picdibs guides
the field notes
Practical guides on sharing photos from a night out, collecting event photos from your whole group, the digicam aesthetic, and finding the shots you're in.
- Comparisons5 min read
Share Photos Without Making Everyone Download an App
The fastest way to lose half your group's photos is to ask everyone to install an app. Here's how to collect them all with nothing to download.
Read the guide → - Culture6 min read
The Best Digital Cameras for the Digicam Aesthetic
You don't need an expensive camera for the digicam look — you need the right kind of cheap one. Here's what actually creates the aesthetic, and what to look for.
Read the guide → - How-to5 min read
How to Add a Date Stamp to Photos (the Digicam Look)
That little orange date in the corner is peak digicam nostalgia. Here's where it comes from, how to add it to any photo for free, and how to do it without wrecking your metadata.
Read the guide → - How-to5 min read
How to Use a QR Code to Collect Event Photos
A QR code on the table turns every guest into a contributor in one scan. Here's how to use one to collect an entire event's photos — no app, no sign-ups.
Read the guide → - How-to6 min read
How to Remove GPS & Location Data From Your Photos
Your photos quietly carry the exact coordinates of where they were taken. Here's what EXIF data is, why you should strip location before sharing, and how to do it in seconds.
Read the guide → - Guides5 min read
Bachelorette & Bachelor Party Photo Sharing
A whole weekend, one very memorable group, and everyone's phone full of shots. Here's how to pool them privately — and keep the ones that stay in the group, in the group.
Read the guide → - Guides5 min read
Festival & Concert Photo Sharing: One Album for the Whole Crew
Everyone shot the same set from a different spot. Here's how to pool a whole festival weekend into one roll instead of nagging six people for their camera rolls.
Read the guide → - Guides6 min read
Wedding Photo Sharing: Collect Every Guest's Camera Roll
The photographer covers the posed shots. But the candid, funny, off-the-cuff frames live on 80 guests' phones — here's how to get all of them in one place.
Read the guide → - Guides6 min read
How to Get Everyone's Photos After a Party
The photos always end up scattered across a dozen phones. Here's how to pull the whole night into one place — without chasing anyone in the group chat.
Read the guide → - Guides6 min read
The Best Way to Share Photos From a Night Out
AirDrop, group chats, cloud links — they all break down once more than two people are involved. Here's the setup that actually keeps a night together.
Read the guide → - Culture7 min read
The Digicam Aesthetic, Explained
Why is everyone carrying a chunky 2000s point-and-shoot again? A plain-English guide to the digicam look and how to get it.
Read the guide → - Comparisons6 min read
Disposable Camera Apps vs. a Shared Digital Album
The digital disposable camera trend nailed the vibe but kept the wait. Here's how it compares to a shared album — and when each one is the right call.
Read the guide → - Guides6 min read
How to Collect Event Photos From All Your Guests
Your guests captured moments your photographer missed. Here's how to gather every guest's photos into one album without chasing anyone down.
Read the guide → - Comparisons7 min read
Shared Photo Album Apps: What to Look For
Not all "shared albums" are equal. Here are the five things that actually matter when you're picking one for a group.
Read the guide → - Guides6 min read
How to Find Photos of Yourself From an Event
Scrolling 400 photos to find the 12 you're in is nobody's idea of fun. Here's how the shots of you can surface automatically — privately.
Read the guide → - Guides5 min read
Birthday Party Photo Sharing: One Link, Everyone's Shots
Everyone took photos at the party. Now they're on twelve different phones. Here's the no-chase way to get them all together.
Read the guide → - Guides6 min read
How to Organize Group Trip & Vacation Photos With Friends
Five friends, five phones, one trip. Here's how to end the vacation with one shared album instead of five incomplete ones.
Read the guide → - How-to6 min read
Digicam Night-Out Photography Tips
The digicam look is 90% technique and 10% gear. Here's how to shoot flash-lit, grainy, gloriously candid night-out photos.
Read the guide →