From Camera to Smugmug in Real-Time

perrotta · August 15, 2005

Canon now offers a WiFi transmitter capable of sending pictures -- as you shoot them -- from the camera to a PC running an FTP server .

Can anybody think of a way to get the pics from the PC/FTP Server to Smugmug automatically?

I would like to shoot an event and have the pictures be posted in smugmug as I shoot them.

For info on the Canon WFT-E1A check

http://www.robgalbraith.com/bins/multi_page.asp?cid=7-6459-7231-7233#wft-e1

Thanks

jfriend · August 15, 2005

You need a program for your PC that does this

perrotta wrote:

Can anybody think of a way to get the pics from the PC/FTP Server to Smugmug automatically?

The camera knows how to upload to a PC. Smugmug knows how to take programmatic uploads via it's web APIs over the internet. The camera doesn't know how to upload directly to Smugmug.

So, to make the camera pics go into smugmug, one way to do it would be to upload to the PC using the Canon software and have a program on the PC that would automatically upload the incoming photos that appears on the hard disk from the camera to smugmug as they show up. Once you have code that uploads to smugmug (which several people have already), it wouldn't be very hard to just monitor a directory on the PC and automatically grab any new photos that appear there and upload them to an appropriate album in Smugmug.

--John

Nikolai · August 15, 2005

Tell you what...
If you get your pictures to your PC somehow, I can facilitate the transfer to your SM account (provided your PC is connected to the internet at the time:-). See www.starexplorer.com, Services, Custom programming.
My contact info is on the site.

HTH

Nik

3rdPlanetPhotography · August 15, 2005

yep yep we could sure write one

Techman1 · August 16, 2005

Good idea!
I could see how this can be done. Since everything is available, you would probably just need a batch process running in the background on the PC. This batch process would:
(1) wake up every few minutes (maybe 5)
(2) "move" all files from the current directory (the Canon Upload directory) to one where they are pending upload to SM
(3) upload files using one of the upload programs (star*explorer maybe)
(4) move files just uploaded to a different directory
(5) start the process again (step 1)

You would need some type of error detection/notification built into this, but you aren't deleting any files so worst case you would simply have to manually upload some files later if the upload part has a problem.

Anyway, I would be interested if anyone decides to pursue this. I believe it is a very good idea.

Thanks for bringing this up!

Fred

perrotta · August 16, 2005

Adding some details.

The Canon WFT-E1A works as an FTP client. It would communicate via WiFi with a "staging" PC which is running an FTP server and is also connected to the Internet.

The Canon WFT-E1A comes with a "Canon File Transmission Utility" which might include an FTP server (there are some conflicting sources on this). If not, there are plenty of FTP servers for a PC.

So, as you are shooting, the pics would "appear" on a directory/folder on the PC.

As was said before, the missing piece is a SW that would "monitor" this folder/directory and upload a file to smugmug whenever it appears on tha folder.

Some interesting FTP server options include

http://www.pixagent.com/

http://www.idruna.com/pocketphojo.html

Mike Lane · August 16, 2005

Nikolai wrote:

If you get your pictures to your PC somehow, I can facilitate the transfer to your SM account (provided your PC is connected to the internet at the time:-). See www.starexplorer.com, Services, Custom programming.
My contact info is on the site.

HTH

Nik

My God you're amazing.

perrotta · August 16, 2005

Another application of the type of SW we are discussing here would be for someone to be photoshoping 100's of pictures (as we often do) and as the person is done with each picture, he/she saves it to a directory that is monitored by StarExplorer. Whenever a new (edited) file is saved there, SE would upload it immediately to SM. This way, when you are done editing, you are pretty much done uploading!

ChibiPhotography · August 16, 2005

perrotta wrote:

For info on the Canon WFT-E1A check

http://www.robgalbraith.com/bins/multi_page.asp?cid=7-6459-7231-7233#wft-e1

For Nikon's WT-1 check this page on the same site:
http://www.robgalbraith.com/bins/multi_page.asp?cid=7-6269-6285-6297

Does anyone know of other manufacturers products?

Nikolai · August 16, 2005

It's possible, too..

perrotta wrote:

Another application of the type of SW we are discussing here would be for someone to be photoshoping 100's of pictures (as we often do) and as the person is done with each picture, he/she saves it to a directory that is monitored by StarExplorer. Whenever a new (edited) file is saved there, SE would upload it immediately to SM. This way, when you are done editing, you are pretty much done uploading!

It really does not matter why exactly an image apperas in the folder (or in a tree with a know root, to facilitate autoparsing into categories/subcategories/albums) - ftp, save as, copy... it's easy to pick up and send to SM.

CHeers!

perrotta · August 16, 2005

Controlling Size of Uploaded File
Nikolai,

Another interesting feature would be to control the size of the files being uploaded from the "staging" PC (the one running the FTP server and StarExplorer) to Smugmug, given that "on the field" one would probably have an Internet connection of limited speed.

This way, while on the field, one would upload the small, low quality pics in real time. Upon getting home, one could then edit the pictures properly and upload the full resolution ones.

Nikolai · August 16, 2005

Interesting idea...

perrotta wrote:

Nikolai,

Another interesting feature would be to control the size of the files being uploaded from the "staging" PC (the one running the FTP server and StarExplorer) to Smugmug, given that "on the field" one would probably have an Internet connection of limited speed.

This way, while on the field, one would upload the small, low quality pics in real time. Upon getting home, one could then edit the pictures properly and upload the full resolution ones.

While technically possible, I wonder how many people would actually use this feature..

This whole wireless setup thingy seems like pretty expensive/advanced option to me...

If I could get 10 or more serious ppl here to "subscribe" for this feature I'd do it pretty soon as a public release, otherwise.... see my first post (custom programming):):

From Camera to Smugmug in Real-Time

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