photography related social network

[ArtphotoasiA]

Hello there!

Beside the forum, that is really a lovely place to stay, I was wondering who is using also photography related social network to show own photo works and eventually to promote a owned website.

I'm interested in real communities not services like host photos and eventually print them out.

Beside the well know Welcome to Flickr - Photo Sharing (http://www.flickr.com/) that I already tried without satisfaction, I just find out the following:

Image hosting, free photo sharing & video sharing at Photobucket (http://photobucket.com/)
Photo Community - MyShutterspace (http://www.myshutterspace.com/)
The Photography Network - PictureSocial (http://www.picturesocial.com/)
Photography Social Network (http://www.photography-network.net/)
Photo Sharing. Your Photos Look Better Here. | SmugMug (http://www.smugmug.com/)

What do you think of them?
Someone used?
Experiences?

[Iguanasan]

Hey there, ArtPhotoAsia.

First off, I am not trying to promote my own website. I do photography for fun and enjoyment, not for profit. Darn good thing too or I'd probably starve! :)

I use Flickr, PicasaWeb and 500px.com all of which I've had some success with as well as the new Google+. The key, as far as I can see, to these sharing sites - any of them - is to jump in and become part of the community. You have to find like-minded people and follow the golden rule. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Anything less than that and those communities will not work for you. At least that's been my experience. YMMV. :)

[ArtphotoasiA]

Hi there, thank you for the reply

Promoting I mean just to have visit, for sure not money.... photography is my hobby, actually I'm a webmaster managing several websites.

I used flyckr before but with not good result.

Now I'm looking something more professional and interesting and then, as you said, jump in comunity.

[ArtphotoasiA]

Hi there...
I checked deeply so many websites and finally my decision goes for:

(1) 500px is Photography (http://500px.com/)
(2) Photo Community - MyShutterspace (http://www.myshutterspace.com/)

There is also The Photography Network - PictureSocial (http://www.picturesocial.com/) but is a perfect clone, a mirror of Photo Community - MyShutterspace (http://www.myshutterspace.com/) they did not even move or change positions of links and contents locations. Maybe I will consider later.

[ArtphotoasiA]

Hi there... yeah social works are really hard...

Maybe can help someone, I just add a directory section in my website.... free for everyone want to list a photography related website.

ArtphotoasiA web photography directory (http://www.artphotoasia.net/blog/niche-directory/)

Regards

[ericmark]

Much depends on what you need. My free web space with my ISP is very limited and I can't store all the images I would like to be shown on my pages. Facebook, Flicker, Servimg.com - Free image hosting service (http://www.servimg.com) and Minus are all used by me. All free accounts.
Facebook is a pain not because of facebook themselves but because main firms, schools and colleges have it on their banned list. So although my own page has the link to show the picture many can't see them. Flicker has to a lesser extent the same problem. So using the lesser known storage places can be an advantage as they are not as yet banned by corporate users.

However the reverse also applies in that people looking for the images can't find them as easy.

Google has shaped our internet. And also to an extent the other search engines. So the meta data connected to the pictures displayed will make a huge diffrenance in how easy found. But consider the roles reversed. If you want to find a similar picture to what you have taken how would you find it.

Thumbnail views are now a must. I am still using the old hot spot and a contact sheet on my site.