Mother’s Day Tips & Ideas

From playing in the yard to making the imposssible possible, moms are quiet special people. She always puts her children ahead of herself and loves to be on the sidelines as everyone's #1 fan. This year make your favorite lady feel special by making her a collage showing off why she's your go-to rock.

You can create a collage like this using our new editing tools, here's how:

For you proud moms, try creating a collage like this on why you love being a mom. Do the same steps as above on creating a collage.

Whether you create a collage or just have your favorite picture of you and your mom, upload it to our Mother's Day contest!

Autodesk and Photobucket to Bring Pixlr Photo Editing to 100 Million New Users

Popular Pixlr Photo Editor Offers Increased Customization for Photobucket Users

SAN RAFAEL, Calif., April 10, 2012 — Autodesk, Inc. (NASDAQ: ADSK) announced a partnership with Photobucket, the leading dedicated photo and video sharing service, to bring Pixlr™ photo editing tools to Photobucket users. Pixlr’s integration within the Photobucket website will give users access to an even more robust set of tools for editing their images directly within the Photobucket service.

Photobucket will now offer Pixlr tools, including the popular Pixlr Editor, which enables per-pixel editing, and the newly revamped Pixlr Express, which provides simple tools to correct, crop, resize and personalize images with effects, overlays and borders. The partnership between the companies will also provide advertisers with a creative environment from which they can deliver custom, branded effects in Photobucket ad packages.

“Our goal is to enable our 100 million users to share their memories and stories with simple, best-in-class creative tools; and our partnership with Pixlr enables us to do just that,” said Kate Hare, vice president, Products, Photobucket. “Whether users are looking for easy adjustments and effects, or are in need of advanced features such as layers and per-pixel editing, Pixlr significantly expands that toolset, helping us to deliver the most robust tools for photo-editing and personalization.”

“Autodesk is helping liberate creativity by making digital design and creation tools accessible and more enjoyable to a wide range of people,” said Samir Hanna, vice president, Consumer Products, Autodesk, “We’re excited to enhance the Photobucket user experience and continue to inspire creativity through Pixlr’s wide range of photo editing tools.”

With more than 25 million users, Pixlr is one of the most widely used free photo editors. It transforms any image with a fast, intuitive and robust toolset that is easy to use for inexperienced photographers with no prior knowledge of photo editing, while also offering fully featured, per-pixel editing complete with layers, adjustment tools and filters for the more advanced user. Photobucket users will have access to all Pixlr editing tools, from simple to advanced functions.

“We strive to deliver an unparalleled user experience, providing both consumers and brands with mobile and web options for simplifying their ability to tell stories through images,” said Photobucket’s Hare. “The Pixlr tools, in addition to our recently launched Social Importer, are critical components for providing consumers with an easy — yet comprehensive — solution for personalizing, storing and sharing all of their photos and videos for life.”

About Autodesk

Autodesk, Inc. is a leader in 3D design, engineering and entertainment software. Customers across the manufacturing, architecture, building, construction, and media and entertainment industries ¾ including the last 17 Academy Award® winners for Best Visual Effects ¾ use Autodesk software to design, visualize and simulate their ideas. Since its introduction of AutoCAD software in 1982, Autodesk continues to develop the broadest portfolio of state-of-the-art software for global markets. For additional information about Autodesk, visit www.autodesk.com.

About Photobucket

Photobucket is the world’s leading dedicated photo and video sharing service. With over 100 million registered members, Photobucket users upload over four million images and videos per day from the web and connected digital devices. Photobucket hosts, preserves and protects photos and videos while bringing members the very best browsing, sharing and editing experiences. In addition to uploading and sharing with friends and family on the Photobucket site, users can also instantly share memories across all of the most popular social networks, instant messenger applications, through email and from their mobile phones. Photobucket’s headquarters are in Denver, Colorado, with a regional office in San Francisco, California. For the latest feature announcements and news, visit the Photobucket press blog at http://blog.photobucket.com/photobucket_press.

Autodesk, AutoCAD and Pixlr are registered trademarks or trademarks of Autodesk, Inc., and/or its subsidiaries and/or affiliates in the USA and/or other countries. Academy Award is a registered trademark of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. All other brand names, product names or trademarks belong to their respective holders. Autodesk reserves the right to alter product and services offerings, and specifications and pricing at any time without notice, and is not responsible for typographical or graphical errors that may appear in this document.

Photobucket to Offer Metro Style Photo Application in Inaugural Windows Store

World Leader in Photo and Video Sharing Selected to be Part of Windows 8 Launch

Denver, CO. – Feb. 29, 2012 – Photobucket Corporation, the world’s leading dedicated photo and video sharing service, today announced that it is one of an exclusive group of companies hand-selected by Microsoft Corp. to be part of the launch of the new Windows Store for Windows 8 apps.

“Once installed, the Photobucket App and Windows 8’s Metro style user interface provide a powerful way to showcase Photobucket’s functionality combined with the key features of the Windows 8 operating system. As part of the launch of the Windows Store, Photobucket will be able to deliver access to a leading platform for saving, sharing, and socializing photos and videos to Windows 8,” said Tom Munro, CEO of Photobucket.

The Photobucket app was specifically designed for the touch-driven Windows Metro style user interface and includes the following features:

Category browsing and full search of the nearly 10 billion photos hosted on Photobucket.com
Photobucket’s full album and photo management experience through a new user interface optimized for Metro style
Ability to capture and upload photos directly from Windows 8-based PCs
Integration with Windows 8 File Picker, giving consumers easy access to Photobucket images for general platform use
Social features, including commenting, liking, and sharing out

“With its extensive user base and rich feature set for managing photos and video, Photobucket was a natural choice for the Windows Store preview,” said Aidan Marcuss, senior director of Windows Core Marking and Ecosystem at Microsoft. “We are extremely pleased to have them as an app in the photos category.”

The new Photobucket App for Windows 8 is available to those who have downloaded the Windows 8 Consumer Preview, at no cost, in the Windows Store.

About Photobucket

Photobucket is the world’s leading dedicated photo and video sharing service. With over 100 million registered members, Photobucket users upload over four million images and videos per day from the Web and connected digital devices. Photobucket hosts, preserves and protects photos and videos while bringing members the very best browsing, sharing and editing experiences. In addition to uploading and sharing with friends and family on the Photobucket site, users can also instantly share memories across all of the most popular social networks, instant messenger applications, through email, and from their mobile phones. Photobucket’s headquarters are in Denver, Colorado with a regional office in San Francisco, California.

For the latest feature announcements and news, please visit the Photobucket press blog at http://blog.photobucket.com/photobucket_press.

To create a free Photobucket account, users can visit http://photobucket.com, or find the Photobucket Mobile Application and Snapbucket app available in the app store on all major smartphone platforms. Photobucket supports Mobile Web, iPhone, Android based devices, Blackberry and Windows Phone 7.

Five simple tips for taking memorable vacation photos

By Tom Munro, CEO

It’s hard to believe that winter break has already come and gone. I managed to sneak out and take my son skiing last weekend, and I hope you had a chance to squeeze in some family together time before the kids go back to school. Not only do vacations provide families a much-needed break from the daily grind, but I also think they’re a great opportunity to capture some special moments together. And because of that, I wanted to share a few of my favorite quick tips to help you capture those memories while traveling:

Make a plan for power. Not it’s not as fun as thinking about cool backdrops or funny poses, but the simple fact is that dead batteries ruin great photo opportunities. Learn to manage power with spare batteries and chargers (plan ahead with a power adapter, if you’re going international), and you’ll never miss that epic “shot that could have been.”
Protect your gear. Cameras and smartphones are particularly susceptible to damage from moisture and falls, so take proper precautions, especially if you’re active. Invest in a padded, waterproof camera bag, keep memory cards away from anything with a magnetic field while going through airport security, and consider picking up a pack of silica gel to further reduce moisture, if you’re headed someplace humid.
Avoid clichéd shots. Resist the urge to pose people awkwardly in front of landmarks and monuments. Not only will your family’s patience wear thin (I speak from experience), but it also makes for generic pictures post-vacation. Instead, make it a game to challenge the group to create clever poses and compositions that haven’t been done before.
Plant the seed. Usually one person assumes the role of unofficial family photographer, but don’t let that be the default on family trips! They don’t have to be expensive – even a drugstore point-and-shoot will do – but giving kids cameras is a great way to keep them entertained as they capture the vacation from their perspective. You may be pleasantly surprised at what they can come up with!
Remember the three B’s: Bring storage, Back up files – and above all, Be creative! The first two are pretty self-explanatory; there’s no use in taking the time to take great photos if you run out of shots the second day of the trip or – I hate to even say it – accidentally delete everything. So pack ample storage, and remember to regularly transfer photos to your online account (Photobucket!) to make sure those memories are safe. But, bottom line, enjoy your camera, experiment with new lenses, functions and features and just have fun with photography on your trip. Whether it’s an international excursion or a short staycation, you’re making memories that are worth capturing.

If you have any other tips to add, please feel free to share them in the comments below.

-Tom

Teva Mountain Games Photo Competition

Did you make it to the Winter Mountain Games this last weekend in Vail?

We were there, braving the cold to bring you Photobucket goodies and app downloads.

If you took some photos, remember to enter the public contest by adding your photos to the group album. You can win some great prizes from Eddie Bauer, Teva, Maui Jim and more!

Check out this great photo as an example:

And even if you weren't there, you can still take a good look through the group album and click "Like" for the photos you love!

Thanks to everyone who came by to say hi and learn more about Photobucket! You guys rock!

Photobucket Momentum – Building on a Great Year & Looking Ahead

Before really jumping fully into the New Year (I can’t believe it’s already February) I wanted to stop for a minute and look back on the past year, think about how far we have come, and to thank you all for being a part of it. We really had a great year at Photobucket, and there is more excitement to come.

In 2011, Photobucket, cemented its position as the most-visited photo site in 2011, celebrated a partnership with Twitter, released its Snapbucket photo-editing mobile application, and grew the leadership team with the additions of several key executives. When I look at those milestones, I’m pleased with the work our teams have done to advance Photobucket in the market.

By all accounts, the numbers are staggering. By the end of 2011, we boasted nearly 9.5 billion photo and video uploads with an average of five million new uploads each day, plus more than four billion images and videos served each day to more than two million unique sites. Additionally, Photobucket received nearly one million new registered users each month. This means that more and more, consumers are turning to Photobucket as the place to store all of their memories which I find very flattering.

Early in the summer, we were able to capitalize on the heightened interest in mobile photos by releasing Snapbucket, which complements our flagship Photobucket Mobile app. Snapbucket enables users to “snap” photos from their mobile device, personalize those photos through unique filters, effects, vignettes and frames, and then easily share with their social community. On this front, there is much more to come.

Photobucket also announced a groundbreaking partnership with Twitter in 2011; as you likely know, Photobucket powers Twitter's native photo sharing capabilities, allowing users to easily upload and share photos directly in Tweets. This partnership reflected the synergy between both companies’ growth strategies and audience needs, delivering a simple, intuitive user experience for photo sharing. We’re pleased with the momentum, and expect to see increased growth as consumers see the native simplicity of adding photos to their Tweets.

Photobucket shows no signs of stopping this positive momentum in 2012, with plans for subsequent product enhancements and launches, additions in functionality and features, new and novel editing tools, plus an updated look and feel for the website. Here is a video of me talking about video and photo trends if you are interested in hearing more.

Thank you to all of you for your support!

-Tom

Mobile Engagement Spike

Photobucket Survey Reveals Spike in Mobile Video & Fanatical Mobile App Usage during 2011 Holiday Season

Latest consumer survey, supported by data from Photobucket’s 100 million users, reveals trends in online photo and video capturing behavior throughout the holidays

Denver, CO – January 31, 2012 – Photobucket Corporation, the world’s leading dedicated photo and video sharing service, today announced results from its company-sponsored 2011 Post-Holiday Photo Usage survey. Responses from more than 2,200 survey participants, as well as data garnered from Photobucket’s 100 million users and their nine and a half billion image uploads, helped to illustrate the current attitudes and habits of those capturing photos and videos throughout the 2011 holiday season. Among the findings are that video uploads via mobile devices are increasing, and digital camera use has generally decreased, except for important holiday pictures.

Mobile Video Popularity Increases

According to the survey, consumers used mobile devices to capture video during the recent holidays at an unprecedented rate. In fact, of those surveyed, 80 percent took video via a mobile device at least once, and half used a mobile device to record video daily or multiple times per day.

This is an increase from the Photobucket Summer 2011 survey where only 59 percent of participants used mobile devices for video at least once, and 25 percent used mobile devices for video multiple times per day. Although the time of year and the holidays are a factor, the trend is indicative of the overall rising popularity of mobile devices for video.

Photobucket’s internal data further supports this claim; video uploads to Photobucket.com have more than doubled in the past year.

Fanatical Use in Mobile Photo Apps Growing

Data from the 2011 summer survey suggested that there was a high threshold for adoption of mobile apps, but once adopted, there was enthusiastic use; this assertion was again supported in the recent survey. Although 43 percent of respondents to the 2011 holiday survey indicated they have yet to try a mobile app for photos, those who use mobile apps at least once, if not multiple times per day doubled to 42 percent, up from 20 percent in the summer survey.

This enthusiasm is further supported by Photobucket’s internal data, which shows that mobile app use has increased by 64 percent since the launch of Snapbucket, Photobucket’s second mobile app that enables users to “snap” photos from their mobile device, personalize those photos through unique filters, effects, vignettes and frames, and then easily share with their social community.

“We saw explosive growth in mobile in 2011; in fact, we topped 10 million mobile downloads to end the year,” said Munro. “With our integrated platform, we have uniquely positioned Photobucket to bring together the ease of mobile with the creativity and permanence of the web. In the coming year, we look forward to furthering our leadership in the mobile space.”

Digital Camera Use Falters But Still Has a Role

The 2011 holiday survey showed a significant decrease in the number of consumers reporting use of digital cameras for capturing the majority of their images throughout the season, down from 82 percent in the 2010 holiday survey to 64 percent in the 2011 holiday survey. However, 38 percent reported that they switched back to a digital camera for holiday images. This may indicate that although overall digital camera use is declining, these devices still serve a purpose, perhaps for capturing what consumers consider their most important images.

Centralized Organization on Rise

Over the past year, the number of choices for capturing, sharing and storing photos online has grown extensively; however, despite consumers’ tendency to fragment their online photo storage, survey results show a trend toward consolidation of digital memories.

In fact, the survey revealed that only 33 percent of respondents had images on three or more sites; well down from 50 percent in the Photobucket Summer 2011 survey and 52 percent in last year’s holiday survey. Those reporting images on more than five sites have declined as well, from nine percent in both previous surveys, to just under six percent in the most recent holiday survey.

“The explosive growth in the photo-sharing market has shown how popular the market really is. Unfortunately, this growth has also overwhelmed people with choices for sharing and storing images,” said Tom Munro, CEO of Photobucket. “We are happy to see a trend toward consolidation; consumers, after trying multiple options, desire a single place in which they can store and share the story of their life in photos and video. Photobucket strives to be that resource for them to easily save, edit, create and manage all of their photos and video for life.”

Holiday Memories through Photo-Sharing

Other interesting results from the 2011 holiday survey include:

Sharing holiday pictures on social media sites is up:

Year-over-year, growth went from 57 percent to 80 percent
Use of images on holiday cards continues to be very popular:
41 percent used an image for their holiday card
58 percent of those with pets included them in the image on their holiday card
Popularity of photo-sharing sites also remains high:
83 percent of consumers report storing their holiday images online
Photobucket has provided an Infographic that further explores the survey results as well as additional data garnered from Photobucket’s 100 million users.

How the Survey Was Conducted

The 2011 Post Holiday survey was conducted in January 2012. Results from 2,227 respondents were recorded.

To create a free Photobucket account, users can visit http://photobucket.com or find the Photobucket Mobile Application and Snapbucket app available in the app store on all major smartphone platforms. Photobucket supports Mobile Web, iPhone, Android based devices, Blackberry and Windows Phone 7.

About Photobucket

Photobucket is the world’s leading dedicated photo and video sharing service. With over 100 million registered members, Photobucket users upload over four million images and videos per day from the Web and connected digital devices. Photobucket hosts, preserves and protects photos and videos while bringing members the very best browsing, sharing and editing experiences. In addition to uploading and sharing with friends and family on the Photobucket site, users can also instantly share memories across all of the most popular social networks, instant messenger applications, through email, and from their mobile phones. Photobucket’s headquarters are in Denver, Colorado with a regional office in San Francisco, California. For the latest feature announcements and news, please visit the Photobucket press blog at http://blog.photobucket.com/photobucket_press.

From the CES floor to the floor of the Grand Canyon…

By Tom Munro, CEO

CES 2012 was the second largest in its history, and the sheer scope of exhibitors, attendees and product announcements was impressive. I spent a good portion of my time in meetings, but had a unique opportunity to be whisked away from the madness, and experience one of our greatest national treasures first hand.

Nokia hosted an event to which David Toner, our VP of Marketing, and I were lucky enough to be invited. It began with a limo ride, where we headed straight to a heliport near McCarran International. Destination? The Grand Canyon. Armed with the brand new Lumia 800 series Windows phones (pre-US release) we flew in seven helicopters right down to the floor of the canyon. Enjoying near perfect weather, we departed the helicopters to be greeted by unparalleled beauty, with some snacks and champagne to boot.

Two and a half hours removed from the hustle and bustle of CES, we were in the midst of breathtaking scenery, some of which I captured with the Lumia 800. Not only did the camera have a very solid feel with comfortable dimensions, but it also has quite a unique look. Through an “unexpected drop-test” (i.e. accident), I found no evidence of impact, and because of the solid color of the body, no visible scratches. A must-have for an active dad.

Nokia’s host, Brett Murray, couldn’t have conceived of a more picture-perfect event. And, the company’s ingenuity and product design were well rewarded back in Las Vegas, when they won CNET’s Best of CES Award for Mobile Phones http://cnet.co/wonAFk. I hope you enjoy some of the pictures we captured, and I know this is an experience I won’t soon forget. Thank you so much to our hosts for such a fantastic opportunity!

-Tom

Happy New Year! Starting 2012 on a Positive Note

By Tom Munro, CEO

A new year is upon us, and I always like to use this time to take the lessons learned from the previous 12 months and apply them as we set goals for the next 12 months. Did you achieve what you set out to accomplish in 2011? Why or why not? And what changes can be made to make your 2012 even more successful, both personally and professionally?

Here at Photobucket, we were fortunate enough to end 2011 on a high note (see my previous posts here and here). But we are even more excited to be carrying that positive momentum into 2012: Recently, the website Top Ten Reviews ranked Photobucket as #1 in their roundup of the “2012 Best Photo Sharing Service Comparisons and Reviews.” And thanks to our partnership with Twitter last year, research recently revealed that Twitter’s own photo-sharing feature (powered by Photobucket) now powers nearly half of all the photos shared on the micro-blogging site. You can read more about the findings Colleen Taylor’s GigaOm article here.

Perhaps the best part of a new year, however, is that’s there’s so much opportunity on the horizon. At Photobucket, we’ve got some great things up our sleeves for the next 12 months (I can’t spill the beans just yet, but be sure to stay tuned). But I also want to invite you to share your thoughts on how we can improve Photobucket over the course of the next year. We’re continually evolving, and everything we do is with you, our users, in mind, so please feel free to share any feedback and ideas on how we can make it the best possible experience for you.

Thanks for your continued support, and here’s to 2012!

-Tom

Embracing SLR Cameras

by Tom Munro, CEO

With the holidays just around the corner, many of us will be eager to capture special moments by taking photos of friends and family. And with the popularity of SLR cameras on the rise, I thought I would provide a few tips to help you get started. Even though most SLRs feature preset shooting modes, transitioning from a point-and-shoot can still be quite overwhelming. Despite this learning curve, the results can be very rewarding, so just take it slow and be patient. You will love the pictures you can take!

First, read your instructions. It may seem simple, but this is often something we overlook when buying new electronic ‘toys.’ Sure, some gadgets are self-explanatory, but your camera’s instruction booklet is an important one to read. It will walk you through all the features of your camera so you’ll be able to make the most of your investment.

Next – start exploring the menus and settings. Bloggers Kevin and Amanda say you should prioritize learning the concepts of Aperture Priority and Shutter Priority. This will go a long way in helping you understand lighting, depth of field and where to focus. And then you’ll be able to get those great, dramatic photos where one object is in focus and the background is blurred. Lifehacker also has some great tips to check out as you’re exploring, too.

Then, practice! Don’t wait until you are at the family Christmas party or the New Year’s Eve party you are hosting or you may miss those fleeting moments you want to capture on film. Instead, set up a time to try your hand at different techniques at home with your dogs, kids, friends, significant other – basically, anyone and anything you can use as a subject. The point of this is to just get comfortable with your SLR.

Finally, take off the auto mode training wheels and put your camera into manual mode – this is, in fact, why you decided to get an SLR in the first place. In part two of Lifehacker’s look at SLR cameras, they break down how to use your camera in full manual mode. The possibilities are limitless, so don’t be afraid to try new things here – you never know, you might stumble upon something amazing!

Don’t have a SLR or are hoping to get a one for Christmas? Here are the top SLR cameras of 2011 according to ZDNet. Good luck, and happy snapping this season.

-Tom