Tutorials |Flickr or 500px: which photo sharing platform should you choose?

Flickr or 500px: which photo sharing platform should you choose?

Flickr or 500px: which photo sharing platform should you choose?
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In terms of photo sharing, Flickr and 500px are the top two image sharing venues that come to mind. Here at Camera Jabber we like using both services, but for different reasons. When it comes to making the choice between Flickr or 500px, you have to consider what you want to use the services for because both possess their own strengths and weaknesses in specific areas.

Do you want to market yourself as a photographer, and maybe sell your images as prints? Perhaps you are looking to store and organise your photos, or maybe you just want to gain feedback from other users?

Flickr and 500px are both extremely popular, with Flickr possessing more of a varied audience than its opponent. 500px is the superior tool for professional photographers and people with a robust passion for photography who are looking for a portfolio that functions as a sort of CV to express who they are as a photographer.

Flickr, on the other hand, is best for anyone wanting to share photos with as extensive an audience as possible, whether they are professional-quality images or holiday snaps.

Flickr or 500px: Storage and sharing

When considering whether to use Flickr or 500px, you may first want to decide how many photographs you want to share. You’ll be better off using Flickr if you’re looking to share a large number of images.

Flickr is great for sorting out your image library. It allows you to organise your images into sets and collections, grouping them in whichever way is best for you.

Flickr is also great if you have a website or blog that you want to include your shots on because it allows you to embed images into your blog.

Flickr or 500px: Promotion

While a lot of people choose to use Flickr as a virtual photo album, it has proven still to be an key marketing tool for photographers: some have found their lucky break thanks to Flickr and have been contracted by high profile clients for commissions.

500px is also employed as a marketing tool by professional photographers. It encourages users to upload and share only their very best photographs, which are set off against a stylish and sophisticated design helping to make your portfolio appear all the more professional.

Potential new clients will expect to view only the very finest of your photography here, so be sure to not encumber your profile with too many images.

Apart from its polished and professional design, 500px permits members to vote and favourite your images, which – along with views – add to the ‘Pulse’ or evaluation of the image, increasing the chances that your shot will make it to the ‘Popular’ page where it will have better odds of being seen by even more people.

Additionally, 500px helps you increase the visibility of your other online identities to anyone interested in contacting you. In the top right hand corner of your profile you can add links to your website, Facebook page, Twitter, and even Flickr.

Flickr or 500px: Selling work

With its ‘Market’ section, 500px can also help you sell your photography as prints, thereby providing you with the opportunity to sell your work with very little fuss.

Flickr or 500px: Feedback

It may be the case that self-marketing is not high on your list of priorities. Perhaps you’re more interested in just receiving feedback on your images.

500px and Flickr both permit other community members to comment on your photographs, with Flickr being more socially-focused. One of Flickr’s biggest selling points is that you can create or join Groups to facilitate image sharing, which is a good way to grab some exposure.

Within these groups, forums allow members to be included in discussions or ask questions. As of now, 500px doesn’t offer a comparable service.

Flickr or 500px: It’s your call

In sum, if you want to display an assortment of the very best of your work, 500px is what you’re looking for. The chances of new people discovering your work will be greater because your images will continually stand a chance of making it to the ‘Popular’ page.

Additionally, it gives you the option of visibly advertising your other online identities by linking to them on your profile page.

The ‘Market’ service on 500px is your best choice if you wish to sell your photography.

If you’re looking to share your complete photography portfolio and organise it, Flickr is your best bet. It’s also an excellent service for uploading your work on a continual basis and a lot of people use it as a photography blog for 360 day or 52 week photography projects.

Okay! Let us know (by commenting below) why you want to share your photography online? Do you want the support and opinion of others, or would you like to sell yourself as a photographer? Do you prefer Flickr or 500px?

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Zeneti
Zeneti
7 years ago

500px is such an epeen stroke, I’ve seen images that are out of focus but score 99% and no one ever critics the image, pointing the poor focus, or over sharpening or poor lighting.

500px has a higher % of quality images, but the actual count of quality images is likely to be lower all because the number of people using 500px is a lot less.

Unfortunately flick has a feeling and reputation of not being “serious” in the photography world. its more like a place you just put your holiday pictures because there are so many more users, increasing the range of quality (poor to outstanding) images being available.