Thursday, April 17, 2014

Google + Photos Nightmare

 

Beware.

 

Maybe it’s just me, but I think Google is trying to take over the world.  :)

For the most part, I love Google, but I’m not at all happy with the Google + photo and I wish I would have never tried the program.

It’s just too complicated and I do not need anything so complicated.   I know if you don’t get on board with all the changes in technology, you’ll be left behind.  Maybe that’s what’s happened to me already, because I am certainly behind when it comes to Google +, hangouts, circles, photos, and all the new features they are offering/shoving down our throats.

I am not really sure what I did, but I wanted to check out the photo editing software that Google + photos offer.  At this point, I’m not even sure what I did, or how I got here, but I’m here and not liking it.

It turns out when you use Google + photos, the default is for them to automatically enhance all of your photos. 

Now, all my photos have been “enhanced” by Google and I do not like that at all.

After the fact, I found where you could turn off the auto enhancement feature, but unfortunately, that seems to be for new photos you add and the old photos stay enhanced.

I have been going back to all of my albums, one by one and “un-enhancing” them album by album.

BUT…..when I go back to the album later, the darn auto enhance is back on and my photos are once again enhanced.

I don’t know what I’m doing wrong, so any suggestions would be appreciated.

I like Picasa for organizing and editing any photos I choose.  I can crop, straighten, correct lighting, but until I actually save the photo, my original is not changed.

Google+ photos seems to want to be all powerful and make it difficult for me to make my own decisions.

For any of you who use this, my questions are:

1.  how to I turn off Google + photos?  I don’t want to use it anymore and I want my pictures back like I had them.

2.  are my original photos actually changed by the auto enhance feature? 

3.  how to I get an album to revert back to non enhanced photos,  and stay reverted?  I do not want them to auto enhance my photos. 

10 comments:

  1. Hopefully Rick will read this and have the answers for you. If not, let me know and I'll ask him to check in with you. I so agree with you. I do NOT want to have all this stuff in my computer world. I may have been left way behind with technology but I'm happy that way.

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  2. Karen, I am with you. I do not like Google+, especially the photo option. There is a way to return to using Picasa but they don't make the link to do this easy to find. I am looking for a better alternative too, so am anxious to see what you learn

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  3. Hi Karen....I can tell you are pretty frustrated by G+ Photos so hopefully I can explain a few things that may help. I'll start by trying to answer questions 2 and 3 first o.k.

    2. are my original photos actually changed by the auto enhance feature?

    No, they are not. All photos can be reverted back to their original format. This is the same as the case in Picasa.

    3. how do I get an album to revert back to non enhanced photos, and stay reverted?

    To Adjust or remove Auto Enhance for an album:

    Find the album you wish to adjust. Click the dropdown arrow to the right of the album title
    > Apply Auto Enhance
    Normal to apply a normal level of Auto Enhance,
    High to increase effects, or
    Off to remove them.

    I have tested this on a few of my albums to reverse 'auto-enhance' and in my case the photos do revert to original and they stay that way when I return to look at them again.

    I'd suggest you pick one of your albums that is 'auto-enhanced' and try the above method for an entire album. Then exit, sign back in and have another look.

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  4. I've stayed away from Google+ photos, I like Picasa. It took me a while to get the hang of Picasa and I don't want to try anything new since Picasa works well for me.

    It will be interesting to see how your questions are answered. Good thing you have a hot tub handy to be able to chill out while you're waiting... ;c)

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  5. I haven't tried the Google+ photo thing yet, and it sounds like it would be a good idea not to.

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  6. Add me to te non-user list. I do my photo editing in Photoshop Elements, have them saved according to my own system in my own Pictures file, then upload to Picasa so I can use them in my blog. I opted out of the new features of google email, and have no clue about the "circles". I'd rather be having fun and making memories than constantly trying to update myself to the latest and greatest :-).

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  7. Karen...in answer to your question #1 - Yes you can choose to remove G+ from your Google Account. Just DO NOT delete your Google Account EVER or you will lose all of your photos, blogs, emails etc. If you did choose to remove G+ your photos will revert back to Picasa Web Albums as before.

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  8. There ya go I think has your answers for you and us too.

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  9. I don't like Google + photo either. I much prefer Picasa! WE have another thing in common...I, too, use Photo Elements and love it. Glad Rick responded. I may need these tips in the future.

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  10. I have to say that I am also tired of google trying to take over the world. This is a battle with the current world dominator, Microsoft it seems to me. I'm staying out of it and don't care if I am "left behind". I'm not going anywhere so how can I be behind. No google+ for me period. That said, Rick did a nice job of answering your questions. Glad somebody love this stuff and knows it but I don't need it and am not particularly "intrigued".

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