Creating and sharing digital photo albums

1. A method of accessing, over a network, an image album comprising a plurality of source images, wherein a representation of the image album is stored on a first server, the method comprising the steps of:

downloading to a receiver, from the first server, the representation of the image album;

downloading to the receiver, from the first server, reduced resolution images of the plurality of source images dependent upon the representation of the album; and

at the receiver, designating one of the reduced resolution images and, if the receiver requests a high resolution image, then:

sending, from the receiver to the first server, a request for a source image corresponding to one of the reduced resolution images, the first server selecting a second server from a plurality of servers storing a copy of the source image and redirecting the request to the second server;

receiving, at the receiver, from the first server, a notification that the second server and the plurality of servers are off-line;

the receiver sending to the first server, based on said notification, a request for delayed delivery of the source image, the first server selecting a providing server from among the second server and said plurality of servers once the providing server is on-line; and

the receiver receiving, over the network from a storage device associated with the selected providing server that is located remotely from the first server, the source image corresponding to the reduced resolution version, in response to the request for delayed delivery of the source image.

2. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the representation of the image album comprises at least:

a theme or a reference thereto for the image album;

a page layout or a reference thereto for the image album;

resolution information or a reference thereto for the source images; and

identifiers or references thereto for the source images.

3. A method according to claim 2 , wherein the representation of the image album is an album file and further comprises the reduced resolution images of the source image.

4. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the reduced resolution images are stored on the first server.

5. A method according to claim 2 , wherein the reduced resolution images are stored on the storage device associated with the second server.

6. A method according to claim 2 , comprising the further steps of, prior to the downloading steps:

assembling, in a visually displayed scratch pad, the source images from at least one image repository;

compiling the assembled source images from the scratch pad to form the image album; and

forming the representation of the image album.

7. A method according to claim 2 , comprising the further steps of, prior to the downloading steps:

forming the representation of the image album;

uploading the representation of the image album to the first server; and

sending, to the receiver, a link to the representation of the image album, the receiver thereby being able to access the representation of the image album on the first server.

8. A method according to claim 7 , wherein:

the link supports mere viewing of the representation of the image album; and

the access is provided by sending the representation of the image album from the first server to the receiver in web page format enabling the receiver to view the album using web browser software.

9. A method according to claim 8 , wherein the web page format utilizes one or more of HTML, CSS, JPG, GIF and Javascript.

10. A method according to claim 7 , wherein:

the link supports viewing and manipulation of the representation of the image album; and

the access is provided by sending the representation of the image album from the first server to the receiver in a format enabling the receiver to view and manipulate the received representation of the image album using album creation and sharing software.

11. A method according to claim 10 , wherein the format utilizes one or more of XML and JPG.

12. A receiving apparatus for communicating source images from an image album, over a network, wherein a representation of the image album is stored on a first server, the apparatus comprising:

means for downloading, from the first server, the representation of the image album;

means for downloading, from the first server, reduced resolution images of the source images dependent upon the representation of the image album;

means for designating one of the reduced resolution images;

means for requesting a high resolution image associated with the designated reduced resolution image;

means for sending to the first server a request for a source image corresponding to the designated reduced resolution image, the first server selecting a second server from a plurality of servers storing a copy of the source image and redirecting the request to the second server;

means for receiving, from the first server, a notification that the second server and the plurality of servers are off-line;

means for sending to the first server, based on said notification, a request for delayed delivery of the source image, the first server selecting a providing server from among the second server and said plurality of servers once the providing server is on-line; and

means for receiving over the network, from a storage device associated with the selected providing server that is located remotely from the first server, the source image corresponding to the reduced resolution version.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having a computer program recorded therein, in executable form, for causing a computer to communicate source images of an image album, over a network, wherein a representation of the image album is stored on a first server, the program causing the computer to perform the steps of:

downloading to the computer, from the first server, the representation of the image album;

downloading to the computer, from the first server, reduced resolution images of the source images dependent upon the representation of the image album;

at the computer, designating one of the reduced resolution images;

if a high resolution image is requested, then:

sending, from the computer to the first server, a request for a source image corresponding to the designated reduced resolution image, the first server selecting a second server from a plurality of servers storing a copy of the source image and redirecting the request to the second server;

receiving, at the computer, from the first server, a notification that the second server and the plurality of servers are off-line;

the computer sending to the first server, based on said notification, a request for delayed delivery of the source image, the first server selecting a providing server from among the second server and said plurality of servers once the providing server is on-line; and

the computer receiving over the network, from a storage device associated with the selected providing server that is located remotely from the first server, the source image corresponding to the reduced resolution version, in response to the request for delayed delivery of the source image.