Online photography communities can be instrumental in helping people who are interested, grow as a photographer and an artist.
Today we have blogger Katie Risor from Culture Under the Rocks giving us insight into the value of being a part of an online community.
Online Photography Forums
Having access to the internet is a huge benefit to any photographer. Certainly, it’s possible to become well known online for one’s photography. But there are many tools that are useful to the amateur photographer.
The photographer that wants to learn more about his or her trade has access to a diverse community that is willing to help. Forums are a good place to get advice, learn new skills, and get inspiration. On sites like The Photo Forum photographers from all over post their photos for others to see. And then participate in discussions with one another. Participating with websites like this one can be beneficial for many reasons.
For one, you can learn a lot from seeing others’ work and receiving criticism. Also, garnering relationships through these sites increases your network. Having connections to other professionals can be crucial to getting work in any field. It definitely can never hurt you.
Photo Sharing Websites
The photography community extends to other sites as well. Of course, there is Flickr and Photobucket. These are popular ways to have all of your photos in one place. If you want the possibility of your photographs being seen by many people, then Pinterest and Tumblr are great venues. Tumblr has many blogs that are devoted to photography, though they aren’t always concerned with giving credit to artists.
It’s very common for bloggers to post pictures they found online that they like for their followers to see. While most aren’t trying to directly take credit for the work, it’s something to be aware of before posting any of your own work online. By posting anywhere online you always run the risk of your work being used without permission. Unfortunately, no matter how careful you are, this isn’t ever entirely avoidable.