photo posting and perhaps selling question

[joel_p]

<p>Dear all,<br>

<br />I have been posting photos for a while on flickr, but only to friends/family. Now, I'd like to benefit from the wisdom of a wider group of people and post images more publically. I am also interested in creating my own website and perhaps even selling a print or two... (but i am not a pro, so this is not my #1 priority)<br>

What in your opinion would be the best way to do this? Post publically on flickr and set up a seperate website (e.g. thru Zenfolio)? Are there good sites where one can do both? (hopefully not too expensive) <br>

Which sites offer the best critique/active communities? (flickr is huge, but images that garner alot of comments typically get feedback along the lines of "great shot"....with not much more). I am not on facebook, so that is not an option. <br>

<br />Any insights would be most appreciated.<br>

Cheers,<br>

Joel</p>

 

[Niels - NHSN]

I'm a little confused. Do you want to have your own site, or do you want to be part of a

community? Or is it two different questions?

[joel_p]

<p>An active community is more important than my own dedicated website, as I can easily display the images without my own site...but in the longer run, I would be interested in creating my own site. thanks.</p>

 

[Niels - NHSN]

Ok.

 

My thoughts: critique is valuable when it comes from somebody you understand and

respect. This is difficult to achieve online. Try to find some realworld people for this type of input.

As you correctly observe, most online feedback amount to a 'great shot!' remark or clicks on

"thumbs up", "like" or whatever it is called on the different social networks - you can't use that for

growing as a photographer.

 

If you want your photos to be seen, then I think flickr is fine, just utilize the flickr groups to

generate traffic to your images - it will take a lot of search engine optimization to even approach

the flickr potential on your own website.

 

It is also a good idea to reflect on why you want to sell. A site that inspires people to buy your

prints takes a lot of effort and has a price. If all you want is for people to hang your prints on the

wall, you could engage in the print swaps you see on various forums.

[bruced530]

<p>Hey Joel, boy I know exactly what you mean, its difficult to get honest opinions. I'm on Flickr myself, and hoped to oneday sell an image or two. I do think you can find them, but it can be frustrating too as some people can be downright cruel, maybe not intentional, but for someone hoping to get advice or help to improve.<br>

I was hoping to get advice as well. Whats your handle on Flickr?</p>

[Wouter Willemse]

<p>As an addendum to Niels' post (the 10:00 am one): with effort (but as Niels rightly said, getting good valuable critique takes people you understand and respect), photo.net can work out quite well. The point is, you will have to invest in writing critiques in order to get some in return, and if you want good critiques from people who can give you good insight, you're better off if you can share a good, honest critique with them. In short, it takes time, and effort, but this site right here has a lot of talented people around.</p>

[joel_p]

<p>Thanks guys. <br /> Niels, I'm not aware of print swaps. Do you have an example of a site to look at?<br /> Bruce, I'll give posting publicly on flickr a try. I'll post some tonight under JoelP88. Of course, happy to give you feedback as well. <br /> Wouter, I haven't posted a lot here, nor provided critiques, and true enough...cant just expect to enter an active community without being one yourself.<br /> Cheers,<br /> Joel</p>

[Niels - NHSN]

The Rangefinder forum is doing print swaps very frequently. Try google 'rangefinderforum print

swap' - you don't have to use a rangefinder to participate.

 

Alternatively you could organize one here at photo.net.

[bernardwest]

Joel... 1x.com is serious about critiquing, and you can sell prints via there as well. There's various restrictions based on membership level, from memory, so you'd have to check out what you get for what.

[stp]

<p>I've gotten the best constructive critics from local photography groups that meet monthly. It's not a good venue for selling, of course, but the advice is usually very direct and honest, and it helped me as a photographer. I also think Wouter's advice is spot on.</p>

[GBarrington]

<p>The problem with the internet is that it is SO easy to misunderstand what is being said and the intent that the poster has posted with. I recall being savaged by people who mis-interpreted what I thought was a harmless comment that had no particular negative meaning to me. And I recall thinking someone else's comments were particularly mean spirited, when maybe later, I realized they might not have been.(still not sure on a couple of comments!)<br /> <br /> My advice would be to separate the critique and marketing aspects of your efforts. When selling, you don't want anything that makes you appear to be particularly prickly and 'difficult'. And a heated exchange where you react to someone's comments can never make you look good. It can make you look witty or stupid, it can make you look irritable, or passive-aggressive, but I don't think it can make you look like a potential vendor!</p>

[joel_p]

<p>Thanks for the sound advice guys. As for sites, 1x seems quite good. I'll check out the rangefinder site in more detail as well.</p>