Photo Sharing Websites

Ever since moving from film to digital I have been looking for ways to display my photos online. I have tried maybe three or four sites and have not found one that does everything I want it to, but many of them do have some pretty neat features.

The more I have used these sites, the more it has become clear to me that each site has attributes that make it best for specific uses. Some sites are very general and offer casual photographers a place to upload photos for sharing with friends and family, and maybe make some prints as well. Over time I have gravitated away from these types of sites and more towards ones that offer more robust features and customization. Like many enthusiastic amateurs, I am interested in a place to display my photos that will help me to build an audience and provide useful feedback and comments. The sites I have liked the most are those that allow me to become part of a community of like minded photographers and give as well as get feedback. They also have a clean and simple look when displaying photos and an interface that is not overly complicated.

What follows is a short list I have made of sites with some hopefully useful information. Among this group, some things are taken for granted, such as keyword tagging of photos and variable privacy settings.


















I included Summit Post not so much for their capabilities as a photo hosting site, but because they showcase some pretty impressive shots from outdoor enthusiasts and are a unique way to show photos.

There are dozens of other sites out there for sharing photos, many of them geared to a more casual user. Sites like Shutterfly, Kodak Gallery, Webshots, Snapfish, and Fotki are all capable sites, but many of them pressure users to purchase prints or don't have a lot of flexibility.

Regardless of what type of photographer you are, there are several things to think about when choosing a site:

• cost: is it free? What do you get for what you are paying?
  
• contests: are there opportunities to submit your photos for contests?
  
• sharing abilities: can you share photos with other? Limit who can see what?
  
• storage space and limits: how much space do you get? Over what period of time?
• availability and quality of non-professional feedback: are there mechanisms for feedback and comments?
  
• availability of professional feedback
• audience: who visits this site? Who posts on this site? Will you be reaching the people you want to?

Finally, make sure to read the terms and conditions. You don't want to unknowingly give permission to the site or its users to use your photos however they see fit.

Link to spreadsheet