Many club members are used to sharing their favourite photos with friends and family via WhatsApp, SMS or email. It’s quick, familiar, and often already part of our daily habits.

So why does the club insist on using Google Photos instead?

The short answer:

Because we care about your work—and we want it to look its best.

The longer answer:

Apps like WhatsApp and email are brilliant for casual sharing, but they are not designed for photographic quality or long-term organisation. Here’s why we avoid them when collecting submissions for club activities—particularly for curated exhibitions or printed photobooks:

1. Image Quality is Downgraded

WhatsApp, SMS, and email often compress your images. This reduces the file size to make sending quicker—but also removes detail and reduces sharpness. That beautiful photo you took? It arrives smaller, fuzzier, and far less suitable for printing.

“🧾 For print or portfolio display, we need the highest quality version of your image—the one that came straight from your camera or phone.”

— WGPC

2. Vital Data is Stripped Away

Every photo contains hidden information called metadata—details like:

When and where it was taken
What camera or phone was used
Exposure settings
Image dimensions and resolution

These details are automatically removed by WhatsApp and some email programs. That makes it harder to sort, catalogue, and even display the image properly. It also makes it impossible for me to help you learn from your settings.

3. One Central, Organised Folder

Google Photos gives us:

A single upload folder everyone can access
Images stored in original quality
Cross-platform access (Apple, Android, Windows)
Easy sorting by photographer and date
A way to build individual portfolios

If I am to prepare club exhibitions or publications, we can go straight to this folder and know that:

✅ The image is usable

✅ We know who took it

✅ It’s ready for print or display

4. It Works for Everyone

We have members using:

iPhones and iPads
Android phones and tablets
Windows PCs
Apple computers
Standalone cameras

Google Photos is the one platform that works for all of them. It avoids Apple’s proprietary formats (like HEIC or Live Photos) which can cause issues for other users—and for the software I use to for the portfolio and print layouts.

5. It Builds Your Portfolio

Each month, I take images from the upload folder and create a personal portfolio site for each member. This is only possible if we know the photo came from you and it has been uploaded in full resolution.

If you’ve not yet looked at your own online portfolio, do ask!

In Summary:

Using Google Photos might feel unfamiliar at first—but it gives us:

Better quality
Easier organisation
Compatibility across all devices
Less stress when preparing events and exhibitions
A chance to help you learn from your own camera settings

And yes—I’m here to help anyone set up the Google Photos app, get a Google ID, or sort out Apple’s quirks (like Live Photos or HEIC files). You’re not expected to be a computer expert.

We want to make the most of your photography. That means starting with your best work, in its best format.

Why We Don’t Use WhatsApp, SMS, or Email