3 On Your Side: Online Photo Gallery To Shut Down In July
By Jim Donovan
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- For so many of us, our photographs are among our most prized possessions. Next month, billions of online photos will be on the move when a major website shuts down.
From milestones to everyday laughs. Chrissie Montgomery is constantly snapping photos of her two kids.
"It's about almost 7,000 photos that I have on Kodak Gallery," she says.
Chrissie uses the Kodak Gallery website to store her pictures online and to share them with her family across the country.
"I would be devastated if we lost them," Montgomery says.
Now, some are worrying that could happen, because all those precious memories will soon be moving.
Kodak Gallery is shutting down in July, and its five billion photos will be transferred to Shutterfly.
In a statement, Shutterfly says, "It may take time for your photos to appear...The process may take several months to complete."
And that means no online access to your pictures this summer.
"I'm a little nervous to see if all my photos make it from point A to point B," admits Montgomery.
But the experts say that customers can rest assured that this online transition from Kodak Gallery to Shutterfly goes smoothly.
"So far, it has proven much more reliable than what you and I do storing stuff on our hard drive," says Harry West, with Continuum.
Another change for Kodak Gallery customers?
"Shutterfly does not offer full-resolution downloads," Shutterfly says. Instead, you'll have to pay for an archive DVD.
The transfer of photos is being done at no cost to users.
If you don't want to risk any of your photos during this transition, you've got until July 2nd to buy any photos or DVDs.
The same holds true if you've used Kodak Gallery for projects like photo books and calendars, or if you have group albums, as those aren't going to make the move to Shutterfly.
Shutterfly says they understand how important photos are.
"Every one of those means something to me," agrees Montgomery.
Here's hoping that the move to a new home for all those family memories doesn't take too long.
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