By Samantha Wessman
Technology Editor

You’re just back from that family reunion and everybody’s sent you so many pictures that your mailbox is full and you can't even open half the files. Argh! How to sort them all and send them out to everyone?

There is a better way.

Photo sharing—and even video sharing websites like YouTube—are a fun and easy way to share images with friends and family. You just upload the photos from your digital camera or cel phone and share the web address.

Different sites have different ways of allowing users to share  photos. Some allow you to order prints, calendars, booklets and posters with your images, delivered by mail. Others are just to share with family and friends.

One of the largest photo sharing sites, Photobucket, is a completely free and public site. However, Photobucket doesn’t allow users to limit their photo viewers, whereas sites like Flickr allow users to limit viewers to invitation-only. Also on these sites, you can organize your photos for  presentations and slideshows. This can allow for faster viewing for either public or personal use.

Other sites, allow you to order prints and other products with your images. 

Snapfish, which is owned by Hewlett-Packard, allow you to order prints by mail, or for pickup at select stores such as Target. You can also make booklets, calendars, posters and other gift items with your images. Snapfish offers 20 free prints free to new customers, and digital prints for as low as 8 cents each. Also, check out this link to get a discount on

Shutterfly also has those options, including the Martha Stewart-designed photo books that you can use to show off your pictures. Shutterfly Share allows you to create a private website for pictures and comments from family and friends. Shutterfly offers 50 free prints to new members. Here’s a link to a discount offer for Shutterfly.
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These sites are proving so popular that now, the traditional photodeveloping stores are going on-line. Walgreens.com, for example, now offers one-hour upload and pickup at a local store.

Whichever site you choose, don’t forget to check for discount codes before you buy photo products. Click here  and here to start your search.

If you want to share video, Photobucket and YouTube are good places to start. Membership is free, and simply record the video with your digital camera and upload it to your account, then share the link with family and friends.

And  what about those piles of photos you have sitting in your closet? Here’s a  story from the New York Times about a service that will digitize them.