Photo hosting sites - Flickr and alternatives

[loquax ludens]

Flickr seems to be the biggest photo hosting site on the net, but I'm wondering if there are any good or better alternatives.

Here are some alternatives. Do you know of others? Which do you like, and why?

Flickr
Zenfolio
Photo.net
1x.com
Behance Network
Coroflot
Smug Mug
Snapixel
Viewbook
Carbonmade
Ipernity
Photoshop.com
Red Bubble
Krop
Flavors Me
Pixdaus
Phombo
Phanfare
Photodom
Magix Online Photo Album
Fotoblog
Webshots
Jalbum.net
Issuu
Badorgood
Foto.md
Photoswarm

Not all of the above are free ones, and I'm mainly interested in free or a low cost site. I'm also not looking for promotion or exclusivity or sales. I also don't care about community, feedback, critiques, comments, followers, or "likes", and the like. I'm just looking for a place to post images online so I can link to them on this and other forums, mainly, and I don't want to give up my copyrights.

[maddoc]

I use flickr and pbase. pbase is similar to flickr either free (with limited possibilities) or one pays an annual fee with increased storage space and layout possibilities. What I like about pbase is the possibility to design the layout using css.

[emayoh]

If all you need is hosting and not anything more, try dropbox.com. If you use this referrer link, you and I both get 500mb added to our 2GB free space. I could use the bytes

Why I like them: It integrates into my OS, creating folders on my Mac (or PC) that I can drop files into. I can even get the public URL for that file just from the file properties on the OS. (e.g. on Mac, I right click on the file on my Laptop and get the link that I can use to paste in forums etc. I never have to visit the actual site. No upload screens, etc )

[naruto]

500px.com is the new kid on the block.

[kbg32]

500PX is a great site.

[mdarnton]

With a list that long, you are thinking WAAAAYYY too hard.

[loquax ludens]

Originally Posted by JSU

You want free or a low cost site, but you're not looking for promotion or exclusivity or sales.

With that criteria, what source of revenue is there for the hosting site?

I'm not sure how the free sites generate revenue. Ads maybe? Anyway, I don't mind paying, I just don't want to pay a lot.

Originally Posted by maddoc

I use flickr and pbase. pbase is similar to flickr either free (with limited possibilities) or one pays an annual fee with increased storage space and layout possibilities. What I like about pbase is the possibility to design the layout using css.

pbase looks nice! The main thing I don't care for in Flickr is the comments and tags and social-media like aspects. I don't see that in pbase. Does pbase support those things?

Originally Posted by PKR

Build your own site (it doesn't have to be fancy). Keep the file size small. "Banner" a copyright watermark on each image.

I've considered that. I have a site that I started to play with, but it's a hodge-podge of non-photographic stuff, all hand-coded html. I found it a bit tedious to work on, mainly due to my poor web site design and building skills. I might return to that concept again one day, just not right now.

Originally Posted by emayoh

If all you need is hosting and not anything more, try dropbox.com. If you use this referrer link, you and I both get 500mb added to our 2GB free space. I could use the bytes

Why I like them: It integrates into my OS, creating folders on my Mac (or PC) that I can drop files into. I can even get the public URL for that file just from the file properties on the OS. (e.g. on Mac, I right click on the file on my Laptop and get the link that I can use to paste in forums etc. I never have to visit the actual site. No upload screens, etc )

That's interesting. It could be a very useful tool, but it's not the sort of thing I'm really looking for now. I will use your referrer link if I decide to try it. Thanks for the tip.

Originally Posted by naruto

500px.com is the new kid on the block.

Looks Flickr-ish. Has that commenting feature I don't care for, so not really what I want.

Originally Posted by mdarnton

With a list that long, you are thinking WAAAAYYY too hard.

Actually, I didn't give it all that much thought. I just googled "Flickr alternatives" and then briefly visited the ones that seemed more interesting.


Thanks all for the suggestions. I'm going to take a deeper dive into some of them.

[maddoc]

pbase has a comment system (and a general discussion forum) but you can select if you want to have comments become public or hidden (and can always change later-on)

[loquax ludens]

I've been poking around in pbase, and I noticed comments generally. Being able to have them hidden at least makes for a cleaner presentation. Thanks Gabor. You've got some really nice images there.

[AZSunGod]

If you are looking for a site just to drop photo's and use to link to forums, use photobucket.com You can keep your albums private, no on sees them, comments, likes or anything. I'm not sure about the copyright's and such or how much storage you get, but I know they have free accounts and accounts that you can pay a little for more storage.

[jarski]

if Flickr comments are annoying, those can be disabled for all and individual photos.

Flickr API is flexible and robust, so I'd consider hosting there and display elsewhere.

[Sarcophilus Harrisii]

Originally Posted by loquax ludens

I'm not sure how the free sites generate revenue. Ads maybe? Anyway, I don't mind paying, I just don't want to pay a lot.

pbase looks nice! The main thing I don't care for in Flickr is the comments and tags and social-media like aspects. I don't see that in pbase. Does pbase support those things?


I've considered that. I have a site that I started to play with, but it's a hodge-podge of non-photographic stuff, all hand-coded html. I found it a bit tedious to work on, mainly due to my poor web site design and building skills. I might return to that concept again one day, just not right now.


That's interesting. It could be a very useful tool, but it's not the sort of thing I'm really looking for now. I will use your referrer link if I decide to try it. Thanks for the tip.

Looks Flickr-ish. Has that commenting feature I don't care for, so not really what I want.

Actually, I didn't give it all that much thought. I just googled "Flickr alternatives" and then briefly visited the ones that seemed more interesting.


Thanks all for the suggestions. I'm going to take a deeper dive into some of them.

You could simply make your images "private" on Flickr couldn't you, and just stay with that? It eliminates any interaction if you don't want that and you can still link to other sites.

Here's a shot that has been private ever since I uploaded it to Flickr, and as you can see, it has been displayed on RFF. (Rolleiflex 2.8C, Schneider Xenotar, TMAX 100)


Could it be this simple for you or, perhaps I've missed something?
Regards,
Brett

[Aristophanes]

I use Phanfare because the video and RAW file archiving options are superior.

Not free, but inexpensive.

Much of what you want requires payment.

[Jack Conrad]

I like photobucket. Free. They just upgraded with new ps style editing tools.

[gavinlg]

500px is really good. unlike flickr they don't destroy the image quality of the file once uploaded.

[Steve M.]

I closed my yahoo email a while back, and that ended up closing my Flickr account too. Switched over to Snapixel, and I love it. It's free, no ads (I have Firefox adblock, so they may be there and I don't see them), very simple interface, etc. Works great.

[Lauffray]

Originally Posted by gavinlg

500px is really good. unlike flickr they don't destroy the image quality of the file once uploaded.

That's only been happening lately though, it's gotten really weird.
I never really caught on to 500px, I don't like the interface

[kdemas]

FYI- You can set your Flickr permissions so that no one can comment and you can disable sharing as well. As mentioned above you can also make them private so nobody can see them, though you can still post them inline in forums.

[loquax ludens]

Originally Posted by AZSunGod

If you are looking for a site just to drop photo's and use to link to forums, use photobucket.com You can keep your albums private, no on sees them, comments, likes or anything. I'm not sure about the copyright's and such or how much storage you get, but I know they have free accounts and accounts that you can pay a little for more storage.

Yes, that's the idea (what I highlighted above). I'll add photobucket to the list and check them out.

Originally Posted by jarski

if Flickr comments are annoying, those can be disabled for all and individual photos.

Flickr API is flexible and robust, so I'd consider hosting there and display elsewhere.

I find them annoying only because I'm not looking for any feedback from anyone. (Frankly, I'm not sure I'd want to hear it, since I'm not a very good photographer anyway.) I mainly just want to play in the Words/No Words photo posting threads.

Can you explain what you mean by hosting there and display elsewhere? That sounds like what I just said, but I want to make sure.

Originally Posted by Sarcophilus Harrisii

You could simply make your images "private" on Flickr couldn't you, and just stay with that? It eliminates any interaction if you don't want that and you can still link to other sites.

Here's a shot that has been private ever since I uploaded it to Flickr, and as you can see, it has been displayed on RFF. (Rolleiflex 2.8C, Schneider Xenotar, TMAX 100)

Could it be this simple for you or, perhaps I've missed something?
Regards,
Brett

Yes, it could be. That would do the trick. Thank you, and thanks to others for pointing that out.

Originally Posted by Aristophanes

I use Phanfare because the video and RAW file archiving options are superior.

Not free, but inexpensive.

Much of what you want requires payment.

I can't think of a case where I'd want to store raw files, but video maybe. I was thinking Vimeo for that. Thank you for the recommendation.

Originally Posted by Jack Conrad

I like photobucket. Free. They just upgraded with new ps style editing tools.

Free is good. Not essential, but a plus. Usually there is a price to pay though, if you comb through the fine print carefully. I will take a look.

Originally Posted by gavinlg

500px is really good. unlike flickr they don't destroy the image quality of the file once uploaded.

Well, that is important, and something to consider for sure. The "sharpening" that Flickr does automatically for you ought to be a user-selectable feature, if it isn't already.

Originally Posted by Steve M.

I closed my yahoo email a while back, and that ended up closing my Flickr account too. Switched over to Snapixel, and I love it. It's free, no ads (I have Firefox adblock, so they may be there and I don't see them), very simple interface, etc. Works great.

I'll check them out since free and no ads is appealing, but PKR's concern below is also a concern of mine.

Originally Posted by PKR

I see no copyright notice and they publish your metadata.

Some cameras record GPS data along with exposure info. If you take photos at home and your camera has on-board GPS running, you may want to block the metadata.

I'll call Leica and Deardorff to ask if they've got any of that privacy-busting GPS tracking in my M3 and my V8. But honestly, the publication of metadata (EXIF or GPS or whatever) without my ability to block it is a concern and a showstopper. Thanks PKR.

[loquax ludens]

Originally Posted by Lauffray

That's only been happening lately though, it's gotten really weird.
I never really caught on to 500px, I don't like the interface

Their presentation looks very Flickr-ish, like a clone almost. But by "interface" I take it you are referring to the member content management interface? What do you not like about it?

[loquax ludens]

Originally Posted by kdemas

FYI- You can set your Flickr permissions so that no one can comment and you can disable sharing as well. As mentioned above you can also make them private so nobody can see them, though you can still post them inline in forums.

Yep that is basically what I'm after. Photobucket sounded appealing from that perspective too.

[Lauffray]

I don't like the big square thumbnails with the title, it looks awkward, overall I find there's an overdose of extra information around the pictures.

[Peter^]

I'm very happy with Ipernity. The upload limit is 200 MB per month, far more than I need. The interface is great, especially the uploading apps.

[loquax ludens]

Originally Posted by Lauffray

I don't like the big square thumbnails with the title, it looks awkward, overall I find there's an overdose of extra information around the pictures.

Right, I feel the same way about many photo hosting sites. I just want to see the photo featured as the only element other than navigation controls.

That wouldn't matter if I used a site that I could set the folders private just so I could link to them from elsewhere, since the photo site wouldn't be used for viewing in that case.

[loquax ludens]

Originally Posted by Peter^

I'm very happy with Ipernity. The upload limit is 200 MB per month, far more than I need. The interface is great, especially the uploading apps.

Supports videos too, it looks like. It could be a candidate for me too if I can make folders private and there aren't copyright or privacy concerns.

Oh, another thing that just occurred to me is that some sites might have restrictive TOS policies that prohibit certain types of photographs, such as nudes. I don't photograph many nudes, but I don't care much for content restrictions on content that is otherwise legal.