We all used to have them, and they used to be the standard. Vertical photos like the one of me on the right were what used to rule the Internet. However, with social networks switching over to square photos, it's important that you optimize your photo for social networking sites such as Twitter, ActiveRain, Facebook, etc.
Some sites like Facebook allow you to crop your profile image to pick a square section of it to show up as your avatar. (Your avatar is that square photo of you that you see on sites like Twitter.) But having to select a section sometimes cuts out other parts that you would have rather left in there. Sites like Twitter just take a square section of your photo and makes that your avatar, as does ActiveRain. This is not the sites fault. Having the same shape photo, in this case square, makes the site look much cleaner and does not break designs.
The fix to this, and way to ensure your photo looks great on all sites, is uploading a square photo to all of these sites instead of your outdated vertical photo. By doing this you don't leave the cropping up to the site. You control exactly how you want your photo to look.
With a site like Picnik this is very easy to do:
- Simply go to www.Picnik.com and upload your photo.
- Make sure it's the largest one you can find, as this will allow for better quality of your photo. Some sites scale it down, but others store it in various sizes for use around the site.
- Once uploaded go to "Crop"
- You'll see a drop down at the top that says "No Constraints" - Select this and choose "Square"
- Drag and scale that square to whatever portion of the photo you would like to use.
- Then on the top right click "Ok"
- Then click the tap up top that says "Create"
- If you'd like you can now add effects to the photo such as black and white.
- When done click "Save & Share" in the top right corner.
- This will allow you to enter a file name. Keep the dimensions and format the same. Change the quality to 10.
- When done click "Save Photo"
- Select somewhere on your computer to save it. Remember where it is so you can upload this on every site1
That's it! You now have a square photo that will optimize the appearance of your profile, posts, comments, etc on social networking sites.
Thanks for the Picnik tip....I'll check it out.
Doesn't every Windows computer come with the Paint program that allows you to do the same thing on your own computer for free? Without posting your picture in someone else's filing system.
Thanks James, good information.
You are right, now that I think of it. It did not compute that they were going to square. Thanks!
James,
I have used Picnik for a long time and really liked it. This program is also very user-firendly.
Boy, my mind has been somewhere else. I have never noticed the square pictures. Thanks for the kick in the rear.
Cheers....
But why... why is is square now??? Its funny that you mention it in this post. I hadnt really realized they were square. Someone changed it to square and I didnt even notice. Now I wonder how long its been like that.
I'm glad I wasn't the only one who did not realize there had been a change. As usual, I'm behind the times.
Good message for agents who stil think portrait is better than landscape for MLS...not!
Thank you! I heard of this but never had the spelling
Paul Guenther
Chicago Title Insurance Company- Chandler AZ
http://mytitleguypaul.com
mytitleguypaul@gmail.com