Which Site is THE BEST Photo Sharing Site?

Over the past 6 years I have tried several photo sharing sites such as Flickr, Viewbug, 500px, Imagekind, and FineArtAmerica and even just sharing my photos with my friends on Facebook. I have not been paid to speak about any of the sites mentioned in this post.  It's just my honest opinion about my experiences with these sites. I hope you will find the information useful.

All of these sites are run differently and have different intentions and uses of your images. Some offer free profiles with limited uploads unless you upgrade and others are photo contest sites (Viewbug) and some are non competitive and offer a great place for you to share your photos and meet other like-minded people who share your same passion for photography.

I started out on Flickr and have always considered it my "home-base photography profile".  Many people & friends I met there and I am still following them and they are still following me.  They have stayed very committed even when I didn't upload images there for months, even years.  They still recognized my name or profile image and were happy to see me back online sharing my photos.

Here is one of todays uploads called Down the Hatch.

Photo by Julie Everhart

I guess it all depends what you are wanting and you need to ask yourself that very question before you begin your online presence and start building your portfolio. If its a photo contest site you are after, then I recommend Viewbug. Its not a heavy traffic site and unless you have been with them since the start, its very hard to receive comments/feedback and make new fans/followers.  They do let other peers award your photos and that is a nice feature.  I have been entering the monthly contests there for about a year and half and have yet to win one.


Imagekind and FineArtAmerica are profiles that I started and I personally felt that it takes allot of time to categorize your work and get your photos uploaded. However, I have not been back to my profiles for quite some time and its possible that things have improved.  I know many photographers that  make most of their sales there and love it. So this is just my personal opinion.

Now it comes to 500px.com. This is not a site for beginners!  Although I don't consider myself a beginner and not quite a pro, I have been taking photos long enough and have had to grow quite a few layers of skin to be able to tolerate how this particular site works. It is very skewed and photographers are not likely to take an immediate liking to your work very easily.  They have a what they call a "pulse" each time you upload a photo and based on number of views, likes or favorites it receives, number of Facebook shares or tweets it may get will raise this score. The higher the score, the closer your photo will get to being number one for the day, or just a few hours.

After 24 hours the pulse is dropped 10 points and will never go higher. It will record the highest pulse you received and that will be it. That photo will never again have the chance to go any higher , unless you delete it and try it again another day.  Be aware that there are many photographers that will refuse to like or Fave your newest upload as to not give your photo a chance to go higher. They will like or fave a photo from a day or two before knowing what you last upload is. There are many photographers that do not act appropriately. So BEWARE.

I am relatively new to 500px and joined in July of 2013 and I am almost at a 100,000 views and trust me, I worked very hard to get those views.  With so many great photographers from all around the world its not easy to get views to your work. People tend to Like and Favorite your work only if you Like and Favorite their work first.  Its a very time consuming process and and as I stated above there are not many photographers there that will reciprocate favorably back.

Facebook is great place to share when you are a beginner. However the more advanced you get, you will not want to share your best there. People can download and save your images and have become very accustomed to it. Your photos are not protected there!  I will from time to time on rare occasion put up a decent photo there as a cover photo but always cringe when I do.  I personally do not like to give my work away.

All in all, my choice is Flickr. Photographers are not in a constant state of competition and the other members will genuinely Fave your photo if they feel it deserves it.  They have no hidden agendas and people are sincere with their words or comments on your photos. They have thousands of groups you can enter and I even have one I started nearly 5 years ago called Above All The Rest and Simply The BEST.


So there you have it. My thoughts and views on a few of these photo sharing sites. If you have any other comments or questions feel free to write them below. I would love to hear your thoughts on these sites if you are a member of any of them. Maybe you share a different experience or could shed some light for those of us that feel differently?

If you would like to have a peek at today's newest upload feel free to click the image below. This image was shot in Infrared from the top of the St.Augustine Lighthouse in St. Augustine, Florida on February 15, 2014.

Have a great day!

Julie

P.S. Donations for the information I have provided in my blog are always appreciated but never necessary.

As Seen From Above by Julie Everhart.