:

• Click on the Alternate Image Uploader link at the bottom of the main uploading page.
• Select the # of photos you are uploading and click on submit.
• You will then be at the image upload page.
• Click on browse.
• Your computer files will appear ... select the appropriate file where your images are stored.
• Double click on the image you want to upload.
• Fill in title and description info.
• Select a camera.
• Hit submit.
• Your image should upload perfectly if the images are sized correctly.

The direct URL to your gallery is:

http://www.betterphoto.com/gallery/bio.asp?memberID=[your memberID]

Alternatively, you can use your "nickname":

http://www.betterphoto.com?[your nickname]

For more information on these options, visit the Member Info tab of your Member Center.

Also, our new search engine will help visitors locate all members with active BetterPholios™, whether they are Basic Memberships, or Deluxe or Pro websites.

(Albums are only available with our “New Version” Pholio displays. If you are using the “Classic Version” display, you’ll need to switch to the New Version options in your member center.)

1: Click on the Basic Membership tab in your member center (upper right tool bar).

2: Click on the Photo Albums link under "Basic Better Pholio in the left column of the page.

3: Here you'll see the albums set up. Choose your first album name & description, and then select an image for the album cover that will appear in your gallery.(Once you’ve selected a cover image, be sure you see the 6 digit ID number appearing in the “Album Cover ID” box.)

4: Now hit the "Create Album" button, and a thumbnail image of your first album will now display along with control links for that album.

4 Your next step will be to add your selected photos for that album. We suggest using the newer “Quick Add Photos To Albums” link in the left-hand column, which allows adding multiple photos to your album(s) at the same time.

5: After you've placed your images in one or more albums, use the options links to the right of each album, to edit and sort images for that album.

6: One final note: Our system displays your albums alphabetically in your gallery. If you wish to change that order, you'll need to either title your albums differently, or use a number in front of the title... such as 1: Sports 2: Nature, etc.

There is no discount for a Basic Membership renewal. With the low cost of just $4.08 per month, our Basic Membership with all its features and options is already a great value!

Uploading or marking photos as private keeps them from being viewed anywhere except a course or Deluxe Betterpholio site. To remedy this, go into your Deluxe admin center, click on "Select and Categorize Photos", and change the status for the photos you want to display in your Basic Gallery.

This may be happening because you have uploaded the image multiple times and the winning version of your image is not the one selected for display. All you need to do is to:

* First identify the winning photoID # - this is the number you see in the URL when looking at the enlarged view of an image.

Use this number to locate the correct photo in your Member Center. Just click on Edit Your Photos link, and set this image to display and the other image to not display.

Only Basic and Masterpiece members, students of our online courses, and Deluxe/Pro Web site owners may enter the BetterPhoto contest.

Learn more about Membership here:
http://www.betterphoto.com/members.asp

Yes, it's totally possible to display a contest finalist or winner - with emblem attached - in not only your Basic photo gallery, but also in a Deluxe BetterPholio or Pro BetterPholio web site. In your Admin Center for your Deluxe or Pro, you can decide whether to display - or not display - the emblem ... just click on the Gallery Options link.

You may delete an incorrect upload and re-upload a corrected version another day. A corrected version will not take the place of the original or incorrect upload, nor can we revert the database to allow a subsequent contest entry on the same day.

No. The photo needs to be in a digital format to be submitted. If you are using a digital camera, this should not be a problem. Simply transfer the images from your camera to your computer and you can upload them from there, using our Image Uploader. If you use a film-based camera, you will have to get the images scanned into a digital file before uploading.

When you submit photos to the BetterPhoto.com® monthly contest, rest assured, you still own the rights to the photo.

Sure. The following step-by-step instructions will guide you through the uploading process.

1. Prepare. First, your photos need to be in a digital format to be submitted. If you are using a digital camera, this should not be a problem. Simply transfer the images from your camera to your computer and you can upload them from there, using our Image Uploader. If you use a film-based camera, you will have to get the images scanned into a digital file before uploading.

2. Resize, If Necessary. Second, you will need to size your images correctly if you will be using the Alternate Image Uploader (see instructions below, in the Alternate Image Uploader section). Note: you do not need to do this step if you use the default Drag/Drop Image Uploader.

3. Upload. Next, it's time to upload you images:

• Sign in to your Member Center.
• Click on the Upload New Photos link.
• You will now be at a page titled Prepare to Upload.

Next, you will have two options:

A. Default Drag/Drop Uploader:

• Select the camera you used.
• Agree to Terms and Conditions, choose the contest category you would like to enter, and click on Submit.
• You will now be at the Drag/Drop Uploader page (Note: if this is your first upload with the Drag/Drop Uploader, you will be asked to install Aurigma. Proceed with the prompts to install Aurigma).
• Your page will now display your files on your computer.
• Select the file where your images are stored, they should then appear in the upper right hand box (to the right of your computer files).
• Simply drag and drop your images into the lower right hand box, there is no need to have resized your images.
• You will see that you have the option to rotate your images. Click the Title/Description link to name photos. Separate Title and Description by "@@" to add both during upload.
• Finally, hit the send button.

Check the Mac requirements at the bottom of the main uploading page. If you are having trouble with the Drag/Drop Uploader, we suggest you use the Alternate Image Uploader.

B. Alternate Image Uploader option:

• Click on the "Alternate Image Uploader" link at the bottom of the main uploading page.
• Select the # of photos you are uploading and click on submit.
• You will then be at the image upload page.
• Click on Browse.
• Your computer files will appear. Select the appropriate file where your images are stored.
• Double click on the image you want to upload.
• Fill in title and description info.
• Select a camera.
• Choose the contest category from the pull-down.
• Click Submit.
• Your image should upload perfectly if the images are sized correctly.

How to Resize your Image for the Alternate Image Uploader. When resizing, the ppi (pixels per inch) is not as important as the overall pixel dimensions. As long as you measure the overall image dimensions in pixels (instead of inches), you can simply size your image to something like 1800 pixels on the long dimension.

In Photoshop's Image Size function, for example, you would change the units pull-down menu from inches to pixels. Then, with the Resample checkbox checked, change the longer dimension (whether it be the width or the height) to 1800 pixels.

For an added touch of sharpness and clarity, it also often helps to slightly apply the Unsharp Mask filter.

Then save either as a TIFF or a high quality / low compression JPEG and upload to the site.

This will result in the best quality uploaded images.

4. Double-Check. You can double-check on your entry by signing in to your Member Center and clicking on the Better Photos Tab > Current Contest Entries. Be sure to refresh the page to view the entry.

BetterPhoto does offer support for the contest at this time. We are happy to help via email. You can contact our support team whenever you need help, and we will assist you as soon as we can.

To change the category of your upload:

1. Sign into your Member Center and click on the "Upload New Photos" link.

2. Select the Single Image Uploader option.

3. Click on Submit.

4. Enter the photo ID number of the image you would like to recategorize.

5. Select the correct category and submit the upload.

This should place your image into the intended category.

If you have already entered the contest the day you are trying to change the category, the photo ID field will not be available. Please wait until the next day to change the category of the upload, since the photo ID field will then be available.

You can enter an existing image into the contest by using the Enter into Contest link in your Member Center > Edit Photos link.

When you enter an image in the contest using the "Enter into Contest" link, the image is placed in order of the photo ID#. Therefore, the photo is placed further back in the contest pages.
You can double check on your entry by signing in to your Member Center and clicking on the link: My BetterPhotos tab > Current Contest Entries. Be sure to refresh the page to view the entry.

Previous monthly themes are noted on the following page:

http://www.betterphoto.com/contest/themes.asp

At this time, we do not offer a method of tracking/compiling all of your contest entries.

A great suggestion for keeping track of previously entered contest images is to print your Current Contest Entries page at the end of the month (before the page is cleared for the new month). You can then file that page for reference of previously entered contest images.

Our monthly contest is open to BetterPhoto Members and has 10 categories, one of which is a monthly theme (a new theme is announced each month). Basic and Masterpiece members, BetterPholio owners and students are able to enter one image per day into any given category.

For more information on our online photography contest, please visit the following links:
http://www.betterphoto.com/contest.asp

http://www.betterphoto.com/contest/categories.asp

Terms and Conditions:
http://www.betterphoto.com/forms/termsPopUp.asp

Thanks and good luck!

Not a Member yet? Sign up today here:
http://www.betterphoto.com/members.asp

The contest is, of course, a huge undertaking for BP - for judges as well as for BP's technical and support staff! Thus, with 20,000+ images submitted each month, we long ago decided not to go into great detail on the inner-workings of the judging process. Here are three contest pages with more contest information:

http://www.betterphoto.com/contest/guidelines.asp
http://www.betterphoto.com/contest/categories.asp
http://www.betterphoto.com/contest/captioning.asp

Our contest is open to Members of BetterPhoto. For $49 a year (only about $4 a month), you can participate. Access to the contest is in your Member Center.

Not a Member yet? Join Today here:
http://www.betterphoto.com/members.asp

The "Editor's Picks" are contest entries that have moved on from round 1 of the contest judging. These images are found to be interesting, eye-catching or beautiful to the judges. In the past, if you wanted to find new photos for discussion, you might go to "New Arrivals" or "Current Contest Entries".

This group is global and unedited - everything being uploaded to BP. The "Editor's Picks" gives you a selection of photos that will continue to the next round of judging. They are updated weekly.

Good luck!

We added this feature in response to a desire for comments by our members. Our motive is simply to give you some feedback, so the contest is not such a mystery.

With so many entries each month, it's impossible for our judging team to make comments on each image. However, when something catches a judge's eye, a quick critique may be offered. This will be a sentence or two that lets you know what the judge liked best about the image - or how a photo could have been improved.

At times, you might get positive comments from one judge and later receive negative comments from another. For example, this might happen when the image is of high quality, but simply mis-categorized.

This is not an invitation for debate, by the way. The judging is already done at this point.

If we ask you to resubmit a photo, it does not guarantee a win or finalist placement. This is designed to provide insight into the decision-making.

We hope you enjoy this BetterPhoto feature!

The winners are usually posted by the end of the month.

Here are a couple of very helpful pages:

Contest Guidelines:http://www.betterphoto.com/contest/guidelines.asp

Contest Categories: http://www.betterphoto.com/contest/categories.asp

Our site has been recently updated. If you are a Basic Member (have a Basic BetterPholio), are currently enrolled in a course, or own a Deluxe or Pro BetterPholio, you will continue to have access to the BetterPhoto contest and all the site features. You will find the Editor's Picks and Contest entries by signing on, hovering over the blue Home tab and then selecting What's New.

Here is a message from Jim Miotke explaining the recent changes to BetterPhoto:

http://www.betterphoto.com/2009-b.asp

You will find the monthly theme near the top of our main contest page:

http://www.betterphoto.com/contest.asp

And look for it on this page devoted to the monthly theme:

http://www.betterphoto.com/contest/themes.asp

For more great information on how to categorize your photos, please visit:

http://www.betterphoto.com/contest/categories.asp

For the protection of our photographers/judges, we do not release information about them. However, all of our judges are professional photographers.

Names in blue just mean there's a link that can be clicked. This does not indicate anything with regard to the contest judging process.

When you enter an image in the contest using the "Enter into Contest" link, the image is placed in order of the photo ID#. Therefore, the photo is placed further back in the contest pages.

You can double check on your entry by signing in to your Member Center and clicking on the link: My BetterPhotos tab > Current Contest Entries. Be sure to refresh the page to view the entry.

Your contest images would also need to be displayed as Public in your Deluxe or Pro BetterPholio in order to be seen on the contest entry pages.

Please don't be discouraged by the contest. The contest is meant to be in the spirit of inspiring and educating photographers of all levels. Also, you need to keep in mind that you are entering a contest with many thousands of entries each month.

Here are a couple of suggestions that may help:

• Ask other Betterphoto members for their opinion of your image(s). In order to get more people commenting on your images, visit the photo galleries belonging to other members and offer comments on their work. This often results in reciprocal discussion of your own photos.
• Visit the contest guidelines at: http://www.betterphoto.com/contest/guidelines.asp

Remember BetterPhoto is all about learning and inspiration, built by an encouraging and helpful community of photography enthusiasts. It is less about winning, but more about learning. And if you are improving or creating photos that work, you're a winner!

This offer is not limited to BetterPhoto members, friends are welcome!

Register here:
http://www.betterphoto.com/TeleseminarSignUp3.asp

You do not need to be at a computer to participate, just call in to benefit from the good tips I have to share with you.

Once you have registered, you will emailed calling instructions.

Seats are limited for the FREE Live Teleseminars with Jim Miotke. Sign up on our registration page for the next available teleseminar here:
http://www.betterphoto.com/TeleseminarSignUp3.asp

If a recordings become available, the BetterPhoto membership will be sent an announcement.

Not part of our community yet? We welcome you to join us to have access to all the resources from BetterPhotoJim and our entire photography community.

You can remove images from a Club in the following manner:

Sign in the your Member Center > Clubs tab > Name of Club > My Club Photos.

Under each club photo you will see a link to remove from Club Gallery.

At this time the BP Club Internal Messaging system is set up to send to all members of your club. If you would like to reach a member individually, you may contact them by way of their BetterPholio contact button.

Here's how:

Sign in to your Member Center > Clubs Tab > My Clubs List (on left)
This will show you a list of your clubs: My BetterPhoto Club Memberships
Click on the club name in the Club listing
See the option on the left Club Home Page
See member names under Club Photos and Club Members
Click the member name and you will be taken to their BetterPholio
There you can click the contact button and reach a member by email

You bet! BP Clubs are a perfect place to showcase photography and exchange ideas and feedback with your club members. A great place to start is setting up a BP Club as a virtual art gallery for your camera club. We are very excited about this new area of BetterPhoto where groups get together, post their images, share and learn.
Create a private group for your club
Members interact and bond with each other
Share and discuss photos
Exchange tips
Post Events and meetings
Here's how to access BP Clubs:
Sign into your Member Center using your email and password (each person will need to be a member of BetterPhoto - it's free and quick)
In your Member Center> Clubs Tab
Under My BetterPhoto Clubs (list on left)
Start a new club
Follow instructions on Right

There is not a specific order for the regular club member listing. The club owner always displays first, followed by the club officers and then the regular members.

You can enter your existing images into a club by using the photo id of the image.

Club Tab> My Clubs> then choose the club you have joined to “add photos to club gallery”; that gets you to the window where you add your photo ID.

First - Upload new photos to your Member Center, then go back to your BPClub and Click add photos link. Here are the steps:

Sign into your Member Center > BetterPhotos > Upload New Photos

Clubs Tab > My Clubs List (on left)
My BetterPhoto Club Memberships
Club Gallery > Click add photos link >

Upload photos to your club here with these simple steps:

To Add images already uploaded to BetterPhoto:
Search for your photo by clicking the "Find Image" button, or enter the PhotoID number in the box provided.
Then click the "Add to Club Photo Gallery" button.

If there are other members in your club, you will not be able to close.

You can either ask the members to leave the club by sending them a BPMail or remove the members by signing in --> member center --> clubs --> my clubs list --> select the club name --> remove members link on the lower left side.

Once there are no more members in the club a link will appear on the my clubs list page to close the club.

Here's how to check your BPClub Memberships:
Sign in to your Member Center > Clubs Tab > My Clubs List (on left)
This will show you a list of your clubs: My BetterPhoto Club Memberships

Here's how to use the BP Club internal messaging system:

Sign in to your Member Center > Clubs Tab > My Clubs List (on left)
This will show you a list of your clubs: My BetterPhoto Club Memberships
Click on the club name in the Club listing
See the option on the left under Club Members
Send a Message
Click this and you will be taken to a the message sending screen

Note: The internal messaging system will send an email to all of the members in your club.

Sign into your Member Center using your email and password (each person will need to be a member of BetterPhoto - it's free and quick)
In your Member Center> Clubs Tab
Under My BetterPhoto Clubs (list on left)
Start a new club
Follow instructions on Right

We do offer the payment plan for the Class Track program. With the payment plan option, the payments are made in thirds and a non-refundable processing fee of 6% is applied. In selecting Payment Plan for ClassTracks, the first third is due upon enrollment; the second and third payments are due in six-week intervals thereafter. The credit card used at enrollment will be automatically charged on these dates.

Here is how the charges break down:
$1437 + 6% processing fee = $1523.22 divided by 3 payments = 507.74 for each payment.

Due to our site privacy policies, we are unable to give out member information. But you are free to attempt to contact the member through their Basic photo gallery or, if they have one, their Deluxe or Pro Web site.

The best way to contact a photographer is to click on the link below the photo, either Read This Discussion or Discuss This Photo. Under the photo or discussion click on the link to add a discussion. Then you can ask the photographer a question.

This is the only option we have for you to contact a particular photographer as we do not provide email addresses of our members.

Once images are uploaded with a particular camera selection, we can not move them from the selected camera to another. You can delete the image and reupload it selecting the correct camera. To delete your image: Sign in to your Member Center>BetterPhotos >Edit Photos >Delete Image> Submit.

You can add accents and other special characters on the My Better Photos page in your Member Center - by clicking on Edit Your Photos or Your Photos link. You cannot add accents with the multi-image uploader during the upload (where you type in the title, "@@", then description).

To turn email notifications on or off, sign in to your Member Center > My Discussions/Q&A tab where you will see all of the discussions and Q&A you have taken part in. You will also see on/off buttons to turn on/off select discussions or question threads.

If you would like to turn ALL discussions or questions off or on, look for the link under each list of threads.

Also, when initially responding to a discussion on an image, there is a small check box asking you whether or not you would like to be notified when comments continue to be made.

If you do not want notification, be sure to uncheck the box.

Learn about the benefits of Membership here:
http://www.betterphoto.com/members.asp

You can update your bio in your Member Center> Member Info Tab>Bio / About Yourself

You can update your name, email, password, contact information, etc., via your Member Center. At the top right of any BetterPhoto page: Sign In > My Member Info > Contact Info

Once you have made your changes, click on the Submit button at the bottom of the page.

NOTE: Deluxe BetterPholio owners please contact betterpholio.support@betterphoto.com

First, make sure that you are typing it in correctly and that you don't have the Caps Lock key activated on your keyboard. If you are still unable to sign in, you may contact bpsupport@betterphoto.com.

This is due to a browser caching issue.

Try holding down the shift key and click on the refresh button. Your new mini-pic should appear.

The Key Word Challenge is a fun game that will allow us to describe images and improve our search engine and the overall photo sharing experience. Winners get 50% off a Photography Course or Deluxe BetterPholio Web Site!

Here's how to play:
Sign into your Member Center with your email and password
Click the "Better Photos" tab
Under the heading "Contest" you will see: Try our Quick Keyworder

Watch a 5-minute video to quickly learn how to play the Quick Keyworder game. simply enter keywords that describe each image.
Good Luck!

The forum is now available to Basic and Masterpiece Members, BetterPholio owners and Students. You can find it under the Discussions/Q&A Tab in your Member Center.

Photography Q&A
Ask a Question All New Questions All New Responses

Not a Member Yet? Learn more here:
http://www.betterphoto.com/members.asp

This sometimes happens when members create a new account instead of changing their email address in their member center. This duplication causes a system error. Please contact bpsupport@betterphoto.com and we will consolidate your accounts.

In future, you can update your Name & Contact Information as well as change your email address in your Member Center:

Member Center>My Member Info>Contact Info

Spam is annoying. Spammers or spamming software may be trying to email you via your contact page from your Free, Premium, or Deluxe BetterPholio™. In an attempt to keep this problem to a minimum, we have installed an authentication step with all contact forms. Keep in mind that the spammers do not view your email address when they use the contact link, and BetterPhoto does not ever share email addresses of our members.

We have also created the following informational page to help our members spot spam and scams, and know how to handle these problems:

http://www.betterphoto.com/spam-scam.asp

The password is case-sensitive. Be sure that the letters are exactly as you see them in the instructional email.

Our easy-to-operate BetterPholio packages are designed to be maintainable for any user! Even a complete non-tech can customize a BetterPholio. You have full control over your site: choose your favorite layout/color combination, and switch between them as often as you like; add or delete images and categories; update your homepage; add links to other sites, and much more! These functions are easily accessed and manipulated from your BetterPholio Admin Center.

Everybody tells us they love our Deluxe and Pro Websites. They say they appreciate how quick and easy it is to set up a site. This allows them to get back out photographing instead of stay chained to a computer, working out technical details.

But even more than the speed and ease with which a site can be created, our customers tell us all the time about our amazing customer support and how satisfied they are with the entire experience. We make it easy for our customers to showcase their photos... and they love us for it.

All the same, we stand by our services. In case you are not 100% satisfied and let us know within 14 days, we will refund you the cost of your website, less a $35 admin fee. 100% satisfaction guarantee is about much more than refunds; it is about our promise to you to deliver total satisfaction. If you don't find the site everything you've wished for - and the experience extremely easy and quick - we will refund you and let you transfer your domain name to a new provider. We want, above all, for you to be happy.

Learn how you can get set up with one of our beautiful Deluxe and Pro Websites for Photographers here:
http://www.betterphoto.com/sites4Photogs.asp

The new, sleeker, more versatile designs that you see on the informational pages are currently the only designs available. Some of our BetterPholio owners have not yet converted to these new design options - thus the variety of older layouts in existence.

If you want two completely separate sites, you'll first need to sign up for a separate Betterphoto account. Your first and last name can be the same, but you do have to have a separate email address for the new account. In case you don't have a separate email account, there are numerous sites that allow you to sign up for a free email account like hotmail, gmail, yahoo, etc.

Once you have the new account, sign in with the new account information and go through the order process for the new site the same way as you did for your old one.

If you have any other questions, please let us know. Thank you so much!

You will have a certain amount of control over the pages on your BetterPholio via a password protected Admin Center. For example, you will be able to add and edit all the text on your site, create custom categories and categorize photos, choose from six layouts and many different background colors, design presets, etc. You also have "wildcard" pages where you can add anything you like. HTML is supported wherever you can edit text. We try to allow as much flexibility as we can, but do understand that it is a templated web site solution, so you will not be able to edit the source code of your site and may run into something that you wish could be different but cannot change. The best idea, if you haven't already, is to browse through the current BetterPholios to get an idea of the various options to see if it would meet your needs.

http://www.betterphoto.com/sites4photogs/allDeluxesList.asp

Thanks for your email. We do send out 2 reminder emails in regards to your BetterPholio expiration date. Also, your expiration date is listed in your Member Center > Basic BetterPholio tab as well as in your BetterPholio Admin Center.

To renew your BetterPholio, use one of the following links:

To renew with our Deluxe package, use this link:
www.betterphoto.com/cart/cartItemAddSQL.asp?productID=1182

To renew with our Pro package, use this link:
www.betterphoto.com/cart/cartItemAddSQL.asp?productID=1234

This will reinstate your original BetterPholio. Thanks!

You can check out our beautiful BetterPholio designs on this page:

http://www.betterphoto.com/sites4photogs/deluxe-photographer-websites.asp (Scroll down to see examples of each layout).

Each of the layouts comes in many different color schemes. You can choose which colors you like the best and even change them as often as you like right from your admin center.

Here are a few examples of BetterPholios that I think are beautiful and will give you an idea of what is possible:

http://www.corporatefineart.com/%2D/corporatefineart/
http://www.amdahlphotography.com/-/amdahlphotography/
http://www.betterphotojim.com/-/betterphotojim/
http://www.kerrydrager.com/-/kerrydrager/

We have great options for image sales in our Web Hosting packages. Here is a link to where you can learn more about these exciting features:

http://www.betterphoto.com/sites4photogs.asp

Hi xxx:

Very good question. You could sell it in this way: take a picture of your product and upload as you would an image. You could then create a Product Category specifically for your book and display it in it's own gallery on your site. People would be able to buy it just like they would your images - using PayPal.

Each of our BetterPholio packages will allow you to use your existing domain name. Be aware, however, that you would be responsible for renewing it each year.

If you would like to purchase a BetterPholio and want us to register a domain name for you, we can, although we only support the following top level domains: .com, .net, .org, .info, .biz, and .ca. If you want a domain name that does not use one of these you still have the option of using it, although you will have to purchase the domain name on your own.

Our BetterPholios are a fantastic way to display and sell your images and enhance your business. Like you, many people have questions about licensing and taxes when they are ready to turn their hobby into a business. There are state and federal guidelines for business practices, all available for reference online. Our best recommendation is that you contact your State Department of Revenue and the IRS to be clear on all laws and requirments.

It might also be helpful to read our BetterPhoto Questions & Answers where there is a wealth of information and advice from photographers and business owners.

We register the domain name for you, but you can transfer the domain name into your name at any time. You would need to purchase a transfer from a company that sells domain names. One thing to be aware of is that you would be responsible for domain renewal fees apart from your BetterPholio subscription as well as DNS management.

Our basic rule of thumb is the shorter the domain name, the easier it is to remember and to give out. However, having the name of your business as your URL is a good option too. Ideally, you want people to remember your name. In the end, it's up to you and what you feel is appropriate for your needs.

Start at BetterPhoto's homepage, click on the "Get a Web Site" button, then select the "Domain Names" option. You will see samples and a box where you can enter any domain name you can think of to check it's availability.

With our add on image sales option or our Pro BetterPholio, your customers will be able to buy photos directly from your site. All you need is to set up a Basic account with Paypal. When they make a purchase you will be emailed the image title and size they want. Then you would need to fulfill those orders using an outside lab, your own printer, etc. To read more about our Pro BetterPholios or image sales option, click here:

http://www.betterphoto.com/sites4photogs.asp

Once you pick a domain name and make payment arrangements, it usually takes 24 - 48 hours for your site to be built. Most of that time is waiting for your domain name to be registered. As soon as it is, you will receive several emails taking you through the set up process step by step.

You then have 24/7 access to your site. Our BetterPholio Specialist is available as well should you have any questions. The process really is quite simple. The trick is to read EVERYTHING carefully and to take your time setting things up.

You can check out our designs on this page:

http://www.betterphoto.com/sites4photogs/deluxe-photographer-websites.asp


We have six different layouts from which to choose and each layout comes in many different color schemes. You can choose which colors you like best and even change them as often as you like right from your Admin Center. You will have a "Site Design" and an "Advanced Site Design" link in your Admin Center where you will be able to change between our color/layout combinations as often as you like. Additionally, we have many design presets available. You will have a "Design Presets" link in your admin center where you can check out those.

Thank you for your interest in our BetterPholio packages. We have two different packages from which to choose. Here are links that explain each fully:
http://www.betterphoto.com/sites4photogs/deluxeWebsites.asp
http://www.betterphoto.com/sites4photogs/deluxeProWebsites.asp

The additional features for the Pro package are as follows:

Credit card processing for image sales,
Real-time visitor statistics,
Password protected private galleries,
A mailing list feature so you can send bulk emails out to your fans and clients,
Two additional wildcard pages,
Enhanced home page slide show,
Four extra email aliases.

I hope this helps!

Your Pro BetterPholio came with the statistics add on feature which gives you a much more in-depth look at how many visitors come to your site, how may pages are viewed, how much time they spent at your site, top visitor paths, which pages they entered on and exited on, etc. When you sign into your Google Stats page, you get a quick summary of your visitors. The "Visitors" section shows you currently how many people have visited your site, by the hour, day, month and year. It shows you on average how many people visit your site in the same increments. And lastly, what was the most and least visitors you had in any one hour, day, month, year. "Page & Files" simply shows how many pages are being viewed overall by your visitors.

If you want to use your own domain name, you need to be able to change your DNS settings so that it points to our server. You may need to get hold of a technical contact where your name is currently registered to have this done.

If you choose this route, understand that:

a) You will be responsible for all technical support revolving around your domain name registration

b) You will be responsible for all domain name registration and renewal fees.

If you are unable to change your DNS settings, then you will want to select a new domain name that we will set up for you.

We've tried to transfer names to BetterPhoto in the past and it just hasn't worked very smoothly. The registration companies often want the actual owners of the domain name, rather than someone from BetterPhoto, to do the work.

We provide JavaScript image protection. This protection disables the user's ability to click their right mouse button (as when they are trying to get to the "Save this Image" command).
However, the nature of the Web makes it practically impossible to truly stop a determined thief. You see, you are publishing the photos by putting them on a Web site. Once they are out there, there is not much you can to do make them unavailable (both to the good people and the bad thieves).

You do have a few options, though. One is the aforementioned JavaScript protection. This deters "casual image thieves" - innocent people who just don't know any better. To stop the die-hard evil thieves in their tracks, you can:

a) Keep your images relatively small. Web display requires much less resolution than print. Therefore, if you keep your images small, the thief at least can't print your images or try to sell them for print production (where most of the money-making occurs in the photography world).

b) Watermark your images. You can add a watermark to your images during the uploading process to your BetterPholio. Or you can use Photoshop or another program to put your name and a copyright symbol on your picture.

c) Use special software that digitally marks your images, making them unviewable by anyone without the same special software. But I don't recommend this method if you are interested in sharing or selling your photographs. By using it, you are forcing potential clients and other viewers to install special software. They will rarely do this and, thus, you will immediately lose your audience as well as your potential customers.

The other thing you can do is register each of your images with the US Copyright office. This will at least give you a legal leg to stand on, if you ever have to take an image thief to court.

The truth of the matter is that the benefits of publishing and promoting your work on the Web far outweigh these potential risks.

You will have many options to control the look and feel of your website whether you choose the Deluxe or Pro package, but it won't be as flexible if you were to create your own site from scratch. The big advantage of our BetterPholios is convenience. Within a day or two you will have a fully functional site online with your photos up for sale. Whereas developing your own site takes a much larger time commitment, not to mention the additional hosting costs.

Our development team has created a way for you to integrate blogs with your Deluxe or Pro site. If you already have a blog with Blogger, Wordpress, or Typepad, or want to create a new one ( Blogger and Wordpress have free versions), you can now link to that blog as a menu selection.

Detailed step by step setup instructions are available in your Deluxe and Pro admin centers under the Design tab. Look for the Blog Set-up Instructions - Blogger link.

Enjoy and feel free to email us if you have any questions while setting yours up. Thanks!

As far as adding the PayPal shopping cart without purchasing the image sales add on product, you are welcome to add HTML code wherever you are able to edit text, so you are free to add the shopping cart in this way.

However, our PayPal shopping cart product offers pricing administrative tools and additional pricing pages for each of your images. It allows you to easily and quickly price hundreds of your images and display different photo product categories (i.e., 8x10, 5x7, etc.) for each image. This will not be available to you without the Image Sales component.

Unforunately, you cannot. You will need to reupload the images that do not already have the watermark embedded in them.

Facebook provides a badge creator on their site:

http://www.facebook.com/help.php?page=4

That should provide you with a chunk of code that will display your badge and link to your facebook account. Try pasting that code into an area where you can edit text on your site. For example, you could place it in your home page blurb or gallery blurb so people see it often.

Anywhere you can edit text you are free to add your own HTML. For example, wildcard pages, image titles, image descriptions, welcome text, gallery text, bio, etc. This, however, will not allow you to edit every attribute which is just the nature of a template web system. However, many BetterPholio owners do this to make their site more customized.

Many other BetterPholio owners have learned some basic HTML tags to spice up their pages. It can be a little intimidating to start, but it's fairly easy to learn a few basic tags.

There are a ton of beginner books on HTML and lessons on the web. A google search will probably give you more than you can handle.

Absolutely! You are able to add your own HTML anywhere you can edit text (i.e. wildcard page, bio page, etc.). This would allow you to add any link you wish.

Yes, we can change your domain name after following a couple of steps.
First be sure your chosen domain name is available by going to our homepage,
clicking on the Get a Web Site button and selecting the "Domain Name" option. You will see a box where you can enter any domain name you can think of to check it's availability. Once you find an available domain name that you like, use the following link to process a $27.00 registration fee:

http://www.betterphoto.com/product/ourProductDetail.asp?productID=1355

You would then need to email our BetterPholio Specialist at amy@betterphoto.com with your new domain name.

It's a long and complicated process, but, yes, you can. First, sign into your BetterPhoto Member Center (NOT your BetterPholio Admin Center). Click on your Better Photos tab and then click your "Edit your Photos" link on that page. Next, right click on the small thumbnail version of one of your images. Choose "Properties" from the drop down menu. Copy the URL. Open a new window. Paste the URL in the new browser. Remove the small "f" and ONE underscore (there are two) right before it. Then hit enter. You will then see a large version of your image. You can then right click that large image and save it to your desktop.

I hope this helps!

You are able to upload any properly licensed MP3 files now to your site in your Admin Center. Go to your Photos tab and choose the "Music Manager" link (middle box). Scroll to the bottom of that page and you will see a "click here" link that will give you instructions on how to do this.

The current design for Deluxe/Pro BetterPholios only allows for music on the Home Page and for gallery slide shows.

If you host your own music outside of the BetterPhoto systems and wish to use it for any of your slide shows, a properly formatted URL might look something like this:
http://www.yourmusicserver.com/music/myfavoritesong.mp3

The two critical portions of the URL are it must begin with “http” (the web protocol) and it must end with the song file (myfavoritesong.mp3, in this hypothetical example). Lastly, the format of the song file must be mp3. No other music file types are supported.

I hope this helps. Let me know if you have any additional questions.

Yes, you can have as many as you like pointing to your new site! Included in your Deluxe or Pro BetterPholio purchase is your choice of one available domain name that we register and manage for you. However, if you wish to have more domains pointing to your web site, you can purchase them yourself and set up domain forwarding through your domain registrar. This is usually a free service and a common request.

Thanks for your email. We do send out 2 reminder emails in regards to your BetterPholio expiration date. Also, your expiration date is listed in your Member Center > Premium BetterPholio tab as well as in your BetterPholio Admin Center.
To renew your BetterPholio, use one of the following links:

To renew with our Deluxe package, use this link:
www.betterphoto.com/cart/cartItemAddSQL.asp?productID=1182

To renew with our Pro package, use this link:
www.betterphoto.com/cart/cartItemAddSQL.asp?productID=1234

This will reinstate your original BetterPholio. Thanks!

The image sales option primarily allows people to sell their individual images. We have had people sell other things however. To sell something other than images, you would need to upload an image for each product you are offering. Your customers would be able to purchase your products just like they would images.

You are able to transfer your domain name back to yourself once you decide to close your site. There is no fee from us. However, you will have to pay for a transfer from another site. The cost is about $10. Your domain name will have to be active for a transfer to happen so the transfer needs to be done before the site expires.

Yes, you can upgrade to the Pro option at any time. We charge you a prorated amount based on the months remaining on your existing BetterPholio subscription. You can place your upgrade order through the Pro Features Tab of your Admin Center.

You can actually just point your existing domain name to our servers and use it for your BetterPholio. You will have to change some settings (DNS) which we would provide for you once your order is processed. Keep in mind that you would have to continue renewing your domain name for your BetterPholio to continue working. Many people choose this route since they are more comfortable having the domain name registered in their own name in case they choose to move on to a different site later.

You want your keywords to be as specific as possible. Here are a couple of examples, based on BetterBicycling.com:

KEYWORDS:
pictures of bicyclists, bicycling photos, biking photography, photo tips for cyclists, bicycling images

TITLE
BetterBicycling.com - Where Bicycling and Photography meet

DESCRIPTION:
Come see some of the best images of bicycles, bicyclists, and bicycle enthusiasts. This photo gallery is a BetterPholio offered by BetterPhoto.com® - visit BetterPhoto.com to get your own Web site like this.

If the keywords were vague like "photos", "photography", etc. then too many other competing sites will come up when people search those terms and it would never make it to page 1. So being as specific as possible is the name of the game.

No. When your customers click through to purchase one of your images and checkout, there is a button that says "If you do not have a Paypal account, click here". If a visitor clicks that, they are able to pay with a credit card without having to sign up for a Paypal account.

BetterPhoto.com® does not offer BetterPholio phone support at this time. We are happy to help you with whatever issues you are having via email. You can email our BetterPholio Specialist whenever you need help, and she will get back to you within 24 hours (usually a lot sooner).

Our BetterPholio packages have been designed to operate and be maintainable for anyone, (even complete non-techs). If you find, after reading your step by step instructions that were emailed to you when your site was built, that the set up and customizing process is just too difficult for you, we will be more than happy to help.

You can attach your logo to your home page photo using a program like Photoshop and then upload it to your site as you would any photo.

To delete your images one at a time, you can log into your Admin Center and choose the Photos tab. Then click on the Photo Manager link. Scroll to the bottom of that page and use the Photo Finder box to find the specific photo you would like to delete. Check the red box under the image you would like deleted. Don't forget to hit the "Apply Changes" button at the bottom of the page.

Additionally, you can bulk delete your photos by choosing your "Photo Manager" link under your Photos tab in your Admin Center. Then select the "Photos Only" button and go down to the lower right hand corner of the page where there is an option to delete all images displayed on the screen. You will need to tweak the search parameters on the left hand side so that all of the photos you want to delete appear on the page. If there are more then 30 at a time you will have to hit the "delete" option a few times (the option only deletes your images in increments of 30). For now this is the best way to delete your images in bulk.

I hope this helps!

To delete a Mailing List subscriber, go to your Pro Features tab in your BetterPholio Admin Center. Choose the "Mailing List Subscribers" link. You will see "remove" links on that page. Click that link next to the subscriber's name you wish to remove from your Mailing List and this will completely remove them from your list.

The best way to get traffic to your site is to be found on search engines like Google, Yahoo and MSN. In order for your site to be found, you need to go to each search engine's home page and look for a "Submit Your Site" or "Add Your URL" link. You need to let them know that you are now available online.

This process can take some time - many search engines do not get to indexing your site (making it so that it is found when people search) for up to 4 to 6 weeks. And even then, there may be a lot of other sites competing for the same search results. There are so many Web sites out there that the search engines have a hard time showing the best ones.

It is an art learning how to maximize search engine results and many companies have sprung up that offer what is called "search engine optimization" services. One is "Submit It". Another viable option is to use a software program called Web Position Gold to help automate the process. But these options can cost a fair amount of money and you can do it yourself, just by visiting the major search engines and submitting your site.

This search engine optimization can be a fun game - it is exciting when you get better placement on the search engines. But it can be frustrating too. If you want to learn more about how it all works, go to: http://searchenginewatch.com. You'll find that entering keywords in your database to be very helpful in directing traffic to your site as well.

You want your keywords to be as specific as possible. Here are a couple of examples, based on www.BetterBicycling.com:

KEYWORDS:
pictures of bicyclists, bicycling photos, biking photography, photo tips for cyclists, bicycling images

TITLE
BetterBicycling.com - Where Bicycling and Photography meet

DESCRIPTION:
Come see some of the best images of bicycles, bicyclists, and bicycle enthusiasts. This photo gallery is a Deluxe Web Site offered by BetterPhoto.com - visit BetterPhoto.com to get your own Web site like this.

If the keywords were vague like "photos", "photography", etc. then too many other competing sites will come up when people search those terms. The site would never make it to page 1. So being as specific as possible is the name of the game.

Additionally, we offer tips for you right in your BetterPholio Admin Center to help you optimize your site to be found by people on the Internet. We also offer automatically built site maps that are tailored to Google and Yahoo. We offer step by step instructions for submitting those site maps to those search engines. That helps get your site indexed faster and increases your search engine rankings.

I hope all of this information helps!

Are you a happy BetterPholio owner? Help us get the word out about this great service. We make it quick and easy!

All you have to do is:

1. Sign in to your Deluxe Admin Center, and click the "Design" tab.

2. Click the "Display BetterPhoto Ads" link in the "Site Design Options" box.

3. Select the location and size of the ads you would like to display.

That's it! Three simple steps to sharing BP with the world.

You can also add a link to BetterPhoto in your Links page or do any number of other things to help us stay the world leader in photography sharing and education. To learn more, visit:
http://www.betterphoto.com/promoting_BP_pholios.asp

Technically you cannot. However, you can respond from your account email address and have it appear as though it's coming from your alias. If you prefer to keep your alias mail separate like this, using a free webmail service is a great way to go.I know that gmail and hotmail both allow you to set the from address of all emails going out. You could set the from address as your alias. This way your customers would have no idea that you were using a hotmail or gmail account for your business email.

The fact of the matter is that, since there are over 40 million Web sites out there - with everyone wanting their site to be found on the first page returned by the search engines - this is a very competitive and difficult thing to do. It is an art and it doesn't happen overnight. So be patient with yourself and give yourself some time - it can take about 4 to 6 weeks to get indexed on the major search engines even when you are actively promoting your site with them.

This search engine optimization can be a fun game - it is exciting when you get better placement on the search engines. But it can be frustrating too. If you want to learn more about how it all works, go to:

http://searchenginewatch.com/

This guy - Danny Sullivan - has many great articles on the subject. Some are for paying subscribers only but many are free to everyone.

Specifically, here is a good intro on keywords:

http://searchenginewatch.com/webmasters/meta.html

Another article on keywords that seems to be more general:

hrefhttp://www.searchenginewatch.com/searchday/02/sd0611-keywords.html

We also highly recommend signing up for the free monthly newsletter at the following site. Each issue seems to have at least one great article about search engine optimization. The software they sell is also very effective - I use it all the time:

http://www.web-positiongold.com/

And here is another excellent resource - this site keeps track of the most popular search phrases and indexes them according to how much competition there is. The idea is to find keyword phrases that are not on very many Web sites but searched for often. You can do a free trial run with them to try to get better suggestions for keywords:

http://www.wordtracker.com/

Once you have determined the best keywords, you can do some things in the BetterPholio Admin Center like add the best, most searched-after text. You can add good keywords to your site when you write your Welcome Blurb and Gallery Blurb. You can go even further by adding articles and/or a Wildcard page to your site. Having good keyword phrases in these text elements can help very much.

And then, don't forget to submit your site to the various search engines for indexing. Alternatively, you can buy paid listings with the search engine to get your site indexed faster, or use outsource services like "Submit It" to help.

One last thing you can do is to tell as many people as possible your domain name. Tell them to directly type this domain name into the location field of their browser. Explain to them that it can take some time for the search engines to properly index your site. Furthermore, you can use the "Tell a Friend/Recommend the Site" function to get the word out to as many people as you can. And don't forget to print your domain name on your business cards and promotional materials. These are some of the most effective ways to get traffic to your Web site.

Google provides free calendars and lets you edit them and then embed on your site.

Here are the instructions for adding it to your site. You would paste their code into one of your wildcard pages.

http://www.google.com/support/calendar/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=41207

We currently have a library of 80 songs for you to choose from in your music library and we are adding a few songs every week. It’s super easy to add or subtract music from your playlist with the new Music Finder.

Once you’ve logged into your BetterPholio Admin Center, choose your Photos tab and you will see the “Music Manager” link in the center box at the top. Click on that link. You will then see your different site categories: Home Page, Slide Show, etc. You can choose up to five different songs for each category. Do so by clicking on the edit icon next to each of your categories. You will then see boxes for your five different song choices for that particular category. Click the “Find Music” button to view your different song choices. You can preview each song before selecting it by clicking on the megaphone icon in your Music Finer. When you’ve made your choice, click on the “Select” button next to the song. This will add the song to your first song selection box. When you’re done selecting your music, hit the Update button at the bottom of that page. You can then move on to your next category and add music the same way!

Additionally, you are able to upload any properly licensed MP3 files now to your site in your Admin Center. Go to your Photos tab and choose the "Music Manager" link (middle box). Scroll to the bottom of that page and you will see a "click here" link that will give you instructions on how to do this.

1) Choose a photo from each of your BetterPholio galleries and make sure to jot down the Photo ID number for each. (Find the Photo ID number by hovering over the photo with your cursor - the number and picture title will then appear. Another method: By hovering over the photo, a long URL will appear at the bottom of your screen. Towards the end of the URL, it will say: photoid=xxxxxx.)

2) Next, go to your BetterPholio Admin Center.

3) In the Admin Center, click on Create/Update Categories.

4) In the Create/Update Categories section: Pick a gallery and click on the "Edit This Category" link, which puts you in the Update Category box.

5) In the Update Category box, look for "Thumbnail Photo ID", and type in your picture's ID number. Next, click on the Update Category button below ... and that's it!

Spam is incredibly annoying. Unfortunately since the alias is just forwarding email, we cannot add a spam filter to it. Members who don't like this spam have 3 options:
1) Request that we change your email alias
2) Request that we turn off your alias altogether if you do not use it
3) Leave everything as is, and delete spam as it comes in, or get a good spam filter

There is no way for us to stop the spam or track it down or prosecute the spammer. We wish there was something more we could do.

Your copyright name is determined by the name you enter in your BetterPhoto Member Center Contact Information under "First and Last Name". Go ahead and sign into your Member Center through the BetterPhoto.com® home page. Click on your "Member Info" tab and change your first and last name to reflect the name you would like displayed as your Copyright. This will update your copyright information on your BetterPholio.

In Internet Explorer, go to the Tools menu, select Internet Options, and then click the Delete Files button.

From your BetterPholio Admin Center, click on your "Update Parent Category" link. You will see your Parent Categories listed. Click on the "Edit this category" link for each. You will then see an "Update Subcategories" section where you are able to assign your Photo Categories to your Parent Categories. Remember, all of your Photo Categories must be assigned to a Parent Category. Once you do this, your photos should only appear in the categories to which they are assigned.

What you can do is create any size image in a digital image-editing software program. Then follow the instructions on the Home Page Graphic page of your BetterPholio Admin Center to upload this new graphic.

First of all, to create new categories with a password, click on "Create/Update Photo Categories" (second link under Images in your Admin Center). Scroll all the way down to the bottom of that page. Under "Create a New Category" there is a box at the bottom entitled "Category Password". This is where you create your passwords for each new category.

Now, to add passwords to your existing categories, click on "Create/Update Photo Categories" again. Here you will see your existing categories. Click on "Edit this category". A box will come up and you will notice the last white box is entitled "Category Password". This is where you create your passwords for each of your existing categories.

Just remember, passwords are case sensitive.

From your Admin Center, click on the "basic hit counter" link. Delete all of the text in the box and this will remove your hit counter.

You can’t hide the Bravenet counter and still be able to use it. Your best bet, if you want to obtain statistics for your website, is to setup a Google Analytics account and remove the Bravenet counter. The instructions for setting up Google Analytics are located at your Admin Center > Pro Features > Pro Statistics.

After you have set up your PayPal account, use your "Update Product Categories" link in your Admin Center to set up your different Product Categories (i.e. 8x10 glossy, 5x7 framed, etc.). Once you have done that you can move to the "Make Photo Products" link to add your pricing information. Your images will only appear for sale on your site after you have associated a price with a particular image.

1. Go to the "Photo Manager" link under your Photos tab.

2. At the top of that page you will see a "Find Your Photos" box. Here you can find the specific photos you are looking to categorize. Search by using the drop down menus in that box. Once you have searched for the photos you are looking for, go back to the top of this page. You will see four buttons there. Choose which view you would like to use (I recommend using your "Full Details" button at first). You will then see the photos you searched for and all their details.

3. If you have not defined any custom categories, select the box next to "All Photos" and hit the Apply Changes button at the bottom of the page. If you have defined categories, check the box next to the particular category you wish to have that photo assigned.

From your BetterPholio Admin Center click on the "basic hit counter" link and follow the instructions there to set up your free hit counter from Bravenet. Once you have finished this process, the hit counter will appear on your home page.

There are two little checkboxes on the Contact admin pages in the Member Center / BetterPholio Admin Center that allow you to hide your address and/or phone number from the public eye. By checking these boxes, you keep that information from being displayed.

ALERT - BEFORE SENDING: Be sure to delete the space between the "<" and the "img" at the beginning of the coding below ... for this auto, the space must be there, otherwise our html-sensitive site will convert to a red X ... But if the member uses the coding with the space, then it won't work for them! :-)

To insert a picture in any text box on your BetterPholio pages, you will need to add this HTML code:

< img src=" IMAGE URL HERE ">

To find an image's URL, right click the photo and select "Properties" from the drop down menu. Insert that URL in the code above where it says IMAGE URL HERE.

If you have any more questions, please do not hesitate to let me know. Thanks!

All you need to know is some basic HTML. But is it is very important that you do it right - doing it wrong could cause major problems.

1. Grab the URL and the name of the link that you want to post.
2. Type in

a less than symbol <
a href=
a quotation mark
your URL
another quotation mark
a greater than symbol >
your name of the link
a less than symbol <
a forward slash
the letter a
a greater than symbol >

so it should look like this:

http://www.yourURL.com

Important: Do not include any line breaks within the code. i.e. don't hit return or enter as you are typing in the code.

Log into your BetterPholio Admin Center. Choose your Photos tab. Click on the "Update Category Sort Order" link. Then just drag and drop your categories into the order you wish, then click the Update Sort Order button.

There are a few initial steps to set up your statistics service. From your BetterPholio Admin Center, go to the Pro Features tab and click on the "Google Analytics Setup" link. From there click to show Notes/Instructions and then the expanded tutorial link at the top. Once you have followed all those steps, there is roughly a 24 hour waiting period before your statistic reports will start showing data. After initial setup, click on the "Advanced: Google Analytics" link in the Pro Features tab of your Admin Center to view your site statistics reports.

Yes, we set you up with an email alias. Any email sent to YourFirstName@YourDomainName.com will direct to your main email account (the one you use to sign in).

Domain People is the company that registers all of the domain names for the BetterPholios hosted by BetterPhoto.com®. Unfortunately their system defaults to sending out one reminder email to all BetterPholio owners. You can disregard this email, once your domain name is renewed through BetterPhoto.com, you are all set.

The Updater Access allows you to edit information from the front end of your site. Once turned on, you will see links below your large photo view that allows you to edit the title or category for your images directly on your site.

I hope this helps!

Once your site expires and has not been renewed, it is archived on our servers for a certain amount of time, but your domain name does expire. It is placed in an inactive state where we cannot renew it. It will come up for sale in 30-60 days from expiration to the public. We could try to renew it when it comes up for sale again, but there is a good chance it could be bought by another party first. You do have the option to choose another available domain name for your site, however.

1. Log into your Member Center from BetterPhoto's home page by using your email address and password.

2. Click on the "Admin Center" link under your "Premium BetterPholio" tab of your Member Center.

3. Select the "Upload New Photos" link under your Photos tab. We offer a bulk uploader that allows you to upload 50 images at a time. This is the fastest way for you to upload multiple images.

4. Select the camera you are using and select which category you would like your uploaded images assigned to with the handy drop down menu. Also, decide whether you want your photos to be public or private. You also have the choice to use your filenames as image titles and to add a watermark to your images. Then click the bottom box to indicate you've read and agree to our Terms and Conditions. Then click the "Go to the Upload Page" button.

5. You will then be in the bulk image uploader. Follow the instructions on the top of this page to upload your photos. Then click the "Send" button. A status box will appear and then you will get a box indicating your photos have been uploaded to your site. Click the "Ok". You will then see a page showing you your uploaded images. This is your Photo Manager page. You can title your images, enter a description for them, delete them altogether or decide whether or not you want them displayed in your free member gallery as well as your BetterPholio, or just your BetterPholio.

Alternatively you can use our single uploader system by:
1. Using the Photos tab, then choosing the "Upload New Photos" link in your BetterPholio Admin Center.
2. Scroll to the bottom of that page and you will see a link to our Single Image Uploader.
3. Choose the number of images you would like to upload (up to 15 at a time) and whether your images will be Public or Private. Then hit the "Go to the Upload Page" button.

The first thing you may need to do is adjust your spam filters. Often times spam filters incorrectly block these forwarded messages, so you should adjust your spam filter settings either on your computer or with your ISP to allow these messages to get through.

1. Go to the "Photo Manager" link under your Photos tab in your Admin Center and find the photo in question using the box at the top of this page.
2. Then uncheck the box next to the category you don't want that image displayed in.
3. Then hit the "Apply Changes" button. This will remove it from that category.

As you noticed, we have been working on getting larger images for the BetterPholio web sites. This has been a huge request from many site owners. We understand that for smaller screen resolutions vertical images can require scrolling to see them all. Because of that, we added a function so that you can choose to display smaller vertical orientated images that match what they previously were (Admin Center->Photos tab->Gallery Options link->Photo Size area). This gives you, the site owner, the choice. The larger landscape images do not require scrolling (unless screen resolution is extremely small) so they will remain a little larger.

Your Photo Products will only appear next to an image if you have designated a price for them. To do this, use your "Make Photo Products" link in your Admin Center.

In order to have your image size descriptions show up on your sales pages, you will need to fill in the blurb area for each Product Category using your "Update Photo Categories" link in your Admin Center.

Titles and Descriptions don't display for home page images, although text can be added to the home page using the Welcome Blurb link in your Admin Center. Depending on the design chosen, the welcome blurb will show up in different places on your home page.

This is happening because you have uploaded the image multiple times and the winning version of your image is not the one selected for display. All you need to do is to:
1. First identify the winning photoID # - this is the 5 or 6 digit number you see in the URL when looking at the enlarged view of an image.
2. Use this number to locate the correct photo in your BetterPholio Admin Center (using the "Select and Categorize Photos" link).
3. Set the winning image to display in a category and set the other image to "Exclude from this site".

If you are having trouble with the bulk upload process, you can still use our previous single image uploader. You will see links to this on the first upload page.
Please email the following info: Mac/PC, operating system, browser version, image format to amy@betterphoto.com. That information will get passed onto our development team. The bulk upload process works on most system configurations and we are working to expand compatibility as much as possible. Until then, you can continue uploading photoswith our single image uploader.

Betterphoto.com is on a secure server. Once you have items in your cart and you are at your checkout page, you will find that we have security via Thawte. Our certification is clearly noted with an icon and also you will see the typical web lock that denotes a secure server.

Thanks so much for your interest in our online PhotoCourses.

I am unable to convert that foreign exchange rates for you. Your credit card company will automatically convert the charges when you order via a credit card. Also, you can check on the conversion rate via: http://www.exchangerate.com/ .

From the BetterPhoto homepage, hover over the blue Learn Photography tab, and select Bookstore from the drop-down menu. Scroll down this page until you see the Gift Card icon. Click on this and you'll be brought to the checkout page.

Please note that we do not ship internationally, so please provide an email address in the Additional Comments field at checkout that we can send the gift card code to. This can be you or the recipient - just specify which.

Yes! We can email you or the recipient with the gift card code that they can use at checkout.

Please be sure you have the correct billing address upon ordering. You could also
check with your credit card company for more information.

This may be a problem with your card code. The card code on a Visa is the last 3 digits in "italics" on the back of your card, often in the signature field.

If you continue to have declined messages, you may want to call your credit card company for more information.

YES! Here's an overview on Basic Memberships:
http://www.betterphoto.com/members.asp

#1 100%, No Risk, No Hassle 30-day Guarantee: If you aren't completely thrilled with Jim's Masterpiece Membership, simply let us know and you can get a full refund. And like everything at BetterPhoto, this guarantee is straightforward. You won't find in teeny, tiny fine print. You don't need a note from your mother. If you aren't happy, simply ask and you'll get an immediate, 100% refund. Period. Take a month to look it over. Read the newsletters. Try the assignments. Listen to the teleseminars. Most importantly, use what you learn and start making some masterpieces! Put it to work until you begin to see a great improvement both in the quality of your photography and your personal enjoyment level. If you are not totally elated with the Masterpiece Membership or the results, Jim insists that you get a prompt and cheerful refund. And get this... you can even keep the free Welcome Kit and the newsletters that you have received, just as a gift for trusting Jim and his Masterpiece Membership system. He's that confident you'll love this program. Joining this elite group either makes you a better photographer, producing masterpieces - or you pay nothing, and walk away with the free gifts.

#2 Masterpiece Maker One Year Guarantee: You will be making masterpieces - images that continue to inspire you for years to come. Like a classic movie, you will return to these images with more and more appreciation over time (rather than less and less). Jim is so sure of his techniques (as well as the fellowship we all receive in the Membership), so confident that you will be producing winning images, he is willing to make you an unheard of guarantee. As long as you do the assignments and apply at least one of big principles you learn on a consistent basis, you will be confidently producing at least one Masterpiece Photo each month. Be like Ansel. Make it happen. With the Masterpiece Membership, YOU CAN!

#3 Guarantee of Exceptional Support: We also stand by our customer service. You will never feel alone. You will never be left out in the cold. Masterpiece Members with questions about making great photos will be given a direct, toll-free number and are invited to call Jim's team and get help. This special "concierge" service line will be open Monday through Friday from 8:30am to 4:30pm Pacific time. You can also reach us 24 hours a day with our special, members-only Concierge email address and fax line. Email us or fax us at anytime and you'll get prompt, respectful, and courteous service - the kind of treatment you deserve!

Students who have spent time with Jim on a workshop, in an online class, or at one of our BetterPhoto Summits know he is a professional who creates balance with a special combination of seasoned professionalism and friendship. He has built BetterPhoto from a place of integrity, with a focus on goal setting and creative excellence. That's why we can make these guarantees to you. Jim and the entire Masterpiece team stands by our offer to support you in your goals and provide inspiration and guidance.

Learn more about the Masterpiece Membership program here:
http://www.betterphoto.com/Masterpiece-Membership/

Frequently Asked Questions for Masterpiece Membership:
http://www.betterphoto.com/Masterpiece-Membership/faqs.asp

You would need to access your MVBP discount by signing onto your Member Center and going to the My Courses tab, and then scrolling down to the MVBP Rewards area (in gold lettering). Enroll here by clicking on either the 4 or 8 week course links.

To enroll in one of the courses using your MVBP discount, you will need to enroll via the MVBP section of your My Courses page.

How to Enroll:
In your Member Center, click on the My Courses tab. From here, scroll down to the bottom of the page where you will see the MVBP announcement in gold lettering. You will see: "You've Earned MVBP Rewards!"

Click on either the "8 week" or "4 week" links to see the listing of classes available. You will need to choose from the courses shown on these pages to receive the discount. Click on the "Enroll" link to redeem your award and complete the payment process.

Note: A special discount code will be automatically applied to your course order and the discount will be taken off of your enrollment fee. The 50% discount, though, will show up at Check-out (not on the Shopping Cart page).

We allow only a certain number of MBVP students to enroll in each class, each session, so if you don't see your class listed, another student has already enrolled in that spot. If this is the case, you can choose a different class, or you can wait and check later in a future session for the specific class you want.

Hope this answers your questions. Please feel free to email back with any questions.

We have just one MVBP spot per course session, so once that spot is taken this course will no longer be listed for MVBP enrollment. You can always check the next session by clicking on the link in the top middle of the page to view the next session's offerings, and most probably you will find the course you want there!

Sorry for any confusion on the MVBP Reward. You are correct - when you first click on the Enroll link in your MVBP course area, it says that the course is full price, but there will also be an MVBP discount code visible. When you then click on Proceed to Checkout, fill in your payment information and then click on Proceed to Order Summary you will see the discounted amount before clicking on the final button to submit your order.

To have newsletters go to different email - totally separate from your usual BP sign-in - then you would need to sign up as a "new" member. At upper right of any BetterPhoto page, click on Join - or if signed in already, click on Sign Out and then Join. With that second email address, you can then subscribe to newsletters at this page: http://www.betterphoto.com/subscribe.asp: And if you don't want to receive the newsletters at your original email (your main sign-in), then you must go the unsubscribe route: (sign in with original email/password to Member Center > Member Info and unsubscribe at bottom of the page).

You can be assured that we do not share email addresses of our members. Here is a copy of our privacy policy:

BetterPhoto's Privacy Policy
BetterPhoto.com does not sell our members' email addresses or personal information. All information submitted to BetterPhoto.com is not to be sold or used in any way that violates your right to privacy. Upon registration as a BetterPhoto member, email addresses are collected for the purpose of answering questions and responding to visitors.
BetterPhoto.com does not endorse or tolerate unsolicited sales emails through our automated contact forms. Individuals or companies may not email BetterPhoto members through our contact forms, Q&A, or any BetterPhoto discussions.

BetterPhoto.com cannot serve as an enforcer or investigator in possible scam cases. Nor can we take on the role of intermediary between buyer and seller. If you are the victim of a scam, also inform your local authorities.

Change your sign-in email to the new address. Sign in to Member Center > Member Info > Contact Info ... then change the email. That new email would apply not only to receiving newsletters but also for signing into the site for courses, Member Center, Forum, contest, etc.

Here is a link where you can subscribe to all 4 of our free newsletters:

http://www.betterphoto.com/subscribe.asp

You can unsubscribe to newsletters in two ways: 1) In the emailed newsletter, look for the Unsubscribe link at the bottom of the page; or 2) Sign in to your Member Center > Member Info tab, and at the bottom of the page is an Unsubscribe link.

All images for the Photo of the Day newsletter are chosen from contest entries throughout the month - BEFORE the contest finalists and winners are chosen. The Judges at BetterPhoto make the selections. A Photo of the Day, however, does not guarantee a contest win or finalist. It's just us saying "Wow! Great photo!"

In order to get a good balance of photos over a period of days and weeks - i.e., "traditional," digital art, color, black and white, landscapes, details, animals, etc. - some of the pictures are "held over" to future months. Thus, although some photos may have a "contest finalist/winner" award attached to it, those particular images were chosen for POTD status BEFORE the final contest judging.

At times, we will send out a membership email with promotions or exciting news.If you wish to cancel your BetterPhoto membership, please email bpsupport@betterphoto.com

Most people reviewing past POTD images just want to see the photo itself, which still appears in its large size on the page. Even if it was replaced by a new upload - not an easy tech task - the original discussion still wouldn't be there. The main thing is that the photo still appears on the page itself ( i.e., no weird blank space or red X) for those people going back through the archives.

Be sure to add Snapshot@betterphoto.com to your allowed list.

Unfortunately, we are unable to send you the error message directly.

Photo of the Day is BetterPhoto's daily e-newsletter. Images are selected - by BP's judges - from contest entries. Other than that, the POTD is totally separate from the regular judging of the monthly contest, and all POTD images remain in the contest. Here's link to our newsletter page, where you can check out all of our newsletters (and subscribe for free!):
http://www.betterphoto.com/subscribe.asp

Thanks for your interest in BetterPhoto!

There is a second step to the newsletter subscribing: You needed to respond to an automated email in order to activate your subscription.

You can try increasing your screen resolution with these steps:

1.Open Display in Control Panel.

2.On the Settings tab, under Screen resolution, drag the slider, and then click Apply.

3.When prompted to apply the settings, click OK. Your screen will turn black for a moment.

4.Once your screen resolution changes, you have 15 seconds to confirm the change. Click Yes to confirm the change; click No or do nothing to revert to your previous setting.

Note:To open Display, click Start, click Control Panel, click Appearance and Themes, and then click Display. A higher screen resolution reduces the size of items on your screen and increases the relative space on your desktop.

Some email programs will not display images in email unless you click a separate link. That may be what is occurring here.

Please be sure that you have added our email address to your contact form with your email provider to avoid a soft bounce with BetterPhoto newsletters. You will want to be sure to add Snapshot@betterphoto.com to your allowed list

Note-*We have found with other members that the newsletter address can be marked as spam by your email program, the address may appear in the folder: blocked addresses. Blocked addresses have priority in your spam settings. If our address is on that list it won't even be delivered to your spam folder.

If you are still getting the email notifications when there is activity on your discussions and questions at BetterPhoto, this means that, for some reason, only the newsletter is being blocked. If you have spam filtering software or size restrictions, this could be causing the email to be filtered before it gets to you. If this is not the case, please send an email to bpsupport@betterphoto.com and we will check to see if your emails are bouncing.

All photos uploaded to our site are the sole property of the photographer, so you would need to contact the photographer of any image you are interested in purchasing.

If the photographer owns a Deluxe or Pro BetterPholio website, you can contact them by clicking on the image and then to the Discuss link below the image. If they are not a website owner, then you will not be able to contact them unless you become a Basic Member yourself for $49 per year.
This is the only option we have for you to contact a particular photographer as we do not provide email addresses of our members.

Because of the comprehensive lessons provided, there is no required reading for any of our online photography ourses. However, we do have suggested, related reading materials listed on every course description page. On those pages, you will see a photo of the suggested reading in the lower right hand corner.

All of these reading materials are available for sale in our BetterPhoto store.

http://www.betterphoto.com/store.asp

Better than that, you get feedback on your photos! With our online photography courses, you will receive rich, informative lessons, inspiring assignments, and feedback on your images from professional photographers. Click the graphic below to learn more about how our courses work:

While your assignment is not graded in the traditional sense (A-F), you will receive professional, insightful written critiques on your assignment images.

Yes, we have a sample lesson from Jim Zuckerman's Developing Your Creative Artistic Vision class at:

http://www.betterphoto.com/photocourses/_samples/JimZuckerman14_07.asp

We also have a sample from Better Exposure: How to Meter Light by Sean Arbabi:

http://www.betterphoto.com/photocourses/_samples/SeanArbabi01_03.asp

The lessons you see may appear a little different but this should give you a good idea of how they look.

For more information on how our courses work, take an illustrated tour:

Also, many general questions about our online courses are answered here:

http://www.betterphoto.com/photocourses/GENqna.asp

Let us know if you have further questions.

Many of our students are film photographers who enjoy the benefits of our online photography courses. As a result, a number of courses are open to both digital and film cameras, although some are designed specifically for digital. Most of the digital-only classes are self-explanatory - i.e., they cover a specific digital camera or digital SLRs in general. The best approach is to check the requirements section for a specific class. If you do use film, you will need to get your photos onto your computer to be able to upload them to your campus square. You can have your photos put on a CD by your photo lab, or you can scan the slides or negatives if you have a scanner. Then you will be able to upload your photos from your computer using the BetterPhoto image uploader.

Click the graphic below to learn more about how our courses work:

Find individual classes and learn about their requirements by browsing the categories in our Courses section:

http://www.betterphoto.com/online-photography-courses.asp

No, when taking one of our photography courses, you do not need to be online at any specific time. The lessons are sent to your email and you are also provided the Campus Square - where you interact with your classmates and instructor. This is also where you upload your photos to be critiqued by your instructor. The instructors are very punctual and respond quickly

Give your favorite photographer something really special. Gift Cards offer a flexible way for you to gift a variety of BetterPhoto gifts to the photography enthusiasts in your life. Order a beautiful Betterphoto.com Gift Card for your favorite photographer! To learn more, visit: http://www.betterphoto.com/gifts.asp. Gift cards are packaged on professional stationary and can be delivered to you or the recipient.

At this time we do not offer grants or scholarships for our online photography, but we encourage you to inquire with your local or state government for grants that may support online learning.

Incidentally, many students have pre-arranged with their employer to take one a photo class that is related to their work. In those cases, the students use their BetterPhoto Certificate of Completion to receive reimbursement for course fees.

Yes! We are confident that you will fully enjoy our courses. All the same, for our 8-week classes, we offer a 100% money-back guarantee before the Wednesday that Lesson #3 is sent out. If for any reason, you are not satisfied and let us know that you would like to withdraw before the Wednesday that Lesson #3 is sent, you will be promptly refunded.

For our 4-week courses, we offer a 100% money back guarantee before the Wednesday that Lesson #2 is sent out from BetterPhoto. If for any reason you are not satisfied and you let the ordering department know that you would like to withdraw before the Wednesday that Lesson #2 is sent, you will be refunded within 7 days. After the second lesson has been sent out, no refunds will be given.

We do offer a downloadable, printable Certificate of Completion to those students who complete 7 of the 8 assignments for our 8 week classes, or 3 of the 4 assignments for our 4 week classes.

Our online photography courses are very interactive but do not require you to be at your computer at any given time. This allows for great flexibility as well as an exciting and efficient way to learn photography. The lessons are sent to your email each Wednesday. Along with your fellow classmates and your instructor, you are also provided a "Campus Square". In this area, Q&A, Student Introduction, Lesson Archives ,and Notes from Instructor sections provide tools for dynamic interaction with the instructor and other students. The Campus Square is also where you and your classmates upload your photos to be critiqued by your instructor. If you have further questions about your assignment or critiques you are able to ask your instructor at any time. The instructors are very punctual and respond quickly. For your assignments in an 8-week course you have 11 days to complete your assignment, however it is okay if you are late or have something come up in your busy life, just let your instructor know.

Click the graphic below to learn more about how our courses work:

Our online course format allows much flexibility with the amount of time needed for the course completion. Thus the reason why our courses are so popular, they fit the busy schedules and time constraints that most of the students face.

We do suggest that you allow between 2-5 hours for the lesson and assignment each week. However, spending further time within the course forums, the Q&A, reading the critiques and corresponding with fellow classmates can take up more time. If time outside of the lessons and assignments are an issue, the course campus squares remain open for some time after the course ends. You can spend that time catching up on the critiques, the QnA and any other tidbits of information you may have missed during the course.

Also, we are able to send out lessons in advance for students with special circumstances (i.e. vacation, business travel, etc).

Many of our students are busy working individuals, like yourself, who realize that our online photography course format allows great flexibility. The lessons are sent out on Wednesdays with the assignments due 1 1/2 weeks later for 8 week courses (11 days to complete the assignment) and the following Wednesday (7 days to complete the assignment) for the 4 week courses. We usually recommend that students set aside 3-5 hours of work for each lesson/assignment. Also, we are able to send out lessons in advance for students with special circumstances ( i.e. vacation, business travel, etc).

The benefit of having our photography ourses being in an online format is that they are available to a world wide audience. As long as you have internet access, you have the ability to take our courses.

Click the graphic below to learn more about how our courses work:

Yes! As long as the session is still listed open for enrollment, you may still join the class. Many students join after the start date without feeling behind. With our 4-week classes, you have until the following Wednesday to complete the first assignment. With our 8-week long classes, you have until the second Sunday. Either way, there is plenty of time to catch up.

While we are always happy to work with you to be enrolled in a session that works best with your schedule, enrollment for a current session will end about 5 days after the session began. After this date, you can enroll for upcoming sessions, as the course curriculum repeats the first Wednesday of each month.

We are always happy to assist you with your schedule and finding the course that meets your needs.

For our 8-week classes, we offer a 100% money-back guarantee before the Wednesday that Lesson #3 is sent out. If for any reason, you are not satisfied and let us know that you would like to withdraw before the Wednesday that Lesson #3 is sent out, you will be promptly refunded.

For our 4-week courses, we offer a 100% money back guarantee before the Wednesday that Lesson #2 is sent out from Betterphoto. If for any reason you are not satisfied and you let the ordering department know that you would like to withdraw before the Wednesday that Lesson #2 is sent, you will be refunded within 7 days. After the second lesson has been sent out, no refunds will be given. Read more about our "Better Than Money Back Guarantee" here:
http://www.betterphoto.com/better-than-guarantee.asp
.

We always recommend that you consider a 4 Week camera specific course to get to know your gear. Then, when you are ready, you can dive into an 8 week course. Our courses offer an online learning experience that provides each student the skills necessary to not only master their tools, but to develop a way of seeing and fulfilling their potential as photographers and artists.

Here is a link to our CameraCourses:
http://www.betterphoto.com/online-photo-course-categories.asp?ai=88

Eight-week courses: These online classes generally cover far-reaching subject areas in more depth. An advantage to 8-week courses is that they take a more leisurely approach, with students and instructor having more time to get to know each other. As the weeks go by, each 8-week course turns into a friendly and motivating learning community!

Four-week classes: These short online courses are designed for more specialized subjects. Our 4-week courses are fun, fast, and to the point ... ideal if you have a busy life and a busy schedule. Expect a short and exciting session that's filled with information and inspiration!

Naturally, course content is a major factor in choosing between a 4-week and 8-week course. So, for a quick rundown of topics, be sure to check out the course outline (found on the individual sales page for each course).

Like you, many of our members want to get the right gear before they invest in an online course and choosing a camera can be overwhelming with all the equipment available. Some of these considerations are personal, and depend on what you hope to get out of your photography.
We have created the Digital Camera Calculator to help make the decision a little easier. Check out this quick link:

http://www.betterphoto.com/digital/camera-calculator.asp

If you are currently a Basic Member, then another wonderful resource is the vast experience of our BetterPhoto members in our BetterPhoto Forum. Here you can search the discussions, or post a specific question. Once you enroll in a course you will be able to participate in our forum.

We are happy to send lessons in advance, however, once you receive lesson 3, you will be voiding our money back guarantee:

"We are confident that you will fully enjoy the course. All the same, we offer a 100% money back guarantee before the Wednesday that Lesson #3 is sent out. If for any reason, you are not satisfied and let us know that you would like to withdraw before the Wednesday that Lesson #3 is sent out, you will be promptly refunded."

We are happy to accommodate requests for early lessons. (Exceptions are for brand-new classes in which the instructor may still be writing the lessons.)

If you would like a lesson in advance, please contact us with a reminder a day or two before lessons are needed.

No you do not need to purchase a membership to participate in our courses. With your course enrollment you have a membership that allows you to enter our contest and participate in our forum.

We encourage you to ask your question via the Q&A Forum in the Campus Square. That way, all of the others in your class will be able to benefit from the answer. It's very likely that you are not the only one with that question. Also, other students may be able to share their thoughts on the question, in addition to the instructor.

If you need to contact the instructor privately, the best way to to go the Students tab, then click the Student Contact Info link. Contact the instructor using the link at the bottom of the page.

You can edit your titles or descriptions for your course images (or delete them) right in Campus Square. Simply click on the Photos tab. Then, for assignment images, click on the Update link to the right of Your Photos.

Or, for Portfolio pics, click on Update next to Your Portfolio.

The best way to edit your titles or descriptions for your course Portfolio images (or delete them) is by using the "Update" link next to the "Your Portfolio" link in the Photos tab of your Campus Square.

Upon uploading for a lesson assignment, all photos will appear in the Light Box of Campus Square (click on Photos tab). When a classmate comments on one of your photos or the instructor reviews your picture, you will be emailed an automatic notification. Your photo - with comments or critiques - will then appear in the Photo Critiques section of the Campus Square.

You can enter existing images into the Campus Square by using the photo id numbers. To find the photo id #'s, sign in to your Member Center, click on the "Better Photos" tab, and then click on Edit Your Photos link. You'll see the photo ID# under the particular thumbnail pics.

Open up a separate browser window, sign onto your BetterPhoto membership again and then:

>GoTo My Courses tab and click on course title link to enter your Campus Square
> Photos tab
> Upload New Photos.

At the bottom of the first uploading page, click on Alternate Image Uploader.

On the image uploader page, enter the # of images you will be uploading to this lesson, and select the assignment number (or Portfolio).

Click on Continue.

Now, copy and paste the photo id#'s into the small field to the right of the file name field. You do not need to enter title, etc., as it is already attached to the image.

Now click on Submit Your Photo and this image will be copied from your gallery to whatever you had designated (Portfolio or assignment).

To enroll in one of the courses using your MVBP discount, you will need to enroll via the MVBP section of your My Courses page. Go to >Member Center >My Courses tab. From here, scroll down to the MVBP announcement in gold lettering. You will need to choose from the courses available in either the 8 or 4 week links here, and enroll from these pages to receive the discount. Unfortunately we are not able to offer every course at this discount. Please feel free to email us with any questions.

Here are some step-by-step instructions for uploading a self-portrait to your course:

Sign in to your Campus Square > Lounge > Student Introductions > Introduce Yourself

Select "1" from the pull down to upload a portrait. Then click Submit. You will then be at the Uploading Images page and click the Browse button. Your computer files will appear. Select the appropriate file where your images are stored. Double-click on the image you want to upload. The file will automatically transfer to our upload page. Fill in the title, select a camera, and click the Submit button.

Here are some step-by-step instructions for uploading to your PhotoCourse:

Sign in to your Campus Square. Click the Photos tab > Upload Photos link.

Next, you will have two options:

Default Drag/Drop Uploader:

• Select the camera you used.
• Agree to Terms and Conditions and click on Submit.
• You will now be at the Drag/Drop Uploader page (Note: if this is your first upload with the Drag/Drop Uploader, you will be asked to install image uploader software. Proceed with the prompts to install).
• Your page will now display your files on your computer.
• Select the file where your images are stored, they should then appear in the upper right hand box (to the right of your computer files).
• Simply drag and drop your images into the lower right hand box, there is no need to have resized your images.
• Click the Title/Description link to name photos. Separate Title and Description by "@@" to add both during upload.
• Finally, hit the send button.

Check the Mac requirements at the bottom of the main uploading page. If you are having trouble with the Drag/Drop Uploader, we suggest you use the Alternate Image Uploader.

Alternate Image Uploader option:

• Click on the link at the bottom of the main uploading page (i.e., the first page that appears when clicking on Upload New Photos in Campus Square).
• Select the # of photos you are uploading and click on submit.
• You will then be at the image upload page.
• Click on browse.
• Your computer files will appear ... select the appropriate file where your images are stored.
• Double click on the image you want to upload.
• Fill in title and description info.
• Select a camera.
• Hit submit.
• Your image should upload perfectly if the images are sized correctly.

As long as you maintain current BetterPhoto membership, the Campus Square is accessible for 12 months after the course ends. Although the instructor will no longer be available in your course, you will be able to spend time catching up on the critiques, the Q&A, lessons and any other tidbits of information you may have missed during the course.

As soon as the lessons are sent out to the class, they are then posted for viewing in the course campus square>Lesson Archives.

That's okay. Our instructors are happy to accept late assignments, and they will still provide critiques. Please let your instructor know that you will be late with your assignments as soon as you can, either by going to the Q&A area of your Campus Square, or by sending him/her a private email. You can find your instructor's email address at the end of every lesson.

Also, if you will be submitting assignments after your course closes, you will need to let your instructor know by email that you have, since they will no longer be automatically notified that they have an assignment to critique.

The Portfolio is simply a place for students to upload current or previous work. At the end of the course, we look back at your Portfolio images, comparing them to your new work. It provides an excellent first-hand way to see your progress in the course.

Sometimes, using special characters or symbols will cause the survey to fail when upon uploading. It is easy to check on the status of your survey. From your Campus Square, click on My Course > your upcoming course > Students > Your Survey. If your survey is incomplete, you can resubmit.

One hint when filling out any forms or surveys: As a suggestion, keep a Notepad or Word document open, with copied and pasted text before you submit your form.

This problem sometimes happens when one's email-reading software uses a Web technology called "frames". Hotmail and Yahoo are two email services that often use frames. This can cause problems with signing in but fortunately, there is a way around it.

Simply select, highlight, and copy the link instead of clicking on it in your email program. Then paste it into the location field of your Web browser and hit the Enter or Return key on your keyboard. This should allow you to get where you want to be.

You need to upload it with the BetterPhoto image uploader pages, here's a link to a tour of your member center:

http://www.betterphoto.com/tour-member-center-1.asp

Thank you for your question regarding selling photos from your gallery at BetterPhoto.com. We have great options for image sales in our Web Hosting packages. Here is a link to where you can learn more about these exciting features:

http://www.betterphoto.com/sites4photogs.asp

If you have further questions, please don't hesitate to email or call our Toll-free order processing line: 1-888-927-9992

Unfortunately, due to the very large volume of images,we will not be able to back track and apply the Editor's Picks emblem to past chosen images. From this point on, the emblem on Editor's Picks should appear on the applicable images in your gallery. We hope that you enjoy this new feature on the BetterPhoto site!

We find that the best way to get feedback on your images is to give feedback to other members. When you respond to images or post questions or answers in the Forum, your name is a visible link back to your photos. Also, you can always just ask for feedback from members by starting a discussion on your own image. The Forum is located in your Member Center under the Discussions/Q&A Tab.

Once uploaded, you can start a discussion on your photo by clicking the "Discuss this photo" link under the photo.

All photos uploaded to our site are the sole property of the photographer, so you would need to contact the photographer of any image you are interested in purchasing.

If the photographer owns a Deluxe or Pro BetterPholio website, you can contact them by clicking on the image and then to the Discuss link below the image. If they are not a website owner, then you will not be able to contact them unless you become a Basic Member yourself for $49 per year.

This is the only option we have for you to contact a particular photographer as we do not provide email addresses of our members.

When there is a comment on your photo, you should receive an email notification with a link to your photo critique. Here you can post your response to your classmate's or instructor's comment. Simply click the "respond to this critique" link at the bottom of the photo.

If you see any of your images used without permission, you will want to contact the owner of the gallery and possibly the site owner as well, i.e. flickr, to have them removed. Even though you have uploaded photos to BetterPhoto you they are still under your ownership and copyright. Many times people do this without knowing it is wrong and will quickly accommodate you as the copyright owner when the issue is brought to their attention.

As soon as any comments have been made on your images, you will receive an automated email with a link to review the comments. Also, you can double check on any discussions/Q&A in your Member Center:

Sign In > My Discussions/Q&A tab

We offer image protection on the larger versions of images. This prohibits people from copying photos directly from your gallery, although there are ways around that. However, the size of the thumbnail images in your gallery are small enough that if someone copied them, the quality for printing would be extremely poor. Also, unfortunately, a determined thief could find their way around the right click protection, particularly on a Mozilla browser.
A feature we have recently added for your image protection is the ability to automatically watermark to your photos before uploading to your gallery to prohibit unauthorized copying.

The truth of the matter is that the benefits of publishing and promoting your work on the Web far outweigh these potential risks.

We are not aware of any pages that don't load properly in Firefox. If you should happen to encounter any issues while using our site in any browser, we'd certainly make every effort to fix the problem. We are confident that they can be addressed and resolved as quickly as possible.

You can shorten the URL to your BetterPholio by assigning a "nickname". To make a nickname for your BetterPholio, simply sign in to your Member Center. Then go to My Member Info > Contact Info > Nickname

At this time, due to the thousands of images uploaded to our site every day, we are only able to categorize contest finalists and winners into the "Subject of Photo" galleries. Whenever possible, BetterPhoto staff categorizes the pool of finalist images from the contest into the many categories on this page:

http://www.betterphoto.com/galleryTOCDynoSub.asp?cat=541

To turn email notifications on or off, sign in to your Member Center > My Discussions/Q&A tab where you will see all of the discussions and Q&A you have taken part in. You will also see on/off buttons to turn on/off select discussions or question threads.

If you would like to turn ALL discussions or questions off or on, look for the link under each list of threads.

Also, when initially responding to a discussion on an image, there is a small check box asking you whether or not you would like to be notified when comments continue to be made.

If you do not want notification, be sure to uncheck the box.

Only BetterPhoto members can upload photos for discussion. Once you are either a Basic or Masterpiece member (or a student or Deluxe/Pro Web site owner), you can submit a photo to the discussions page via your Member Center.

Sometimes your session will time-out when you are entering data into a Web page. Unfortunately, there is no way to change the default 20-minute limit. When I am working on anything for a long time, I copy and paste what I wrote, and try to submit the page. If I get the sign in page, I sign in, then hit the browser's Back button a few times until I get back to the page I was on, refresh the page, and paste in what I wrote so I can try to submit a second time.

The small images that appear next to your name in discussion threads are called Mini-Pics and you can add or change them in your Member Center.

Sign in to your Member Center > My Member Info > Mini-Pic > Update Mini-Pic

From there you can either:

Option One: Select a Mini-Pic From the Choices

Option Two: Upload Your Own Mini-Pic

You can also use one of your own images. Note: Your photo will be cropped to a square 75x75 pixels. Use a small square image for best results. First, click the "Browse" button to locate the image you'd like to use. Then hit "Upload".

You can edit the title or description text on all of your images following the steps below:

Sign in to your Member Center > My Betterphotos tab > Edit Your Photos.

In the Edit Your Photos link, you will see the functions to edit text on any of your uploaded images.

You can set your photos to display, or delete photos, by following the steps below:

Sign in to your Member Center > My Better Photos tab > Edit Your Photos.

In the Edit Your Photos link, you will see the functions to Delete or Display any of your previously uploaded images.

You can update your name, email, password, contact information, etc., via your Member Center. At the top right of any BetterPhoto page: Sign In > My Member Info > Contact Info

If you are continually asked to sign in without getting an error message, this may be due to your security settings being too high.

Try lowering your browser's security settings. In Internet Explorer, this can be done through Tools > Internet Options > Security tab > Default level. Your settings will be at "Medium" which is Microsoft's default.

You may also need to confirm that your browser is set to accept cookies. You can verify that your browser is accepting cookies by clicking on the "Test Cookies" on the following page:

http://www.betterphoto.com/cookieTest.asp

If you need to change your privacy settings to your browser accepts cookies, this can be done in Internet Explorer's Tools > Internet Options > Privacy tab.

If the link is clickable, try just clicking on it, as typing it in opens up the possibility for typos.

If the link is not clickable, select it (highlight it) by dragging your cursor across it. Then copy it (select the Copy option from the Edit menu or do a Ctrl-C). Then go to your browser and paste in this copied link (select the Paste option from the Edit menu or do a Ctrl-V). Then hit enter and this should get you to the right page.

It's likely that the images or links are being "blocked", or hidden, by an ad filtering program on your computer. If you have a Norton Internet Security program enabled on your computer, try disabling the Ad Blocking portion of this program.

The search engine is based on an index that changes once a week. If you have recently changed any contact info. on your member page, this would affect the search function. Please allow some time for the search engine to "grab" any new information.

The photo search engine on Betterphoto indexes a portion of every
member's images, but not all of them. Photos that are sorted highly
by you in your gallery, those that are marked as favorites by other
members, contest winners and finalists all will make it into the
search engine.

It is difficult to say why the link isn't working in your browser. It may be that the line is breaking into two lines in your email software or is simply not getting to your browser correctly.

One thing you can try is - instead of just clicking on the link - copy and paste the whole line into the location field in your browser. This is the top white box where the URL is displayed.

You can upload an image to a discussion using the following steps:

• Be sure you are fully signed in with email and password.
• Start a discussion.
• Select an image # from the pull down menu.
• Hit Submit.
• Follow the prompts to enter an image using the single image uploader.
• Your image should then successfully upload to a discussion.

Only BetterPhoto members can upload photos. Once you are a member and your photo has been uploaded, you can start a discussion on it by clicking the "Discuss this photo" link under the photo.

Unfortunately, due to the volume of discussions at BetterPhoto, we cannot remove duplicate comments. People understand these errors, so we encourage you not to worry about it and keep the discussion going.

We have put in place as many safeguards as possible to stop abusers from participating on the site and yet still allow our members a safe community to discuss and participate in photography.

We ask that all members simply ignore such negative comments, do not respond or acknowledge in any way. Simply hit the report malicious thread report and the offensive comment will be deleted.

The forum is now available to Basic and Masterpiece Members, BetterPholio owners and Students. You can find it under the Discussions/Q&A Tab in your Member Center.

Although it's difficult to prevent unauthorized use by determined (and knowledgeable) thieves, there are several features at BetterPhoto that can provide protection for images:

1) All uploaded photos automatically display a copyright symbol alongside your name. Also, upon upload, you have the option of adding a copyright watermark to your images.
2) Each image is protected by right click java script protection, however, this feature can be disabled on certian browsers
3) If you are taking a BetterPhoto online course, you have the option to keep all of your assignment and course images private (only viewable by members of the Photo Course), rather than "public" (viewable by anyone visiting the main BP site).
4) By uploading at a lower resolution (fine for Web display, but low quality for prints and other uses), you can limit the possible unauthorized use.

The following is the best way to upload a panoramic image:

If you would like your image to remain big (and require scrolling), you need to use the single image uploader. Resize the image with the shorter end 500 pixels. You should then see the enlarged view of such an uploaded pano to be proportionate to the original.

The specific imaging-organizing program really doesn't matter. You still have have a JPEG on your computer and you can upload it from that folder. With our Image Uploader, you can upload the photo by clicking on Browse. Then check through the directories on your computer until you find the correct folder. Next, click on the folder, and lastly, click again on the specific picture.

Photos uploaded to BetterPhoto are almost all JPEGs, but TIFFs can work too ... as long as they are a small size.

Really high resolution images don't always display better on the Web; plus they upload slowly and also display slower too. In addition, since lower-resolution images look fine on the Web, the fact that they are lower-res makes them less of a "target" for unauthorized use ... all pics are copyrighted by the individual photographer.

The watermarking feature is only available with the bulk image uploader. Watermarking is not an option with the single image uploader.

There is not an option to watermark previously uploaded images. You would need to remove those images and reupload using the watermark feature.

The longer dimension (the height for a portrait; the width for a landscape) should be under 1800 pixels. This is because the programming that makes the Web versions of your image automatically reduces larger images to be 1800 pixels on the longer dimension, and it is good to have these two numbers as close as possible before uploading.

So a landscape might be something like 1200 (wide) x 1800 (high) and a portrait might be around 1800 (wide) x 1200 (high)

It may help to resize your images whether you use the drag/drop or alternate image uploader. Many BetterPhoto members have had success in sizing the long end to 1600 pixels in JPEGs. This applies to whether you're using the drop/drag uploader or to the old single-image uploader.

Sign in to your Member Center (via "Sign In" on any BP page). Then click on "Upload a New Photo". Scroll to the bottom of the screen and click on "Single Image Uploader:. On the first upload page, set for "1" image (your "Before" shot) in the drop-down image ... also, be sure to click on "Add to Your Gallery Now". Next, hit the Submit button. Follow the steps on the "Upload New Images" page - but skip the contest area. (Note: the Before and After category will come into play when you upload your After image in a few moments.)

After your Before photo uploads, then go into your gallery (just click on View Gallery at the top of your Member Center page). Under the Before image, click on Discuss. On the "Questions, Comments, and More" page, choose "Before and After" from the Category drop-down menu. Share your concise, detailed explanation in the "Your Comment" box. Then select "1" from the "Upload Image" pull-down menu. (Note: If you wish, you can also select "2" for an optional "intermediate" image, along with your "final" After photo.)

Next, hit Submit. That's it ... enjoy!

Click on Image, and then on Mode, which will display a drop-down menu at the right. You'll see a number of options, including 8 bits/Channel and 16 bits/Channel. Simply click on 8 bits to change it!

In your Member Center>My Member Info>Mini-Pic>Update Mini-Pic> From there you can either:

Option One: Select a Mini-Pic From the Choices Below

Option Two: Upload Your Own Mini-Pic

You can also use one of your own images. Note: Your image will be cropped to a square 75x75 pixels. Use a small square image for best results. First click the "Browse" button to locate the image you'd like to use. Then hit "Upload".

To add a camera to your account, sign in to your Member Center. You can use the Sign In fields at the top right of most pages.

Once in your Member Center, click on the My Member Info tab.

Click on Add a Camera to Your List link part way down the page.

On the "Main Camera You Use" page, you will be able to choose your camera from the pull-down menu.

Or, if you do not see the camera on this list, click the Skip This Step box. Or you can use the Contact Us link to send us information about your camera, for possible addition to the list.

Once your camera is added to the list, you will now be able to upload photos to BetterPhoto.com. Have fun!

I would recommend sizing your images before you upload to 800 pixels
on the long side and save as a jpeg. That will produce the smallest
file size which will help uploading speed on a dial up connection but
still display your images as large as everyone else's. If you are
having trouble with the drag and drop uploader you can try the
alternate image uploader (linked to at the bottom of the first upload
page) as it is more widely compatible.

We recommend 1600 pixels on the long side for best results. If the long side is at least 800 pixels your images will appear as large as possible on the BP site.

We recommend that you upload photos in the JPEG format. 1600 pixels on the long dimension is best, but at least 800 pixels on the long dimension is required to display full size images on Betterphoto.

Many BetterPhoto members suggest that making the color space sRGB upon uploading will yield the best color quality. In Photoshop - at least in CS2 - click on Edit, then Color Settings, then sRGB for the RGB working space.

Also, whether using the default uploader (drag and drop) or the alternate Single Image Uploader, try sizing your photo to 1600 pixels(on the long end)in JPEGs.

BP photographers often add just a tiny bit more color saturation and sharpening than they would normally do for printing - to offset the ever-so-slight softening of color and sharpness that occurs on upload. Again, not too much, since you don't want things to look unnatural or pixelated.

To upload to a Q&A thread use the following steps:

Enter your text into the field
Select 1 photo to be attached to the thread
Hit Submit
The following page will be the image uploader page where you should be able to upload using the single image uploader method (Click on Browse>Your computer files will appear, select the appropriate file where your images are stored>Double click on the image you want to upload>The file will automatically transfer to our upload page>Fill in title>Select a camera>Hit submit) or enter the photo id# of an existing upload into the small field to the right of the browse button.

First, your photos need to be in a digital format to be submitted. If you are using a digital camera, this should not be a problem. Simply transfer the images from your camera to your computer and you can upload them from there, using our Image Uploader. If you use a film-based camera, you will have to get the images scanned into a digital file before uploading.

Second, you will need to size your images correctly if you are using the Single Image Uploader. With the Bulk Image uploader, our default uploading option, you will not need to resize images for uploading.

Sizing for the Single Image Uploader:

To correctly size your image for upload, the ppi (pixels per inch) is not as important as the overall pixel dimensions. As long as you measure the overall image dimensions in pixels (instead of inches), you can simply size your image to 1600 pixels on the long side, but at least 800 pixels minimum on the long side.

For an added touch of sharpness and clarity, it also often helps to slightly apply the Unsharp Mask filter.

Then save either as a TIFF or a high quality / low compression JPEG and upload to the site.

This will result in the best quality uploaded images.

And finally, here are step-by-step instructions for uploading:

• Sign in to your Member Center.
• Click on the BetterPhotos tab.
• Click on the Upload New Photos link.
• You will now be at a page titled Prepare to Upload.

Next, you will have two options:

Default option:

• Select the camera you used.
• Agree to Terms and Conditions and click on Submit.
• You will now be at the Bulk Image Uploader page (Note: if this is your first upload with the Bulk Image Uploader, you will be asked to install Aurigma. Proceed with the prompts to install Aurigma).
• Your page will now display your files on your computer.
• Select the file where your images are stored, they should then appear in the upper right hand box (to the right of your computer files).
• Simply drag and drop your images into the lower right hand box, there is no need to have resized your images.
• You will see that you have the option to rotate your images. Click the Title/Description link to name photos. Separate Title and Description by "@@" to add both during upload.
• Finally, hit the send button.

Check the Mac requirements at the bottom of the main uploading page. If you are having trouble with the Bulk Uploader, we suggest you use the Single Image Uploader.

• Single Image Uploader option:
• Click on the link at the bottom of the main uploading page (i.e., the first page that appears when clicking on Upload New Photos).
• Select the # of photos you are uploading and click on submit.
• You will then be at the image upload page.
• Click on Browse.
• Your computer files will appear ... select the appropriate file where your images are stored.
• Double click on the image you want to upload.
• Fill in title and description info.
• Select a camera.
• Click on Submit.
• Your image should upload perfectly if the images are sized correctly.

There are two directions you could go

1) Try the single image uploader again. Since this is compatible with every browser an operating system, this might be a good option. You mentioned that you did not receive a response from the page when you tried before. Try sizing your images to 1600 pixels (800 minimum) on the long side and uploading again. Depending on your internet connection you may need to let it upload for a little while.

2) Try uninstalling and reinstalling the drag and drop uploader.

To uninstall from Internet Explorer:
1) Go to Tools -> Internet Options ->Browsing History (Settings Button) -> View Objects.
2) Delete the file "Drag and Drop Uploader Control"
3) Navigate back to the upload page and follow the instructions below.

To install the drag and drop uploader:

1) Open a new browser and sign into your Betterphoto member center. Go to the upload page. Once you select your camera and agree to the term and conditions, you will be taken to the uploader.
2) The first time you visit this page you will see a popup window or yellow bar underneath your browser header asking for permission to load an active x control. Right click on the yellow bar and select install.
3) You will now get a popup asking for permission to reload the page. Select yes.
4) You will then be asked for permission to install the Drag and Drop Uploader. Select Yes. Once the page loads fully, you will then be able to see your computer's folders on the left so that you can navigate to your images.
5) pull images from the top right window to the bottom right window and click "send"

Unfortunately, we are unable to send you copies of uploaded images. You could try a "save as" on the thumbnail version of your image. However, the size of images in the thumbnail versions are small and of poor quality.

If your images are saved in iPhoto, you will need to use the single image uploader.

If you are uploading using a software program with the word album in it, it is more of an organizing program and not a digital image editing program. I would recommend looking for a different program, one that allows you to have more control over how you save the file.

Make sure you are uploading the photo itself and not the thumbnail. In order to tell the difference, I would look at the folder name that the files are in, and the name of the file, just making sure the word "thumbnail" is not there.

Member Center>My Photos>Upload New Photos, including options to upload directly to a category and mark as public/private.

Additional uploader improvements include:

Vista Compatibility
Option to add a copyright watermark to images during upload
Choice of using file names as image titles
Improved browser compatibility, particularly for non IE users

Tiff images can also be uploaded from non-IE browsers as long as they are 8 bit, RGB, PC Byte order, and have no or LZW compression

If you are uploading TIFF files, you will need to flatten the image as our Image Uploader does not accept layered image files. Instead create a duplicate of the image (Image>Duplicate)and flatten the layers (Layers>Flatten). Save the new file as a JPEG or TIFF. This will allow you to keep the original, layered file as your master copy. Name the flattened file slightly differentlt and upload it.

This may be due to the size being too large or perhaps an Internet connectivity problem. Make sure to read the size guidelines (there is a Help with Uploading link on the Upload page that tells you this info). Also, make sure you see the following confirmation page which will show you a tiny thumbnail version of your picture after you upload it.

Images that are uploading with a "Private" button selection will not display on the public Betterphoto.com pages.

If you are the photographer of the photo, you can correct this set your image to display by signing in to your Member Center and selecting the image to display:

Sign in > Edit Photos Link > Select to Display > Submit

The drag and drop uploader supports all Tiff files from Internet Explorer, but has limited support from other browsers.

Tiff files that are:
* 8 bit
* RGB
* No or LZW compression
* PC byte order

will be recognized by the drag and drop uploader.

The alternate single image uploader will support all 8 bit Tiff uploads regardless of browser.

For Web use, try sharpening your image a little more than you would for printing.

- If you scan the photo in at 150-300 ppi(dpi) or more on a flatbed or film scanner, be sure to change that resolution to 72 ppi(dpi) with your software. Change it in a way that does not change the overall file size. You may have to search your program's help files to find out how this is done.

- Your goal is to get your image to be about 500 pixels in the short dimension. An ideal size would be something like 500 x 750 at 72 ppi.

- Regarding size, some BetterPhoto members have had success in resizing the shortest side to 480 instead.

- Make sure you are not comparing an image in your scanning or image-editing software to an image in a Web browser. That is like comparing apples to oranges. If you really want to know what the Web site is receiving, after you are done reworking your photo, drag and drop the file into a Web browser (or open the image from the browser's File menu). You may be surprised at what you see, especially if you are uploading images at 150-200 ppi(dpi). They will look a lot bigger. If this happens, just resize the images dimensions AND resolution to get it looking right.

- While you work on an image, save it in a non-compressing file format such as TIFF or PSD. Before upload, save your file as either a non-compressing file format (TIFF, PING) or as a JPEG. If you choose to use a JPEG, be sure to save it at the highest quality / lowest compression setting. This may be 100%, the number 10 or the number 12. Anything above 8 (or 80%) will be acceptable.

The following are some guidelines on what you can do when you feel your images look dull or desaturated after uploading to BetterPhoto:

If your photo appears to be less colorful after uploading to BetterPhoto, it is very likely that you are shooting in color space other than sRGB. This color space is how images are displayed on the Web and photos can often become slightly desaturated upon conversion. To correct this problem, perform the following steps in Photoshop before uploading your image to BetterPhoto:

1. Open your image.

2. Next, go to either Edit > Assign Profile, or File > Assign Profile in the menu commands (depending which version of Photoshop you have).

3. Click on the "Profile" button on the bottom and look for and choose sRGB.

4. Next, go to Hue/Saturation command (in the Image > Adjust menu) and increase the middle saturation slider to approx. +18. Then change the mode at the top of the Hue/Saturation dialog box from Master to Reds and decrease the saturation slider in just the reds mode to approx. -15.

5. The next step is optional. If your image appears soft, choose Unsharp Mask and try to snap up the contrast by putting the Amount to 10% and the Radius to 40. Leave the threshold at 0. This is a great way to make your images pop.

6. Resize your image if required and upload. Note: your image may look a little "fake" or strange when viewed before uploading. Don't worry about this. When you view this image at BetterPhoto, it should look fantastic.

Photos must be saved in the proper orientation before they are uploaded. Some editing programs auto rotate images without saving them that way which sounds like it might be the case here. To test, you can drag and drop an image file onto any browser and check the rotation before uploading. Browsers to not autorotate so if it displays incorrectly in the browser you will need to rotate in an editing program and make sure to save it before uploading.

We are resizing images based on the long side now rather than the short side. The reason for this is that panoramic images or very skinny images cause all kinds of trouble for members' screens. For example, if someone has a 2000 wide x 200 high image and we resize based on the small side only, only about half the image will appear on a member's screen at a time and our page formatting is not able to handle it gracefully. Squarish images will appear slightly larger now and skinny images slightly smaller
The unfortunate fact is that the majority of web users still use a resolution of 1024 x 768 or smaller.

While I can't easily determine change in color quality, other members have offered the following advice for instances when uploaded images displayed poor color quality: make sure your photos are in sRGB before uploading. The command in Photoshop CS is Image->Mode->Convert to Profile.

This may have been a matter of simply refreshing your page for your camera selection to appear from the pull down.

We are exploring this option and hope to make EXIF data available for files that contain it soon. We are working on several features of our uploading process and this is one of the items we are targeting to improve.

From our reviews page:

http://www.betterphoto.com/reviews.asp

use the "search reviews" feature for the camera model you are looking for. Click on the camera you are looking for. Here is an example of the Canon Digital Rebel:

http://www.betterphoto.com/reviews/reviewItemDetail.asp?reviewItemID=3122

To the right of the camera photos there is a link to "View photos created with this camera"

Click on that and you will be able to see photos created with that camera.