Photo orientation issue

Many users have commented they can't seem to get photos to appear here in the correct orientation. Here's why. When you take a photo with any recent camera part of the photo file is what is called EXIF data. One of the bits of data in there is orientation info. That info says what corner of the photo is the anchor point of the photo. IOW, if you take the photo with your phone camera the anchor point is the right top of the screen regardless of which direction you're holding the phone. When you take a photo holding the camera turned left at horizontal the anchor point is now Top left. Here is a screen shot of the EXIF data for the first photo below.



What happens, and what causes frustration, is the photo program you are using, and Windows folder icon displays, will turn the photo so the top of the photo is shown at the top.

Here are 4 photos I just took with my phone with the top end of the camera at top, at left, at bottom, at right. The anchor point for the 4 photos is: Right top, Top left, Left bottom, and Bottom right.



What the forum software does is read where in the photo the anchor point is, and then ALWAYS puts the anchor point at the left top corner when it is posted here. Most, if not all, photo viewing and editing programs on your PC or phone or tablet will automatically orient the photo when you look at it so that the top of the photo is at the top. That's why you can't tell, looking at the photo, what its actual orientation is with respect to the camera when you took the photo. What adds to the problem is the forum software does not use the same corner of the photo for the default anchor point that a camera does. I don't know, but all cameras may not use the upper right corner of the phone, when holding it vertical, as the default anchor point.

Go to the next post to see how to fix the problem.

Now here are the 4 photos after I saved them to a different filename. Doing that creates a new file and in the process the anchor point is now set to Top left. The forum software displays each photo with the anchor point at the top left without regard to how your camera was oriented when you shot the photo.



So, in short you MUST make sure the anchor point of your photo is always in the Top left corner. The ONLY way to do that is to be looking at it in your photo software as you want it to be posted, and save it as a new file. In some cases saving without changing the filename may work. I just did it on the first photo using PaintShop Pro.

The question is, who isn't following established standards or practices, the forum software or camera makers? I'm guessing camera makers since it seems the default anchor corner is top left for photo programs and the forum.

Now, since I'm not a 100% Windows expert, and don't know diddly about iOS, if someone knows of another way to accomplish the relocation of the anchor point, please post it here.

Anthony, feel free to edit this information or maybe even make it a sticky!

Those were great posts Idaho thank you, I wasn’t aware of anchor points and that apparently there isn’t a standard.

Thanks...will definitely be checking it out...:bowdown:

Vbulletin has never read the orientation tag in the exif info, it was supposedly added code in vb 5 to read it.

I will sticky it for you though, as its a good howto.

I was sent six pictures of the construction of our new motorhome. being about as anal-retentive as six people: I re-named the pictures, and filed them...
But when I posted them in here: they were sideways!
What did I miss? :dontknow:

Did open them in a photo program, make sure they were upright, and then save with the new name? That should have done it unless your photo program doesn't change the orientation info. What photo program do you use?

If you're using Windows download Irfanview and try it. It's a good program for viewing and minor editing of photos and is free. You can use the image information option in it to see the EXIF data.

Aha! It's not a photo program... it's just MS Paint.
Is there another way to skin this cat?

I post mine right from the Iphone and yes it's frustrating.

I got the rig back up on it's wheels... :D
I did a re-size, and flipped each image a couple of times, and then saved the changes! :thumbup:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Highwayman2013

I post mine right from the Iphone and yes it's frustrating.

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[MENTION=11461]Highwayman2013[/MENTION]
Try uploading some now from your phone that are orientated incorrectly

I don't store photos long on my phone and, particularly for SL participation, I keep all in a separate folder on desktop computer; so when I send them from phone to desktop if they arrive misoriented, I reorient, rename and save, and haven't ever had a problem with one getting to my SL file of photos misoriented. I don't use a specific photo editing program.

Looks like it works correctincorrect

Did it put the picture when you uploaded it from your phone, you post don’t really tell me?

I admit, this whole issue of top, left, bottom, etc., can be confusing! In fact I just had to repeat some photos because I was even beginning to wonder did I give the instructions properly? Here's a suggestion.

Hold your phone vertically, with the home button at the bottom. Now, put a mark of some sort at the top right corner of the screen. This is the camera's physical anchor point for ALL the pictures you take. It does not change. Take a photo. The EXIF info will show orientation as Right top, i.e., the physical anchor point of the camera is in the right top corner of the photo.

Now, hold the camera horizontal, or landscape, with the home button to the right. You will see your mark is now in the top left corner of the screen, i.e. in the upper left corner of your PHOTO when you click the shutter. Now the EXIF data says the camera physical anchor corner is in the Top left corner of the photo. You got this now?

Now, when you post the first picture where the EXIF data says the camera's physical corner is at the Right top corner of the photo, the forum software grabs the anchor point of the photo and puts it in the left top corner of the photo as displayed in the post. To do that it rotates the photo 90° CCW. Now post the second photo. Because the camera anchor point is at the Top left corner of the photo the forum s/w grabs the photo, says, "Ah, the anchor is already at the top left so no rotation is needed."

Open the photo in a photo program and make sure it is oriented the way you want it, and then save it as a new file. What you have done is taken the camera's anchor point that is in the photo EXIF data and thrown it out and replaced it with a new anchor point at the top left. Now the forum s/w will not rotate the photo since the anchor is at the top left corner.

Hope this helps!

[MENTION=14672]IdahoMtnSpyder[/MENTION] I made a code change, i was just asking Highwayman2013 to upload a image like he used to, you can try as well, upload it without making any of your changes in a photo program.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by AnthonyG

Did it put the picture when you uploaded it from your phone, you post don’t really tell me?

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It puts the picture on the forum just the way it is oriented on my Iphone.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by AnthonyG

[MENTION=14672]IdahoMtnSpyder[/MENTION] I made a code change, i was just asking Highwayman2013 to upload a image like he used to, you can try as well, upload it without making any of your changes in a photo program.

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Looks like Forum s/w 1, Anthony 0!! :banghead: I uploaded these just like I did in the first post. Same displayed orientation as in the first post so looks like your code change didn't solve the issue.

Was the file ext JPG or JPEG, try uploading as a JPEG, not a JPG

Quote:

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Originally Posted by AnthonyG

Was the file ext JPG or JPEG, try uploading as a JPEG, not a JPG

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Here they are with the extension changed to jpeg.




BTW, why won't the Insert Image dialog allow the selection of more than one file at a time?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Highwayman2013

I post mine right from the Iphone and yes it's frustrating.

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Go into the Photos app and select the ones you want to upload and duplicate them then use the duplicate to upload. Duplicating them renames and resets them.

OK, so I read and reread all the post above until my head exploded ! I tried to post a photo off of my Ipad last night to see how it would work, I usually use my laptop when posting to SL without a problem, but we are taking a 10,000 mile Ryde in a few months Coast to Coast and I plan on only taking my Ipad. I still can't figure out how to orientate the photos off of my Ipad if they are horizontal or vertical . I can kind of understand the anchor point thing but how do I change it on my Ipad?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by easysuper

OK, so I read and reread all the post above until my head exploded ! I tried to post a photo off of my Ipad last night to see how it would work, I usually use my laptop when posting to SL without a problem, but we are taking a 10,000 mile Ryde in a few months Coast to Coast and I plan on only taking my Ipad. I still can't figure out how to orientate the photos off of my Ipad if they are horizontal or vertical . I can kind of understand the anchor point thing but how do I change it on my Ipad?

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Maybe this will help https://www.imore.com/how-to-crop-st...os-iphone-ipad, or search Google for more. Search for "how to rotate photos ipad." Otherwise I can't help as I don't use Apple systems.

Why does this hafta be soo damn complicated? Some of us aren't all that tech savy, and if there are soo many steps to remember I'm not gonna even try. I've been on other forums that have no problems receiving photos. WTH?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Revalden

Why does this hafta be soo damn complicated?

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Because software writers don't like to adhere to standards. They all like to do things their own way. The Apple world is much better for following standards than the Windows world ever was. And Android developers are all over the map! I don't think standards is their vocabulary, or even in the vocabulary of Google who pretty much dictate rules for Android. Life would be a lot simpler for users like us if software developers would be less obsessive about doing things their own way, sacrifice some individualism for the good of the crowd, and develop and follow more standards.

Why do my pics show up upside down?

Read this thread. https://www.spyderlovers.com/forums/...entation-issue

Just wondering what you take them with? Idaho's suggestion should help though.

iPhone 6

cell phone pictures tend to upload in strange positions...I never mastered the art of turning them around but there are those here that know how and have helped many by flipping the over....:bowdown:

I stand sideways when up loading pictures :roflblack:

If your pictures appear properly in you computer but do not upload correctly you can easily rotate them using either method in my picture here. Simply rotate them either 90° or 180° from their incorrect orientation to make them appear properly once uploaded again However, you will have to do so in your computer then re-upload to the page; (to the best of my knowledge) you cannot change the orientation once uploaded.

On my Samsung if I take the picture with the phone sideways than the picture saves correctly. Someone else suggested this on another post.

Android phone and Windows 10 users: My procedure is to import the picture into the computer. Then I make a copy of the picture in case I "oops". Next, I right click on the picture and select "edit", NOT edit w/Photos or Paint 3D. I then "resize" the picture for a "Horizontal Pixels" of 600 and a "Vertical Pixels" of 800. I can also "rotate" the picture if need be. Finally, I save the changes before uploading the picture to the forum.

I just posted these same photos on....

I don't think the anchor point theory holds water... these 3 photos were also posted on the
BMW-GoldWing & ST-Owners forums and they are correct.
Why would/does only one picture here come out correct???

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Motorcycledave

I don't think the anchor point theory holds water... these 3 photos were also posted on the
BMW-GoldWing & ST-Owners forums and they are correct.
Why would/does only one picture here come out correct ???

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Dave, I'd guess that the 2 pics above which are displayed sideways you took in Portrait mode on a phone/camera that has a default Anchor Point of Top Right in Portrait mode, but the 1 pic that shows correctly you took in Landscape mode, after rotating the camera anti-clockwise, which by doing so moves that pic's Anchor Point to the Top Left of the pic, suiting the Forum Platform used here & its default Anchor Point... :dontknow:

So I think your issues are still most likely the photo orientation issue.... not all Fora/Forum software uses the same platform, and unlike many other Forum platforms, THIS Forum platform uses the Top Left corner of any photo uploaded/displayed as it's Anchor Point! There's nothing we can readily do about that, it's not an optional platform feature nor is it something easy to change - and at least for now, I don't think we'll be changing the Forum Platform just so some pics show the right way!! :rolleyes: . So if your phone/camera assigns the Top Right of your pics as the Anchor Point or even if it does use the Top Left (as some phones do) but you take some of your pics in selfie mode or Landscape mode by rotating the phone/camera Clockwise instead of Anti-clockwise, then any pics you uploaded directly here might display sideways or possibly even upside down - just like those 2 have! :banghead:

You can minimise this by manually setting your phone/camera pic Anchor Point as the Top Left, if you have that option; by trying to always take your pics in landscape mode by rotating the phone/camera in an ANTI-clockwise direction (thereby putting the phone/camera's default Anchor Point on the Top Left of the pic); OR you can upload your pics to a photo hosting or editing site and rotating then saving the pic so that it comes out showing the correct way here, or maybe you could even use that editing software to change the Anchor Point of your pic to the Top Left Corner. :thumbup:

Another thing that sometimes helps is to use the 'Manage Attachments' facility here to load your images to a post, cos that facility looks after some of the size & rotation issues of images uploaded in a way that 'Insert Image' just doesn't seem to... :p

But for now, we are stuck with the Forum Platform we have & the default Anchor points it has embedded, so while most members understand & can cope with a few sideways or inverted pics, if you really need to see your pics displayed the right way up, then it's going to be up to you! Sorry! :sour:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by JayBros

I don't store photos long on my phone and, particularly for SL participation, I keep all in a separate folder on desktop computer; so when I send them from phone to desktop if they arrive misoriented, I reorient, rename and save, and haven't ever had a problem with one getting to my SL file of photos misoriented. I don't use a specific photo editing program.

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:agree: Works best for me too.

funniest thread I have ever read... When I was a kid I bought a transistor radio and when I turned it on it came on right away, 30 years later they added programming language to that transistor radio and it now takes 15 minutes to do self checks and diagnostics before it turns on, and they call this progress. :banghead: