Method for digital photo management and distribution

Abstract

Digital images are captured on a digital camera, automatically formatted, and uploaded to a server for review and collaborative modifications. An on-line web gallery is automatically generated by the server whereby low resolution versions of the images are transferred to the server and appear in the gallery within seconds from capturing the images. Among other things, a viewer located remotely from a photographer can observe new images in the gallery in real time as they are captured, place a request for post-production modifications to selected images and download a high resolution version of selected images.

1 . A method of managing digital images comprising:
 capturing a plurality of digital images having a first resolution with a digital camera;   automatically modifying the plurality of digital images to create a plurality of modified images having a second resolution that is less than the first resolution;   automatically transmitting the plurality of modified images to a server;   automatically transmitting the plurality of modified images from the server via a network to a computer having a display screen;   automatically displaying each of the plurality of modified images on the display screen, wherein each of the plurality of modified images as displayed on the display screen has associated therewith a first control icon; and   transmitting one of the plurality of digital images having the first resolution to the computer in response to a command corresponding to the selection of the first control icon associated with one of the plurality of modified images.   
   
   
       2 . A computer data signal for use with a digital camera adapted to capture a plurality of digital images having a first resolution, and for use with a server in communication via a network with a first computer having a first display screen, said computer data signal being embedded in a carrier wave representing at least one program for controlling a plurality of processors to execute:
 automatically modifying the plurality of digital images to create a plurality of modified images having a second resolution that is less than the first resolution;   automatically transmitting the plurality of modified images to the server;   automatically transmitting the plurality of modified images to the first computer;   automatically displaying each of the plurality of modified images on the first display screen, wherein each of the plurality of modified images as displayed on the first display screen has associated therewith a first control icon; and   transmitting one of the plurality of digital images having the first resolution to the computer in response to a command corresponding to the selection of the first control icon associated with one of the plurality of modified images.