Sending images via e-mail

If you wish to send us a photo, make sure that we have the "legal" right to display it on the web.  Two separate "legal" (model release/permission to use) release forms may be needed.  We need one from you to allow us to publish the photo, and you may need one from the model, of which we need a copy.  As a general rule, if a person appears in a photo of a public performance, or of newsworthy origin (e.g., the Superbowl or a public event), then it is not necessary to get a model release.  Even if a model release is not necessary from people in the photo, we need a release from you to give us permission to publish the photo.  You can download a (model release/permission to use photograph) form from the Forms page.

If you have a digital image, you can send it via e-mail, provided that the file size does not exceed your e-mail service's limitations or our e-mail services limitations. If larger than the maximum, it may exceed your e-mail service's limitations or our e-mail service's limitations.*

These days, most people have access to an online storage location, such as DropBox, SkyDrive, or a Google acccount, which means you can have access to Google Drive. In fact, now when you attempt to send a large file via most of the common e-mail accounts, such as Google, Outlook/Hotmail, or Yahoo, they will require the attachment (file) be loaded to an online storage location. They handle this automatically by doing the file transfer to the location in the Cloud, then complete the process by sending a message to the recipient that a file is available for them to download. Finally, it has become easy to send large files to anyone.

If you have any difficulties, you can always place the data on removable computer media (CD, DVD, thumbdrive/flashdrive, etc.), and then drop it in the mail, or use a Third-Party File Send Solution, however there is not as much of a need for those types of services any longer since most e-mail service providers will be able to handle large attachments by the method mentioned above.

If the original is a print, you will need to scan it first to create a hi-resolution digital image. Do not compress the image before sending it (we need as high of a resolution as you can create).

If the e-mail service does not automatically handle large files, if you send them using your regular e-mail service, then keep in mind that not all images sent via e-mail (or any attachment) actually reach their destination, especially if the outgoing mail server imposes size limits on how much can be sent, or if the sending computer does not have enough memory to handle the file being sent.  If you have tried sending us images, and the send failed or reported errors, you might want to upload them to a cloud service, or at worse case, copy them to removable media (e.g., CD, thumbdrive/flashdrive, etc.).

If you know how to use FTP,* then we have a location that you can load them to (there is no limitation with FTP, at least within reason).  Using FTP does require you to have an FTP account on the server you connect to, and you need to have and know how to use an FTP client program.  There are several FTP client programs available (learn about FTP programs).  They really aren't difficult to use.  You connect to a server (similar to an e-mail program), and then you either send or receive files (drag and drop even).  Nothing to it.  Contact us to let us know you need to FTP us an image.  We will send you a location to upload to.  After you have uploaded the image(s), send us an e-mail to let us know to check the results.

If you are certain that the e-mail service provider allows such a large attachment, then the problem may be that your computer is bogged down with other things and cannot complete the task.  If after rebooting and you still cannot send the file, then you will need to have someone determine the problem locally from your computer.  Feel free to check out our Help page to see if any of the resolutions can help.

Please read the information on the Submitting Information page

Third-Party Solution

A simpler process than FTP and the delay of delivery when you burn a CD, is to use a Third-Party Solution. There are several companies that specialize in handling large file transfers. Most of their file transfers are for large corporations. Individuals that do not transfer lots of files can use the service for FREE. If you need to send more files than the FREE account allows, you can always sign-up for one of their PAID accounts. Their paid accounts start from $4.95 a month on up to $49.95 a month.

How Easy Is It? Enter the recipient's e-mail address. Browse to and select the file. Click the Send button! The recipient receives a link to their file via e-mail.

We highly recommend this solution as it allows us to receive the file quickly, it eliminates the hassle of making a floppy or CD, and eliminates the hassle of mailing the media.

Here is a list of Third-Party Solution Providers that provide this service:

• MailBigFile - FREE Big File Sending Service
  WeSend is a fast and simple way to send moderately large files (up to 2 GB) to a single e-mail recipient.
• MailBigFile - FREE Big File Sending Service
  MailBigFile is a fast and simple way to send moderately large files (up to 512 MB) to a single e-mail recipient.
• TransferBigFiles.com - FREE Big File Sending Service
  TransferBigFiles.com makes it easy to deliver larger files (up to 1000 MB) to e-mail recipients, and the files can even be protected with a password (free accounts are limited to 100 Meg).
• Drop Send - Big File Sending Service
  DropSend lets you send and track files up to 250 MB easily without registering, but you can opt for registered and paid accounts including secure connections, online storage, an address book and branding, too.