Flickr, Facebook, Where??

OhioGuy · Aug 30, 2015

I'm getting back into my passion as a hobby but with the vast amount of websites out there I'm not sure what the best approach is for me to share my photos. I said hobby right? Well, a person would always like to make a little money from their photography work but it's not my main concern for I have a full-time job. I've sold a few photos over the years when I had a Flickr account many years ago but it was only by random chance, I wasn't really trying.

I know when you post on Facebook those images now belong to them correct? So, I'm torn as to keeping it strictly a hobby and not really caring, or doing a little homework just in case down the road I do want to protect my work. You just never know.

I need advice here. Should I stick with Flickr or are there better options out there? Cost is another factor. I can't put a lot of money into a website. Since this is a hobby right now and will most likely be until I retire, what would be the most cost effective way to share my work, while at the same time keeping my images somewhat protected? Protected as in...belongs to me only. I do plan to add watermarks to my work in time.

Just getting ideas here thanks!

Buckster · Aug 30, 2015

Unless you explicitly and intentionally give away your copyright of an image, like by designating it part of the "Creative Commons" on Flickr or elsewhere, or provide in writing or a recording that you allow anyone to use it, or something like that, it's yours and yours alone.

That's true for Facebook use as well. No, they don't belong to Facebook if you post them there. By posting there, you grant Facebook the license to reproduce them on Facebook servers around the planet so that they can be shown to anyone who clicks on it in Facebook. If you pull the photo from Facebook later, they all disappear from all the Facebook servers again in short order.

The same is true for most online websites that allow you to post your photos. They need the license to propagate them on additional servers for distribution to the web. Without that, they have no legal "right" to "copy" (get it? "CopyRight" - pretty simple). Just beware those that state in the fine print that by posting you DO actually grant them permission to use them for anything anywhere anytime, even after you pull them.

The best thing you can do to protect your copyright is to register your images with the US Copyright office. It's also a good idea to put a copyright notice on it somewhere, just to remind folks that it IS a copyrighted work.

You will never be able to keep people from copying photos of yours that they see online, if that's what you mean by "protecting" your photos. That said, there ARE remedies when you find out about it, from take-down notices to negotiating payment for use, to full-blown lawsuits. Registering your work with the US Copyright office ensures that you can get fairly compensated, if you decide to go that route.

Flickr is fine for what you're saying you want to do with them. It's free, it's established, it's got fast and robust servers, it can be used to serve up your photos in other venues, including forums and so forth. It's commonly used by many (millions?) of photographers of every level, from snap-shooters to hobbyists to pros.

OhioGuy · Aug 30, 2015

Thank you for the clarification. I was a member of Flickr over a decade ago and I think I liked the interface better back then. Not sure if I am use to the new layout now. I'll give it time.

snowbear · Aug 30, 2015

Layouts change. This place looks different than it did a year ago, but the content and value are the same.

vintagesnaps · Aug 30, 2015

If you're considering any website, READ THE TERMS! lol OK, maybe you don't have to read it all (why do you think the sites make terms ridiculously long and convoluted?) but at least look thru them.

There are often terms that are unlimited with no specific time frame. I watch for phrases like transfer, modify, redistribute, sublicense, grant rights, etc. etc. Most seem to say that you retain ownership BUT - and after the but is where it gets into what is often objectionable (to me) - favorable to the site but not necessarily for its users. Often terms allow the site to use photos with no notification or compensation to you. Many sites are what are considered to be 'photo rights grabs' because they want photos that they can use, and probably assume most site users aren't reading what they've agreed to.

Anyway, I think it takes time to learn how to market your work (if you go in that direction) and find specific potential customers or clients. Much of what's online seems random and nonspecific; I'm looking at possibilities locally or thru doing submissions to juried exhibits. Take a look at professional photographers organizations like American Society of Media Photographers or PPA, or the Photo District News covers what's happening in photography (although seems geared more to commercial work, etc.).

To share photos with friends, I think about how many/who to allow to access photos. My Facebook friends are people I know in real life, and if I share a photo it's usually a 'remember this?' just for fun and I remove it after a few days. I don't find I use Flickr much anymore (since they got a new CEO and keep changing the layout) but I liked that you could decide who you want to be able to view your photos. Others sites I've considered so far have terms that are a deal breaker for me, and I feel like they need photos/users more than I need them.

pixmedic · Aug 30, 2015

I use Flickr.
seems to work well enough as a viewing platform for people to see my work.
I imagine most sites of similar nature would work equally as well.
I picked Flickr because thats what people at the time were recommending, and havent had any reason to switch.
you could google image hosting sites and look through some reviews. there might be minor difference in each site that may sway you towards one or the other.

OmbreFox · Aug 31, 2015

Have you looked at DeviantART.com? You can use it as a photo gallery that doubles as a shop. People can buy high quality prints right from the site and you can set your commission rate.

OhioGuy · Sep 1, 2015

I wonder what the percentage of people who stumble across images on the internet actually wind up purchasing something. I imagine that number to be very low. Because photography is a hobby first, that's where I need to focus. I'm looking for a platform to showcase my talent but keep it fun. If someone likes one of my images that much then they contact me, but my main goal is a website that's easy for the viewer to find my work, comment on it and share. This is why I use to LOVE Flickr but I'm still getting use to why they mucked it all up and changed everything. I honestly think the interface could be better but for now I'll stick with Flickr because it's free for what I need right now.

Does anyone know which website has the most traffic for photography?

photographer93 · Sep 14, 2015

I would probably stick to Flickr. I took a break from uploading as much and came back to Flickr recently. They have a lot of new tools. For instance, they have software you can download and it automatically updates files in a certain folder. So you could edit a group of photos, move the file to the "Flickr Folder" and they're uploaded! I think you have to go in and make them all public, but that's not terrible difficult.

Not sure if they still do it, but I know flickr used to connect with facebook so that might be a way for you to kill two birds with one stone!

vfotog · Sep 15, 2015

OhioGuy said:
I'm getting back into my passion as a hobby but with the vast amount of websites out there I'm not sure what the best approach is for me to share my photos. I said hobby right? Well, a person would always like to make a little money from their photography work but it's not my main concern for I have a full-time job. I've sold a few photos over the years when I had a Flickr account many years ago but it was only by random chance, I wasn't really trying.

I know when you post on Facebook those images now belong to them correct? So, I'm torn as to keeping it strictly a hobby and not really caring, or doing a little homework just in case down the road I do want to protect my work. You just never know.

I need advice here. Should I stick with Flickr or are there better options out there? Cost is another factor. I can't put a lot of money into a website. Since this is a hobby right now and will most likely be until I retire, what would be the most cost effective way to share my work, while at the same time keeping my images somewhat protected? Protected as in...belongs to me only. I do plan to add watermarks to my work in time.

Just getting ideas here thanks!

Zenfolio! It's not a free site, but is reasonably priced. There are tons of templates and it is very user friendly. You can use it as just a gallery, or you can sell prints and downloads too. It has working relationships with labs, so you can set up a price list and people can then buy prints directly from your site. They'll even ship the prints too, so it's really painless. Just direct people to your site and let the site do all the work.

nerwin · Sep 15, 2015

I've been using Flickr since 2006 and actually had quite the following then but ended up deleting it in 2011 because I didn't like the username I picked when I was probably 15. I wanted a more professional sounding user name, something that was easy to remember and to share. I also became a pro member and have been since 2011. As of right now, I have about 1,100 photos uploaded and I can see detail stats on each photos or as a whole and can see what people tend to like and what they don't like. Its really quite interesting. I'm getting close to having 600 followers which has been nice to get my photos out there. I've sold pictures because of Flickr..sold a $400 canvas because of Flickr. Its also a great community if you can look past some of the spammers which Flickr has been pretty good about removing. Because I'm a grandfathered Pro user, I will always have unlimited storage which is nice and having the ability to replace a photo comes in handy when I mess up on a edit and need to fix but the photo already has many favorites and comments.

That's the other thing I enjoy about Flickr is their secret explore algorithm. I had one photo get in the top 50 of explored photos and is pretty dang good. Its a HUGE exposure boost.

Never underestimate the power of Flickr.

Now, I don't do photography professionally..its strictly just a very expensive hobby for now. So its going to be different for ones who do work in the industry.

I still upload some of my photos to Facebook (if I didn't, I'd get yelled at by my family for not sharing my pictures on there...but I really hate facebook haha). I also upload some photos to Instagram but now that I have a new phone with a better camera, its not as often anymore. I try to upload some of my stuff to my website/blog which I am really terrible about maintaining. I really need to get back into writing and blogging again.

Once in a blue moon I'll upload some photos to Google Plus.

Just do what feels right. Hope this helps!

Solarflare · Sep 15, 2015

I absolutely hate Facebook, they reduce image quality and dont show anything unless you're logged in, and Flickr is one of those sites that force you to login into one of the big company accounts (not just the site itself) to view the pictures in their original resolution.

I use devianart instead. Its a side dedicated for art in general, and I can upload any resolution I wish, and unless its mature content (actual porn is not allowed) everyone can see it.

nerwin · Sep 15, 2015

Solarflare said:
I absolutely hate Facebook, they reduce image quality and dont show anything unless you're logged in, and Flickr is one of those sites that force you to login into one of the big company accounts (not just the site itself) to view the pictures in their original resolution.

I use devianart instead. Its a side dedicated for art in general, and I can upload any resolution I wish, and unless its mature content (actual porn is not allowed) everyone can see it.

I have a terrible reputation with devianart. I always end up getting banned haha. I don't think they liked me.