Separate Genres?

[PixelRabbit]

As I move ahead and work on organizing myself something dawned on me, my stuff is all mixed together online in my accounts on Flickr and 500px. Flickr I'm not really worried about, it's pretty much everything I upload for adding to posts etc... but my 500px account is basically my best, if something doesn't do well there it gets taken down.

Before I keep adding to the account I'm wondering if I should split it up into different accounts, Nature and Wildlife and Fine Art? Or is it better to have it all together so potential clients see all that you have to offer?

 

[pixmedic]

I'm a big fan of showing everything.

on a more on-topic note...splitting pictures into albums isnt a bad idea. they can still see all the photos, they just click on the album link.
my flickr stuff is separated into albums, although u can still see everything in the photostream.

 

[pgriz]

I'm thinking that organizing it by "themes" would be useful. You've got a number of different images that can be grouped. I'd suggest that you get a few big prints made, then fiangle your way into some nice homes, take the image in context of the interior, and then use that as a way of showing how your images could look in a nice setting. Heck, you might even "rent" your work - my wife rents out various works of art by local artists for display on the walls of our home, for several months at a time - this gives a revenue stream to the artist(s), and we get to see original art that keeps changing.

 

[ronlane]

I've thought the same thing PR. I have been adding certain photos to albums in flickr but the front page shows everything anyway, but it helps me brake things down a little bit and only have to show certain things if I need to.

I do the same thing you do with 500px. If something does well there, then I keep it, if not, I delete it.

 

[photoguy99]

What does "doing/does well" mean in this context?

 

[astroNikon]

how do you get to your 500px site ?

 

[PixelRabbit]

Thanks so far all! I'm gathering my thoughts as you guys respond, will let it go a while before I share more thoughts.

Photoguy, when you upload to 500px the picture gets a rating as people look, like, fav, comment, as the rating goes up it changes the pool the photo is in from Fresh, to Upcoming, to Popular. In general if something doesn't go to popular I will delete it but I always keep in mind that my fine art work isn't for everyone so it rarely gets a super high rating but I can still gauge it against other images I've posted in the genre. I also try to consistently upload at the same time of day, it's not supposed to matter but from what I can tell it definitely does.

 

[PixelRabbit]

how do you get to your 500px site ?

I thought there was a link in my sig! I'll have to fix that.

Judi Smelko | 500px

 

[mishele]

Yep, I would divide it up. =) I need to do this myself. My 500px is a jumbled mess. hehe

 

[PixelRabbit]

Yep, I would divide it up. =) I need to do this myself. My 500px is a jumbled mess. hehe

Now I don't feel so bad lol! I go through mine and randomly... squirrel!! lmao!!

 

[Overread]

It depends.

I would say if you're producing a professional portfolio with a view to using it to advertise for work then what you show within it should relate, for the most part, to the area of work you are aiming for. By all means a few other things can be displayed, but the bulk should be within that medium. You want to advertise your best, but also your skills within the area you want to be hired for.

A full split on websites with different accounts I'd suggest only if you've interest groups that don't quite merge together well. An example would be if you were advertising for family work and also work on the horror/gore film sets - a prospective parent might well not hire you if part of your portfolio is bloody missing hands and scary dolls.

That said you might find that having a split helps for some markets, although for hte most case you'd only really need to put things into albums/categories so that people can go to what they want with ease. Advertising wise you might find it beneficial to use different sites for different market areas, but similarly sometimes its best to have it all under one site with subsections again (indeed a studious person looking for a photographer might find it odd if you've got different websites for several themes).

 

[photoguy99]

I thought it might be something like that, thanks.

Next question, this one rhetorical. Does doing well on 500px correlate with anything that you care about?

I see this is posted in aspiring professionals. Does doing well on 500px correlate with sales in your chosen genres, for instance?

 

[vintagesnaps]

I'd think having separate galleries would probably work better. But the above post is the kind of thing I'm wondering, what would be the advantage to using a site that has Terms that seem to benefit the site instead of the photographers? It seems like you'd get opinions from other photographers but it puts you under their Terms.

They've now started 500px Prime where the photographer apparently gets only 30% of a flat rate $250 license for unlimited print and digital usage of a photographer's hi-res image with no expiration (forever). So for $75 someone could use your image and sell prints and resell it and make who knows how much money from now on - while you'd get 75 bucks - if I'm reading this right.

500px / Terms of Service
Content Submitted or Made Available for Inclusion on the Service 'You acknowledge that:
2. By posting Content to the Site you hereby grant to 500px a non-exclusive, TRANSFERABLE, fully paid, worldwide license (with the right to SUBLICENSE) to use, DISTRIBUTE...' etc. etc.

#3 states that 500px can redistribute your content to other parties... That always makes me wonder who they're going to distribute your photos to?? and will they do that and profit from it?

#4 says that 500px does not restrict the ability of users and visitors to the Site to make low resolution copies of Content posted on the Site. That may be limited in use but still, a photographer couldn't probably later say their photo was stolen when the site allows others to make copies.

 

[sm4him]

Judi, do you use the "portfolio" aspect of 500px? in my "public" 500px page, it's all just a jumble, arranged by the date I've uploaded it. But in my portfolio page, it's more arranged like a website, with categories. I can also put stuff into the portfolio (I think) that I *haven't* yet put out in the public, to vote on.
I then use that portfolio page when someone asks me for a website. Mine is still very much a work in progress, and I really NEED to get some more content on it, but it's a start.

My *regular* 500px page is in my sig, I believe.
Here's the link to my portfolio page: Sharon Monett

(NOTE: I'm a paying member of 500px, so it's possible that the "free" accounts don't get a portfolio site…not sure)

 

[PixelRabbit]

It depends.

I would say if you're producing a professional portfolio with a view to using it to advertise for work then what you show within it should relate, for the most part, to the area of work you are aiming for. By all means a few other things can be displayed, but the bulk should be within that medium. You want to advertise your best, but also your skills within the area you want to be hired for.

A full split on websites with different accounts I'd suggest only if you've interest groups that don't quite merge together well. An example would be if you were advertising for family work and also work on the horror/gore film sets - a prospective parent might well not hire you if part of your portfolio is bloody missing hands and scary dolls.

That said you might find that having a split helps for some markets, although for hte most case you'd only really need to put things into albums/categories so that people can go to what they want with ease. Advertising wise you might find it beneficial to use different sites for different market areas, but similarly sometimes its best to have it all under one site with subsections again (indeed a studious person looking for a photographer might find it odd if you've got different websites for several themes).

Thanks Over, yes, ultimately I'm organizing this with selling in mind. The fine art work is significantly different and gets watered down when it is all mixed in with the rest imho, I pulled them out of my flickr and made a set I'm culling down to the best and they show SO much better alone. I'm still working on taking more out but that is the set for now.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/judi_smelko/sets/72157644246825468/

I thought it might be something like that, thanks.

Next question, this one rhetorical. Does doing well on 500px correlate with anything that you care about?

I see this is posted in aspiring professionals. Does doing well on 500px correlate with sales in your chosen genres, for instance?

Good question, in a way yes it does correlate, it is a very active community that is quite picky so I do put some weight into whether a shot does well or not, it makes me go back and think about why it didn't fly, sometimes it is just because it doesn't belong on there, it's not the target audience but sometimes it is just simply a weaker image. I think as long as you keep it in perspective it is a good tool to measure the success of many images.

I'd think having separate galleries would probably work better. But the above post is the kind of thing I'm wondering, what would be the advantage to using a site that has Terms that seem to benefit the site instead of the photographers? It seems like you'd get opinions from other photographers but it puts you under their Terms.

They've now started 500px Prime where the photographer apparently gets only 30% of a flat rate $250 license for unlimited print and digital usage of a photographer's hi-res image with no expiration (forever). So for $75 someone could use your image and sell prints and resell it and make who knows how much money from now on - while you'd get 75 bucks - if I'm reading this right.

500px / Terms of Service
Content Submitted or Made Available for Inclusion on the Service 'You acknowledge that:
2. By posting Content to the Site you hereby grant to 500px a non-exclusive, TRANSFERABLE, fully paid, worldwide license (with the right to SUBLICENSE) to use, DISTRIBUTE...' etc. etc.

#3 states that 500px can redistribute your content to other parties... That always makes me wonder who they're going to distribute your photos to?? and will they do that and profit from it?

#4 says that 500px does not restrict the ability of users and visitors to the Site to make low resolution copies of Content posted on the Site. That may be limited in use but still, a photographer couldn't probably later say their photo was stolen when the site allows others to make copies.

Thanks for your thoughts Sharon
I do have reservations about selling through them but using them as a portfolio site is definitely on my radar. I just want to be sure it is the right decision instead of using my own site before I pay for a membership, including whether to sell through them or not.

Judi, do you use the "portfolio" aspect of 500px? in my "public" 500px page, it's all just a jumble, arranged by the date I've uploaded it. But in my portfolio page, it's more arranged like a website, with categories. I can also put stuff into the portfolio (I think) that I *haven't* yet put out in the public, to vote on.
I then use that portfolio page when someone asks me for a website. Mine is still very much a work in progress, and I really NEED to get some more content on it, but it's a start.

My *regular* 500px page is in my sig, I believe.
Here's the link to my portfolio page: Sharon Monett

(NOTE: I'm a paying member of 500px, so it's possible that the "free" accounts don't get a portfolio site…not sure)

Hey Sharon, thanks for your thoughts
Unfortunately neither the portfolio or any organization tools like sets are offered to the free accounts but I'm debating on getting a paid account. I tried my own site but I don't know, I didn't do well at getting it done and keeping it up, knowing myself I already use and know 500px and I'd likely do much better being able to transition into it being my actual portfolio. Is there a requirement for you to sell through them if you become a member or can you leave the store section closed and just use it as the portfolio? I can't seem to find that info other than for the free accounts (you can leave it off)