500px, what do you think about it?

Although I could have posted this on another forum, I first wanted to know what you (Sony shooters) thought about it.

There are some astonishing photographs, but a bunch of them look as if they have been very heavily post-processed. Not that I am 100% against it, but I don't think it fits with my style very much. Some pics in 500px reminds me quite a bit to those found in dpchallenge.com.

Your thoughts are appreciated

Cheers

moimoi

I have and use my 500px.com site for my favorite shots. Not as a place to sell them, but more for sharing with friends and family than anything else.

I have been using 500px for around 6 months. My observations:

• it is supposed to be a site for your very best pictures only, but there is now an awful lot of general stuff put there (I think it lost its real edge maybe over 1 year ago)

• the structure is such that images are always displayed on a 4-column/5-row basis, and new pictures go into "fresh"

• the current upload rate results in around 600+ pages of fresh per day, so I reckon 1 page of fresh every 2 mins

• means your chances of an image being seen (and therefore rated on photographic merit alone) are pretty low as I would believe the average visitor doesn't go through more than 5 pages (= last 10mins of uploads) to look at anything

• hence you can re-post exactly the same image at differing times of day and get views : scores for that exact same image from 0 : 0 (no views : no voting score) to 50+ : 80+ (I have tested this with my own pictures)

• many people have worked this out, and so the emphasis there now is on networking and getting friends who will know you are posting and just vote for you (regardless of quality), and you reciprocate the vote to them. Result is a distortion of Upcoming image ranking and a reduced chance of a new photographer really getting traction on image merit alone, and also a whole bunch of "great pic, excellent composition, please check mine" type comments, so when your image is critiqued you just don't know if it is authentic comment or not

• this means there is a mele of both good and bad images just around on the site in the lower ranking and good images can be really diluted away

• at the top end though, once a truly good image does break away to scoring maybe a consistent 80-90+ then I would say the scoring and therefore page ranking exposure indeed reflect good quality images

• to get an image really initially seen there, shoot a nude or sunset/landscape (stastically speaking, based on what I see in Upcoming)

• to get an image truly into the upper-eschelons in Popular then it really does have to be your very very best work (and also have "click-me" impact in the square format to stand out on a page with 19 other images).

• you can now post up to 10 images per week on free membership as opposed to 30 a few months ago, so that is pulling the signal to noise ratio back in favour of better images

• there is a dislike feature, which drops the ranking of an image. Many users are against this ability as it is being used (apparently) vindictively

• the voting rankings are nudged at midnight Toronto time, and the images which are scoring around 80-90+ in the voting get dropped by c. 10 at that time (the actual scoring algorithm is kept secret by 500px and I think they tweak it from time-to-time)

• there are many contributers and viewers from East Europe/Russia, etc., and I think from SE Asia

• so the end result is if you want to get exposure there you really have to play the statistical game over international time-zones with the site. When to post in order to get max views and chance of votes? When to post in order to get max longevity as scorable? Whether to do this link up and use it as just a social mutual "great pic" back-patting club, etc., etc.,

• there is an ability to sell prints and images via the site. I have never used that

• there are apps for viewing on iPhone, iPad, etc.,

So - my jury is really out as a person that wants to use that site for its purpose of sharing your very best images within the wider photographic community (viz their tagline: "500px is a photo community powered by creative people worldwide that lets you discover, share, buy and sell inspiring photographs" ).

As a viewer it's good if you check the Popular. There is some truly great work there, and yes it's unlikely a non post-processed image will get to the top rankings - I think that just reflects popular photography nowadays. In general I think the photography there at the top-pages of Popular are a good source of inspiration.

As a contributor there with an intention of posting my very best images for genuine critique, then I really don't know, simply because as I say, it is now more about when you post and who your friends are rather than what you post that detemines how "successful" there you will be.

Mark,

Thank you very much for taking your time to express your views about 500px. I remain skeptical about the veracity of some people on this website. I have seen quite normal photos with very high (+97) score, and some others (good ones) that are almost not taken into consideration.

I agree that the popular/ editor's choice pages feature some very interesting photographs, and that one can learn a lot from it.

I think I doubt I will take part of the community though, but I will keep watching time to time.

Thanks again,

moimoi

As Mark says, up until about a year ago it seemed to be the place for serious photographers to showcase their best work. Now it's as if everyone and their uncle uses it to post all of their snapshots; pretty much anything goes.

I think 500px has definitely lost its edge, and I have lost interest. In fact I just closed my account.

Glen
http://www.FocusOnNewfoundland.com
http://www.flickr.com/photos/fogoislanders/

Yeah you were right Mark. Those samples nearly reach top scores, and the photos are mediocre (or even crappy) at best.

http://500px.com/photo/8983414
http://500px.com/photo/8975358

Think you have just about summed it up perfectly there.

I have noticed in the last 3 months or so that I am coming across more and more very very average images that have been voted right up. Yes there is still a ton of amazing images on there but it's really odd to see a lame photo in amongst them.

As an example this shot of a garden sparrow made it all the way to the top pages with a score of 97 and 6 pages of 'wow great shot' comments, I don't get it http://500px.com/photo/8784174

Are people just tactically voting for each other over and over as it really is devaluing the site imo.

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http://500px.com/oweng

I see no reason why an image of a House Sparrow should not be top ranked. I judge an image based on impact, composition and technical strength. Other than impact, the subject shouldn’t matter. Judge the image, not the bias. - TF

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Some would have you believe that having to adapt to new technology is a workaround, but having adapted to old technology is photography.

Mark did an amazing sum of the strong and weak points of 500px.com

I would just add the fact that their sales plan is not good at all. If you submit an image for sale, all they are selling is a overpriced canvas print with small margin profit to the artist. Even worse, if you submit a print for sale, it will automatically be available as a lower resolution (but still higher than for web viewing only) for 2 dollars. I would never sell an image of mine as a digital download, and certainly not for 2 dollars.

Anyway, the site design is quite simply amazing and it must have the best quality photography out there, on par with 1x.com

I registered quite some time ago on 500px.com but I couldn´t keep up with so many sites at the same time. Now that I no longer spend any time in deviantart, I decided to give it a go again, and I´m loving it. I found dozens of extremely inspirational photos and photographers, and the streamlined design makes the whole process of viewing and commenting much more enjoyable.

So far I managed to put 6 photos of mine, out of a total of 14 newly submitted images, in the frontpage, and most of the other photos reached popular page 3-10.

But yes, it´s a crazy world at the popular page, lots of competition, points, views, "unlikes", and you really need a strong following base to succeed, which is something I haven´t done yet, but I´m working on it.

By the way, I´de love to exchange links with Sony shooters - my account - http://500px.com/joseramos

Cheers

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José Ramos
Official website - http://www.joseramos.com
(nature/landscape photography)

Facebook photography page - http://www.facebook.com/pages/Jos%C3%A9-Ramos-Nature-Landscape-Photography/374632662867?v=wall
Redbubble page - http://www.redbubble.com/people/joseramos
Deviantart - http://inebriantia.deviantart.com

I still like 500px. But only from around 9pm till 12am (east cost time) That is when the really good photos end up in the populars. The Site use to be unreal but it has turning into a social pat on each others back to increase "affection" (The sum of votes that people get when posting.

This seems to happen to some many sites where voting is used. (This is also a big problem at Smugmug) and I am sure others as well.

I also like to look at the editors choice shots. - These are often very overlooked but incredible images that really deserve a look.

The Images on 500px are heavily process as anything goes from family shots in the garage to digital art. (I fit into the category of somewhat processed as that pleases me )

I still post there but considering leaving. I joined sometime back when I felt the images posted would be an influence to improve my own work. Not so much anymore.
Photography is a hobby for me. Not a social event.

http://500px.com/Jeffgraham

Very nice work Jose. - I particularly like Vacuity. (Nice mood)
Jeff Graham

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Barry