# Use of 500px?



## tim848 (Nov 21, 2014)

Hi All

I have been looking at reviews of web sharing  / gallery hosting sites and I've seen various comments here about flickr, Smugmug, Zenfolio, Behance and a couple of others but no comments that I can find about 500px. I want to set up an arrangement where family can view my photos and I can showcase the images on a site that feels more professional that just, say, Facebook (I'm an amateur photographer BTW).

Has anyone used 500px and have you any thoughts on value, ease of use, security, customer service etc? flickr was always spoken of as the first site of choice for amateurs like me but the requirements for Yahoo accounts first and other negatives relayed on other sites and on this forum make it sound like flickr's best days might be in the past.

If you've got time, any comments would be very helpful. Thanks T.


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## chris02 (Nov 21, 2014)

Used 500 for the last couple of years, I post mainly to allow relatives to check out images, as well as posting rugby shots of our local team.

 I have recently started posting what I would call my better images to get comments as to what could be done better.

Easy to post as use I use the 500px plugin. Give it a go!


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## Replytoken (Nov 21, 2014)

Is there something in particular that you do not like about SmugMug or Zenfolio?

--Ken


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## tim848 (Nov 21, 2014)

Chris, Ken - thanks for commenting. 

No, I don't have any particular issue with any of these sites, and I only know what other reviewers elsewhere have said, so I can't speak from experience. On other review sites, it seems that people often only comment when they've had a bad experience (e.g. customer service), so you tend to get negative reviews pervading.

As I trust this forum to provide good honest unbiased commentary I thought I'd just see what you guys thought because you're well ahead of me on this! You're obviously happy with 500px Chris, so thanks for that, particularly as you sound like you use the site in much the same way as I would.

I'm unlikely to want to sell my shots. What I'm after is a good professional looking site where family can view my photos and I can showcase the images. For example we were in Greenland and Iceland earlier this year and as our ageing parents don't use social media but do view the occasional website, it would have been good to enable them to see our shots, other than by email, while we were on the road (or dog sled)!. This is one possible use of such a site and as to cost, if its free even better, but happy to pay a reasonable annual fee. 

Cheers T.


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## Replytoken (Nov 24, 2014)

tim848 said:


> Chris, Ken - thanks for commenting.
> 
> No, I don't have any particular issue with any of these sites, and I only know what other reviewers elsewhere have said, so I can't speak from experience. On other review sites, it seems that people often only comment when they've had a bad experience (e.g. customer service), so you tend to get negative reviews pervading.
> 
> ...



I cannot comment as a user of 500px, but as a visitor, it seemed to me that a significant portion of the site had a social media component with liking images and getting images liked to make their "must see" list of recommended images.  I also remember hearing about cliques forming to rate each others photos, and other less than honest attempts to lower ratings on images.  I am not sure if that is still the case, but it was all to much like a bad high school soap opera for my taste.  And, I have never seen such a high concentration of heavily processed images on a photo site as there.  Yes, there were some fine images, but all too often, it looked like image death by "slidercide" (as coined by Kenneth Tanaka at TOP a number of months ago).

I have used both Smugmug and Zenfolio for a number of years, primarily because they are not tied in to social media, and I can control who sees what images.  Both underwent major make-overs in the past year or two, and you now have a greater amount of control over how your pages look, and how your photos display.  I had moved my images from SM to ZF prior to the make-over as it allowed better control of folders, but I suspect that SM has addressed that issue to some degree.

Both SM and ZF offer free trials, and both referral discounts that benefit the referring member and the person trialing their service.  At this point, folks commonly post their referral codes or links, but if you are interested, and would like them, I would be happy to send them to you via PM.  Also note that ZF offers a basic blog feature if you have any interest.  Post any additional questions if you would like more information.

Good luck,

--Ken


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## tim848 (Nov 24, 2014)

Ken, thanks again for your views. 

Must say I don't like the sound of the social media mafia or the 'like me' aspects you refer to. And I have noticed on a number of sites that images seem over processed to the extent that they look fake or unreal. Great if you're into fantasy video games or Sci-fi movies. 

You know a few years ago somewhere in those weird transition years between film and digital I went through a bad period when I took few photos because film was getting more 'difficult' (and expensive for that time in my life) and digital seemed over processed and 'unreal' with very expensive equipment. So I walked away for a while. I finally 'got my mo-jo' back in about 2004 or 2005 when I got my first digital camera and saw its true power. But I still think that some forget the importance of composition, exposure and depth of field because they always think you can 'fix any problems' with post processing, and then some overdo it! Anyway, what I'm trying to say with this slight rant (sorry!) is that I will take your comments on board and maybe have a good look again at all 3 sites. So if possible I would appreciate the referral codes you speak of for both SM and ZF - how's the best way of doing that?

Many thanks again and thanks for listening to my rave! Tim


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## Replytoken (Nov 24, 2014)

I share your concerns about over processing.  I have a friend who is a very talented and creative photographer who is also very creative when post processing images.  He enjoys many of his post processing tools, but at least he knows when to stop, and he does not push every image he processes.  I want to be clear that I am not saying that 500px might not meet your needs.  I just think that after completing your due diligence, you should be the judge of what best meets your needs.  And, I wil be sending you a PM shortly with discount information.  Let us know what you decide (and what you think of the three sites).

Good luck,

--Ken


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## tim848 (Nov 24, 2014)

Thanks again Ken. I see you are online now and I'm standing here at the kitchen bench having my breakfast (in Australia) waiting for a guy to come and pressure clean our roof! Exciting domestics!

I now have the codes - thanks. So will let you know how I go.

Cheers  Tim


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## Conrad Chavez (Nov 24, 2014)

tim848 said:


> I've seen various comments here about flickr, Smugmug, Zenfolio, Behance and a couple of others but no comments that I can find about 500px. I want to set up an arrangement where family can view my photos and I can showcase the images on a site that feels more professional that just, say, Facebook (I'm an amateur photographer BTW).


Of the sites you mentioned, I would group 500px and Behance together as sites where the emphasis is on portfolios of your best work, where you post to get feedback and public exposure. But Behance seems more oriented to networking for creative businesses, where 500px is probably better for straight presentation and social media sharing.

I'd put Smugmug and Zenfolio in a different group of sites where the lower paid levels are good for personal/family sharing and the higher paid levels give you room to grow if you want to get more serious about photography or start a photography business. On these sites the options in the higher paid levels for sales and print/product orders, gallery privacy, client fulfillment, and customizing the look of your galleries go well beyond what 500px offers. Their deep, business-oriented back ends are well established, while the sales/licensing part of 500px was added relatively recently.

Smugmug and 500px seem like well-run, open companies. Some of the founders of both companies have participated in recent photography video hangouts and podcasts, giving the impression that they're accessible and here for the photography, not just to run a business. I know less about Zenfolio, but they recently sold the company to Art.com.


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## Replytoken (Nov 25, 2014)

tim848 said:


> Thanks again Ken. I see you are online now and I'm standing here at the kitchen bench having my breakfast (in Australia) waiting for a guy to come and pressure clean our roof! Exciting domestics!
> 
> I now have the codes - thanks. So will let you know how I go.
> 
> Cheers  Tim



Good to hear.  Hope they did not blow any shingles off your roof! :surprised:

--Ken


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## Replytoken (Nov 25, 2014)

Conrad Chavez said:


> Of the sites you mentioned, I would group 500px and Behance together as sites where the emphasis is on portfolios of your best work, where you post to get feedback and public exposure. But Behance seems more oriented to networking for creative businesses, where 500px is probably better for straight presentation and social media sharing.
> 
> I'd put Smugmug and Zenfolio in a different group of sites where the lower paid levels are good for personal/family sharing and the higher paid levels give you room to grow if you want to get more serious about photography or start a photography business. On these sites the options in the higher paid levels for sales and print/product orders, gallery privacy, client fulfillment, and customizing the look of your galleries go well beyond what 500px offers. Their deep, business-oriented back ends are well established, while the sales/licensing part of 500px was added relatively recently.
> 
> Smugmug and 500px seem like well-run, open companies. Some of the founders of both companies have participated in recent photography video hangouts and podcasts, giving the impression that they're accessible and here for the photography, not just to run a business. I know less about Zenfolio, but they recently sold the company to Art.com.



Well summarized.  Yes, ZF did get bought (although SM had some management issues a year or so ago IIRC), but the only thing that I have noticed is an accelerated pace at keeping up with, or getting ahead of, SM's newest features.  Looks like a win/win for now.

--Ken


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## tim848 (Nov 25, 2014)

Thanks to both of you, Conrad and Ken (and thanks to Chris earlier). I think I now have enough to get me started. I'll let you know what I decide to do later on. Software to trial - goodie!

And Ken, no roof shingles. The house is 110 years old and our roof is terracotta tile, metal and some glass. The metal was replaced recently and its the tiles that were cleaned today - and they're like new!

Thanks to all again.

Tim


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## Replytoken (Nov 25, 2014)

tim848 said:


> Thanks to both of you, Conrad and Ken (and thanks to Chris earlier). I think I now have enough to get me started. I'll let you know what I decide to do later on. Software to trial - goodie!
> 
> And Ken, no roof shingles. The house is 110 years old and our roof is terracotta tile, metal and some glass. The metal was replaced recently and its the tiles that were cleaned today - and they're like new!
> 
> ...



Glad to hear.  We also have a tile roof that is over 60 years old, and it is quite fragile and brittle.  If they tried to clean it, the tiles would dissolve!  I am trying to get a few more years out of it, but my beloved wants to put on a new roof next year.  Not really looking forward to that estimate.

Now, back OT.  Before you start your trials, try and browse some members' galleries at the different sites so you can see what some folks have been able to do.  Some of what you see may be highly customized, but it should give you some ideas of what is possible.  The number of stock templates available these days is staggering, and it seems like everrybody is keeping up with the trend of full screen backdrops with FOTM menus (side, top, drop down, icons, etc....).

--Ken


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## Conrad Chavez (Nov 25, 2014)

As you do your free trials be sure to check how it looks and navigates on phones and tablets. By now most good sites should be mobile-friendly, and the people you share with are very likely to see your site first on mobile.

The service I've used the most is Smugmug. One nice sharing feature they have is the Sharegroup, which let you group galleries together under one URL and one optional password. This makes things a lot easier for your friends and family because they only have to remember or bookmark the same one URL and password no matter how many galleries you share with them. You just keep adding new galleries to the Sharegroup. I'm not sure if 500px or others have a similar feature.


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## Replytoken (Nov 26, 2014)

Conrad Chavez said:


> As you do your free trials be sure to check how it looks and navigates on phones and tablets. By now most good sites should be mobile-friendly, and the people you share with are very likely to see your site first on mobile.
> 
> The service I've used the most is Smugmug. One nice sharing feature they have is the Sharegroup, which let you group galleries together under one URL and one optional password. This makes things a lot easier for your friends and family because they only have to remember or bookmark the same one URL and password no matter how many galleries you share with them. You just keep adding new galleries to the Sharegroup. I'm not sure if 500px or others have a similar feature.



I believe that ZF has the same, or similar, feature.  Very handy.

--Ken


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## tim848 (Nov 26, 2014)

Thanks again guys. All useful advice. I think Behance only allows a 'work in progress' gallery (one at a time) so may not be for me. I'll therefore concentrate on reviewing 500px, SM and ZF.  A Christmas project perhaps, when all the 'family jollyness' gets a bit much and an escape is in order!

Cheers Tim


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## Bob_B (Nov 26, 2014)

Hi Tim,

     I'd be very interested to hear which of the sites you finally decide to use. I also want to start a webpage to promote my photography, with longterm hopes of making it into something that generates some local jobs. 500px has a bit too much social media-twitter feel to it, so at the moment I'm leaning towards Smugmug or Zenfolio. Please post when you finalize your decision.

       Bob


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## Conrad Chavez (Nov 26, 2014)

Just wanted to mention one more thing about 500px in case you go that way. I used to be a paid member (I'm just at the free level now), and every year they have a sale around the holidays/Black Friday; I just got the email announcing 30% off paid memberships. When it comes time to renew, don't do what I did and renew at full price because I'd forget that the sale was coming up. Always wait for the Black Friday sale...


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## tim848 (Nov 26, 2014)

Thanks all again. I'm pleased this seems to have generated some interest. I'll definitely post when I make my decision - I'm not going to rush into it and I need to spend some time concentrating on the various features so it may be a while, what with Christmas and hols coming up.  Happy Thanksgiving for you guys in US.

Bye for now.  Tim


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## tim848 (Feb 4, 2015)

Hi all you guys who are interested in this topic

Just to let you know I haven't forgotten about my analysis etc of these sites but with Christmas and then the sad news that my father in law passed away recently, this has taken a back seat. Hence I haven't used any of your codes, Ken. Have had some preliminary looks but will get back when ready.

See you for now.

Tim


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## Replytoken (Feb 6, 2015)

tim848 said:


> Hi all you guys who are interested in this topic
> 
> Just to let you know I haven't forgotten about my analysis etc of these sites but with Christmas and then the sad news that my father in law passed away recently, this has taken a back seat. Hence I haven't used any of your codes, Ken. Have had some preliminary looks but will get back when ready.
> 
> ...



Sorry to hear of your loss, Tim.  Focus on the things you need to take care of.  There is no rush on the software or your feedback.

Take care,

--Ken


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