There can be many advantages to using a photo sharing website and they are becoming more and more popular. It does not take very long to upload all your pictures, and in most cases, the sites are free to use. There are usually some additional paid features like extra storage space, higher image resolution or ad-free pages that can be purchased. The sites are generally set up to be very easy to use and it allows users to share their photos with distant friends and family members. In days gone by, people collected printed photos in photo albums in order to be able to share them with friends and family but that is not very convenient. By using a photo sharing site once the photos are uploaded they can be shared around the world in a matter of seconds. Another great advantage associated with using photo sharing sites is that you have all of your photos in one place. This is much more convenient than storing them on multiple computers or devices. The photos do not have to be transferred to another device if one should crash or be replaced with a newer model. Photos are all together in one location and easily accessed.
Who Uses Photo Sharing Sites
Photo sharing sites are used by a variety of people including serious photographers. For the casual photographer their photos can either be made public or set to be viewed by selected individuals to which permissions are granted. Professional photographers use their own paid versions of photo sharing sites. These types of sites usually charge an annual fee for photo storage and have portfolio features including online stores where consumers can purchase the photographer’s photos.
Top Photo Sharing Sites
Just about everyone has a Smartphone today and taking pictures is an everyday thing. In many cases, they just want to capture the moment and share it on a social site. Then what? Very few people consider making prints of photos anymore except on rare or special occasions. There are numerous photo sharing sites that photos can be uploaded to so that they are not taking up space on your digital device but are always easily accessible. There are a few that are very popular and each one has its own set of unique features. This is not an exhaustive list of all the photo sharing sites available, but a sampling of the most popular ones.
- SmugMug – This is a paid photo sharing site but most say that it is well worth the small annual fee. Their layout allows for plenty of options when it comes to editing, displaying and sharing your photos. These features are great for both the amateur and professional photographer. There is not a limit on how many photos are stored or uploaded to the site and it contains tons of themes and tools for customizing photos, slide shows and creating galleries.
- Photobucket – This site does have a basic free option with the option to upgrade for an annual fee. The site is very well organized and its simple layout makes it easy to use to share photos. Site designers set it up so that there are many ways that photo albums can be customized and displayed. Users also have the option of adding music to slide shows. Unique to Photobucket is there scrapbook builder which allows users to drag and drop photos so that they are easily organized. Photos can also be shared across multiple social sites with just a click of the button. There are also numerous gift items like mugs, cards, or mugs that can be designed with specific photos and purchased.
- Flickr – Flickr is a popular site for sharing photos. Users can easily upload their photos from their digital and mobile devices. The site has no limit on storage space but does set a limit of 100MB of uploads per month. There are a wide variety of features for editing and displaying photos and lots of special effects. Photos can be tagged and geo-tagged and are easily shared across social sites. Flickr has a free basic site which can be upgraded to pro for an annual fee.
- Shutterfly – This is a very popular site used by those who want to store their photos for free and create unique gifts with them. Photos can be used for greeting cards, calendars and posters. The navigation is very easy to figure out and there is free storage space that is totally unlimited. The platform allows users to customize their own site used to display and share their photos. There are also plenty of tools available for editing photos. The site has a free basic plan.
