How to post single frames from stroke videos

[Chas Tennis]

As shindemac points out below, there may be better ways to post single frames from high speed videos.

If you have some suggestions please spell them out, giving the specific names of what you use. Windows "Snipping Tool", Downloadhelper(probably limited to the Firefox browser), Photoshop, etc. One advantage would be to use applications already on most computers. Mention PC or Mac, browser Firefox, Chrome, etc..

Here is what I currently do. It is really easy but posting 4 pictures in a TW reply, going back and forth, is a little slow. I don't change picture sizes or add labels or arrows, etc. in my process.

I can't do very effective stop action single frame on Youtube.

1) First, I download the Youtube using free Downloadhelper. (I use Firefox and believe that Downloadhelper is an ad-on to Firefox and does not apply to other browsers.)
2) Then I view the video single frame using Quicktime.
3) While stopped on the frame, I use Windows 7 "Snipping Tool" to select the part of the frame to save as a picture.
4) After I save frames to my "Pictures" using Snipping Tool, I upload them to a picture hosting website where I have an account. (There is a webpage that lists the 15 most popular photo sharing websites.)
http://www.ebizmba.com/articles/photo-sharing-sites
I use Snapfish. The site is offered to sell prints.

This next step is necessary because you need to use the picture hosting site to post a picture in a TW thread - you cannot upload pictures directly from your computer.

5) To post pictures in a TW reply, click on Reply.
6) Put cursor where you want the picture to be.
7) Go to the picture hosting website and view the picture (not the small thumbnail).
8,) Right click on the picture & select "Copy Image Location".
9) Go to the TW Reply and select the

icon above the Reply text box. Paste the "Copy Image Location" into the box.
10) a double "http://" always appears and one of these must to be erased for it to work.
XXhttp://http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/images/editor/insertimage.gif
11) Check that the picture is there in the right place using 'Preview'.

I originally found the suggestion to use Downloadhelper on Youtube. There was also a Youtube about downloading Youtubes using Downloadhelper.

For Firefox -
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-us/firefox/addon/video-downloadhelper/
will look for Downloadhelper video.

You guys are hilarious. You can take a screenshot and then chop it down using an editor.

I can easily get to the frame I want. Any questions?

There are many ways to handle images and I don't know much on the subject. I just Googled to find my process. It has some cumbersome steps and could be improved. For me, downloading the Youtubes and viewing them with Quicktime was a big step because stopping on a single frame on Youtube is very hit and miss, a big time waster.

I'd always like to hear of a better way. Could you spell it out for me and others who might be interested.

I'm not familiar with photo editors and I hardly do any photo editing or processing other than for this forum. What photo editors are already on everyone's computers? Or should be used? Photoshop is on my list of things to do but I don't want to spend the time with another learning curve. Isn't the Windows Snipping Tool the same as part of a photo editor? It seems as if taking a screen shot might add a step. ?

I'd really like a discussion and some options.

My big improvement was to download the Youtubes with Downloadhelper and use Quicktime - huge time saving over trying to stop on a single frame from a Youtube playback.

Does anyone do stop action single frame on Youtube? Has that improved recently?

 

[heninfan99]

cropping in photoshop takes a second. If you ever want any advices on that just ask. I work with it for a living.

 

[Chas Tennis]

cropping in photoshop takes a second. If you ever want any advices on that just ask. I work with it for a living.

The Windows 'Snipping Tool' crops initially but it has very minimal ways to insert lines or arrows, just free hand wiggly lines. It is on every PC with Windows 7 and I expect similar tools are available with other versions of Windows. I don't know much about Windows photo editing but it is probably pretty capable.

I bought a copy of Photoshop Elements 10 but never loaded it. My main use is for this forum. I don't get paid for this and am already overwhelmed with more interesting learning curves than Photoshop's learning curve. But I am aware of some of its great capabilities.

I would estimate that the majority of readers don't have Photoshop.

Maybe someone who uses Photoshop can capture a frame, crop it, put on a label and a straight line, and post it in this thread. I don't understand any special features as to how Photoshop deals with videos or Youtube. They could list their steps.

 

[shindemac]

I'm on a Mac so things will be different. Macs have a built in feature to take screenshots. It doesn't matter what photo editor you use. I've used photoshop, gimp, paint shop pro, etc. I'm pretty sure anyone under the age of 35 knows how to crop photos due to instagram, facebook, and all. I'm not gonna give a step by step tutorial, cause this is pretty basic and I can figure it out no matter which program I'm using.

 

[torpantennis]

Linux command line, ffmpeg...

 

[mntlblok]

I use the Snipping Tool. I just use the YouTube videos because I generally don't bother with them unless it's in super slo-mo. If it's not, then there's generally too much "blur" in the frame. So, the "hit or miss" aspect is tolerable, for me, if the video was made with a high enough speed camera.

I've learnt Photoshop because it's pretty much a "have to" thing for post processing underwater stuff. You can "type" on a photo with Photoshop, and probably with most other photo software. Some aggravating extra steps, so I don't generally bother - especially since my stuff doesn't seem to draw much interest.