How to Contribute Mobile Photos and Video

We encourage the use of DSLR cameras when possible for highest quality images, however, we understand that many of our contributors will be primarily using their mobile phones while on the water. So here are some important points to keep in mind:

  • We prefer high-resolution photos over videos due to their higher detail, but welcome all submissions.
  • Please select and send all photos/videos from your encounter, not just the “best” or the most visually pleasing ones. Even photos that might seem mundane to you can be invaluable for our research.
  • We suggest using the Hightail service for sending your media files to maintain the highest quality and resolution, especially for larger files. Our email has a size cap that could force you to resize your media, which we’d like to avoid.

DSLR vs. Camera Phone

Ensuring High-Resolution Photos and Videos

For Android Devices:

Photos:

  1. Open your Camera app.
  2. Tap on the gear icon to access the camera settings.
  3. Look for the ‘Picture size’ or ‘Resolution’ settings.
  4. Make sure you have chosen the maximum resolution available.

Videos:

  1. In your Camera app, switch to the video mode.
  2. Tap on the gear icon to access the video settings.
  3. Look for the ‘Video size’ or ‘Resolution’ settings.
  4. Make sure you have chosen the maximum resolution available. This will typically be 4K, depending on your device.

For iOS Devices:

Photos:

  1. Open your Settings app.
  2. Scroll down and tap on Camera.
  3. Tap on ‘Formats’.
  4. Ensure ‘High Efficiency’ is selected.

Videos:

  1. In the same Camera settings, tap on ‘Record Video’.
  2. Choose the highest available resolution. This will typically be 4K at 30, or 60 fps, depending on your device.

Emailing Photos and Videos

For Both Android and iOS Devices:

  1. Go to your Photos or Gallery app.
  2. Select the high-resolution photos or videos you want to share.
  3. Tap the share icon (usually appears as a “<” or “…” symbol for Android, and a box with an upward-pointing arrow for iOS).
  4. Choose your email app from the options.
  5. Compose an email to hawaii@cascadiaresearch.org, attach the selected photos and videos, and press ‘Send’. If your files are too large, consider sending them separately or use Hightail.

Uploading Photos and Videos to Hightail

For Android Devices:

  1. Visit https://spaces.hightail.com/uplink/Cascadia in your web browser app (Chrome, Firefox, etc).
  2. Tap on the “Add Files” button in the center of the screen.
  3. A menu will appear, select ‘Files’. This will open up your device’s file explorer.
  4. Navigate to the folder where your high-resolution photos or videos are saved. (Typically, photos and videos are saved in the DCIM > Camera folder.)
  5. Select the files you want to upload and tap ‘Open’.
  6. After all files have been added, tap the “Upload” button.
  7. Wait for the files to be completely uploaded. Do not close the browser during this process.

For iOS Devices:

  1. Visit https://spaces.hightail.com/uplink/Cascadia in your web browser app (Safari, Chrome, etc).
  2. Tap the “Add Files” button in the center of the screen.
  3. A menu will appear, select ‘Photo Library’.
  4. Navigate to the album where your high-resolution photos or videos are saved.
  5. Select the files you want to upload and tap ‘Done’.
  6. After all files have been added, tap the “Upload” button.
  7. Wait for the files to be completely uploaded. Do not close the browser during this process.