your comments on 500px and other sharing/selling web sites

[BJL]

I am looking for sites to share my photos, and maybe even sell a few(*).  Basically, I have decided that my traditional blog is poorly suited for what is overwhelmingly photo posting with maybe brief comments on some of them.  I see that some very good photographers here use 500px, so that is one site I would like to get your opinions of, along with other suggestions.  (Links to existing discussions here at LuLa are also welcome!)


* Honestly, any thought of selling is more about ego than revenue; I would also be happy for a site that just lets me know when one of my images is downloaded, perhaps by creating some "no fee license" with each downloader.  I promise that the sharing of a few of my snapshots will not undermine any legitimate professional career.


P. S. Is this topic of sharing and selling sites and strategies for using them, big enough to have its own sub-forum, or do us amateurs just call ourselves "professionals" as soon as we contemplate sell images online, and so and use the "Pro Business Discussion"?

[raymond bleesz]

Hello---from the Vail Valley, Colo------Not too long ago, I signed up at the 500px---not necessarily for sales, but a site to display my images---I must confess that I am not displaying typical imagery (very exotic, romanticized images perhaps--stock), but I am displaying my "voice --my Vox Humana. I am adding images on a somewhat regular basis (and this reminds me to do so in the next day or so) as well as deleting images which I have had a chance to review as they deem inferior over time, hence the delete

I have had a few inquiries from the 500px site. I do not have my own web site, so I view the 500 as filling in that gap. I read about the px site long ago in the Photo District News and I thought it sounded interesting.

You might check out Smugmug

Raymond A. Bleesz
Edwards, Co
In the Vail Valley

[Otto Phocus]

You want to pick a site that is visited by people more likely to buy your photograph.  You need to know your potential purchaser demographic first before you can choose a website.

So what kind of person would you think would want to buy one of your photographs?

[BJL]

Thanks -- I have decided to try out 500px (since it is free).

Otto: as I said, any sales are very much secondary to just sharing and maybe getting some comments, but my interests are mostly nature, with a few urban scenes.

In fact here it is, with just one small image test the uploading and such: https://500px.com/BrentonLeMesurier