When it comes to joining a community that will not only share your passion but also help in improving your knowledge and techniques, finding the right fit can be challenging. With so many photography and photo sharing websites available, it is easy to get lost and have a hard time separating the good from the bad. Here are some pointers on finding the right fit for your passion.
Is photography the main focus of the website?
Many websites claim to provide a good experience for photographers but fall short on delivering on that promise. Usually photography sites will be well designed, mention photography types on their websites and if you look through the ‘about us’ section most will have a staff or be owned by photo enthusiasts.
Does the site offer advice on photography tips or improvements?
Look for articles or a section on photography taking tips, advice and tricks. Good websites make it a point to engage their visitors with helpful content, by providing photo tips and other ways to help you improve on your skills they make it worth your while to join.
What is the member base like?
Look through the members (through forums or groups on the sites) and see what they are talking about. Good sites will have members discussing all types of photography issues from digital photography tips, lighting solutions to the best photo spots they have found.
Do they have an active photography forum?
An active community means that you will be getting a lot of advice and improving on your knowledge. It is also a great way to network and meet other photographers from around the world. Good sites will split up the forums into groups and have topics ranging from photography tips, digital photography, equipment and more.
Does the site allow you to exhibit photographs?
Most photography sites will allow you to create your own ‘photo gallery’ where you can exhibit and showcase your work in either a private gallery (password protected) or public gallery. The aim of this is to allow you to start showcasing your work – you never who will see it, love it and buy it or better yet spread the word about your work!
How much storage does the site offer?
All the photography sites will allow you to upload your photo art. You want to be able to upload your good quality photos which at times may be larger in file size. Choose sites that offer you a large enough storage, and if they charge for additional storage look around and compare the prices to ensure you are getting the best price.
Do they offer competitions?
This is a great way to improve on your techniques and to keep you motivated and passionate about our hobby. Find sites that offer regular photography competitions. Look at the prizes or competition sponsors to find out reputable the competition is. Sites that have mainly photo related sponsors or offer prizes with a high market value, clearly pride themselves in being the best and chances are they really are one of the better photography sites.
At the end of the day you need to feel comfortable with any community that you choose to join. Test out your chosen site for a while. Find out how easy they are use, the member ship process, how good is the support team, how active are the forums and any other feature that will make your time enjoyable.
PhotoArtGallery is an online community that provides its users with a platform to link with other enthusiasts. They run regular photography competitions, regular updated photography tips and the ability to store, share and sell your photo art. Check them out for yourself at www.photoartgallery.com
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