Google Photos Tutorial

[Michelle Osborne]

Setting up your Google Account

 

You will need a Google account to submit assignments for the Focus Your Art courses. You can use an existing gmail.com account or create a new one. Even if you already have an @gmail.com Google account, you should know that you will be creating public albums for this course, so you might consider creating a new account for this course if that bothers you.

 

Google likes to keep things fresh, so some of the screens may not look exactly like the ones below.  However, this should still work to get you through the process. If you have any trouble with this process, please post in the discussion forum and we'll be sure to assist you with getting set up.

 

If you have a Google account already, go to https://myaccount.google.com/ and scroll down to the "Using Google Photos" section below.

 

 

Creating a New Account

 

If you need to create a new account, you can do so here: https://accounts.google.com/SignUp

 

 

Fill in your name, and create a user name and password and click "Next."

 

On the next page, you can choose recover options (phone number, alternate e-mail address). These are optional. Google does require you to add your birthday and choose a gender (note that there are options for "rather not say" and you can also choose the "custom" option).

 

 

On the next page, scroll down and click on "I agree."

 

 

 

Once you have created your account, you can upload photos to share with the class.  

 

 

Using Google Photos

 

Click at the top of the screen on the Google Apps icon, as shown below.

 

 

Next, click on the Photo icon from the popup window.  Your icon may be in a different place in the panel and you may have to scroll down to find it.

 

 

You will need to change some settings before uploading your first photos. To get to your settings, click on the little "gear" icon in the top right corner of the screen.

 

 

Change the upload size from "High Quality" to "Original."

 

 

Turn off all of the settings under the "Suggestions" drop-down menu:

 

 

Turn off the following settings under "Group Similar Faces" and "Sharing":

 

 

 

 

[Michelle Osborne]

UPLOADING YOUR ASSIGNMENTS TO GOOGLE PHOTOS

 

 

FILE SIZE:

The maximum file size you can upload in Google Photos is 200MB. 

 

FILE FORMAT:

For the purposes of this class, please upload only JPG or TIFF files for your assignment feedback. Google Photos will not accept Photoshop PSD files.

 

 

 

TIME-SAVING SUGGESTION:

As you prepare your files for uploading, create a new folder on your computer someplace that's easily accessible (I often use my desktop for this). Copy all images into this folder, so when you go to upload everything to Google Photos, it's all in one easy place. You can simply select all images, upload them, create the album, and be done with it in one shot!

See below for how to rearrange the photos in an album once you've uploaded them.

 

 

Google generates a custom link for your album so that you can share it.  Do not cut and paste the link from the address bar.  That will not allow others to view your album.  

 

To share the album, click on the "share" icon in the upper right hand corner.

 

 

Note: For class situations, you will need to share the ALBUM, not just an individual photo. Please make sure you've opened the album and have all photos in the requested order (see below for a video on how to re-order your album) and then click on the share button.

 

 

Click on "Copy Link" at the bottom of the pop-up screen.

 

 

 

This creates the link you will need and highlights it by default. To copy the link on a PC, press Control-C. To copy the link on a Mac, press Command-C. 

 

 

Return to the page at Focus Your Art where you want to paste the link. On a PC, press Control-V to paste. On a Mac, press Command-V to paste. 

 

 

FILE SIZE:

The maximum file size you can upload in Google Photos is 200MB. 

 

FILE FORMAT:

For the purposes of this class, please upload only JPG or TIFF files for your assignment feedback. Google Photos will not accept Photoshop PSD files.

 

If you want to rearrange the images within the album, here's a video tutorial for that process: