The Online Photosphere

When it comes to photos: snap it, edit it, share it, repeat. But where do you share it online? If you’re a fickle photo shooter like me, you may bounce between multiple sites. Wouldn’t it be simpler to settle on just one?

A few months ago, I wrote a post about re-finding Flickr to be one of my favorite places, but I just don’t share consistently there. Recently, my interest in Instagram rekindled, but…then I remembered that hosting my photos on my blog might be best. Why not utilize all three of those sites? Because it’s a bit much; I’d be spread too thin. Focusing on one site may provide quality via depth versus breadth.

Then there’s the fact that different sites serve different purposes. So I’d have to figure out just what I would like to do with my photos. Here’s some factors to consider:

• Do you prefer the social aspect of photo sharing?
• Do you like editing photos?
• Do you favor organizing your pictures?
• Do you simply need an automatic backup solution?
• Do you want feedback on your photography?
• Do you value discovering new pictures for inspiration?

I should mention the sharing capabilities built-into Apple Photos and Google Photos. They both offer valuable service for all your basic snapshot needs. Plus, of course, I upload pictures to Facebook. But those are for family albums, not pursuing a hobby of photography. A great place for that is 500px, but I’ve never shared there because that’s for pros if you ask me; I am not that. And Snapchat doesn’t even appear on my radar.

I’m glad there’s plenty of options out there (maybe too many though). And for some folks, I understand it may be tough to pick the best place in the photosphere to post their camera creations. But for me personally, the fluctuation between sites is more a problem with me than with the online services.

Regardless of the site, one thing I love about photography is the creativity. That’s what first drew me into Instagram, for example. Originally, you were restricted to just square snapshots! Since limitation tends to breed creativity, the 1:1 ratio was an intriguing challenge to my photography. (This limitation factor is similar to the 140 character count Twitter once had; your posts must be pithy.)

What are some photo sites you prefer and why?