Email Your Photos

Using Picasa 2

Click the banner above to download and install Picasa (Google's photo software).

The first time you use Picasa, it asks you whether you'd like for it to Completely scan your computer for pictures or Only scan My Documents, My Pictures, and the Desktop. My strong suggestion is to tell it to Only scan My Documents, My Pictures, and the Desktop.

If necessary, import the photos you'd like to upload to the Web. Picasa generally recognizes your camera when you plug it in (and turn it on), and helpfully offers to download your photos for you; if it doesn't, however, you can click the IMPORT button at the upper left of Picasa's opening screen. Follow the Import wizard to download your photos.

Go to TOOLS (on the menu bar) > OPTIONS. Click on the second tab, E-Mail (circled below), and go down to the Output Options section. If you have dialup internet access, click and drag the slider to 640 pixels; if you have broadband (DSL, cable, etc.), you can move the slider to 800 or even 1024 pixels. Click OK.

Choose the photo you'd like to resize by either clicking on its thumbnail once, which will put a blue border around it, showing that it's selected; or by double-clicking on its thumbnail, to see a larger version of the photo.

Now click the Email button at the bottom of the Picasa screen (circled, below). It's probably best to use the first option Picasa gives you for emailing (something like Outlook Express, AOL, or Outlook). If that doesn't work, you can use the third option, Picasa Mail (you have to sign up for it, but they don't ask for very much info). Or, if you have a Gmail account, you can choose Gmail.

Send the email to the desired recipient. Voilà!