Anika Begay
Instagram is a popular place to showcase your latest photos, but if you’re a serious photography enthusiast, that might not be enough. You might want a nicer portfolio, not to mention feedback and suggestions from other photographers. One way to get that is to showcase your work on a site specifically geared toward visual arts.
Below are sites that offer amateur and/or professional photographers a space to showcase their images, solicit feedback, discuss, and maybe even sell some work. In other words, a community, offering critique, support, and good conversation.
Instagram is included here because how could it not be? The popular social network focuses on visuals, both stills and videos, from the accounts you follow. It focuses more on social networking than photography, but you can search for photos and videos you’d like to see, and each includes information from the photographer and comments from their followers. If you take the time to do this research, you can find some gems.
Pixelfed is, as its name might suggest, part of the fediverse popularized in recent years by social networks like Mastodon. The open-source tool advertises itself as a “fresh take on photo sharing” with no ads, chronological feeds, and a privacy-friendly outlook. And like Mastodon, if you’re unfamiliar with its format or that of similar apps, it may take a little education to get started. To get started, select one of several Pixelfed servers; if you’re already a Mastodon member, you can log in through your existing server.
Once you get past the server issue, though, Pixelfed offers a very simple interface with some lively conversations. Especially if you’re already part of the fediverse, this could be an interesting alternative to Instagram.
Flickr has been around for a long time and features a range of members, from amateur to professional photographers, and a variety of features, including a comment section and metadata about the photo and camera. If the owner of the photo allows downloading, you can choose from several sizes and dimensions.
Free accounts can only upload up to 1,000 items and can’t post what Flickr calls “moderate and restricted content.” (In other words, partial and full nudity along with other sexual no-nos.) Free accounts are also limited to 50 non-public photos, and there are ads.
If you want no ads, unlimited uploads, unlimited non-public photos, and fewer restrictions on what you upload, it will cost $9.49 per month, $72.99 for a year, or $132.99 for two years, plus tax.
If you are looking for a place to display photos of your cat, this is not the right place, unless they are Truly beautiful cat photos. 500px provides photographers with a place to store, display, and license their work, as well as receive helpful feedback from fans and knowledgeable professionals.
The free, ad-supported plan gives you 21 uploads per week. Otherwise, you can try the Awesome plan, which offers unlimited uploads, priority support, no ads, a “liked” photo history, gallery slideshows, and a profile badge for $59.88 per year or $6.49 per month. The Pro plan adds a way to create a customizable portfolio for $119.88 per year or $12.99 per month. (Get a discount on your first year: Awesome is $47.90 per year, while Pro is $95.90.) There’s also a 30-day free trial.
Like 500px, DeviantArt is more for professional photographers than casual photographers, although anyone can join for free. It offers visitors a wide range of galleries to browse, each divided into categories, such as traditional, animation, and illustration. The emphasis here is on building a community of artists, so there are not only comments but also chat features. There’s also an AI app called DreamUp to help you create new art; a free membership gets you four prompts per month.
The free membership has no restrictions on the number of public photos you can upload. If you want to sell your own photography, you can, but only for up to $100. If you want to charge more, a Core Plus membership for $6.67 per month lets you sell your art for a 12-15 percent commission on sales with a maximum price of $1,000 per digital item. You also get 50 GB of private storage, 200 AI prompts per month, and other features. If you need more space or higher selling prices, other tiers are available.
VSCO is an online space for professional photographers to store, edit, share, and sell their work; a feature called VSCO Spaces lets members create shared galleries “focused on a specific theme, photography style, event, or location.” Using the free version, you can use a limited set of editing tools, create a public space to showcase your photos, and browse community discussions. A Plus-level member can access more robust features like video editing and the ability to participate in discussions for $7.99 per month or $29.99 per year, while a Pro-level subscription gives you the ability to create galleries of your work along with a full suite of editing tools for $12.99 per month or $59.99 per year.
Glass offers its own community for photographers, a place to create and share portfolios and give and receive comments. There is no free version; if you want to check it out, you can create a profile and follow up to three members, but you can’t upload your own photos or comment on others’. Photography enthusiasts can search through members’ photos using categories (which you can drill down to include something specific like “silent protest” or “flying over water”). You can also see specific members’ work, curated highlights, and even photos taken using specific cameras or lenses.
Glass costs $6.99 per month or $39.99 per year for full access to its features; you can also become a “Patron” for $129.99 per year. There is a 14-day free trial.
Vero aims to be a place for a variety of creators, including photographers. The emphasis here is on social networking rather than just posting photos. You can create a post using a photo, a website link, or an audio file. You can search and follow featured users or try the Discovery section to find an artist you like.
Vero is currently ad-free and, it says, algorithm-free; an FAQ page explains exactly what data it collects and when. The app is currently free for “Founding Members,” but may institute an annual fee for new members in the future. The site’s front page announces that it’s looking for “co-owners,” which may not bode well for its continued existence. Still, it seems like a friendly place to show off your stuff.
