Any 500px users?

[KLi]

Hey guys,

Just wondering if there are any members from AP on 500px and maybe share your link.

I just started using it after getting a b it more serious with photography.

http://www.500px.com/k_li

[Viper]

Yep have setup an account and love this site for its pure interface and amazing images that are displayed by very talented photographers.

My link

http://500px.com/MellosPhotography

[Analog6]

I have one, I've posted a link here to some amazing macro work too, in the relevant forum.

http://500px.com/PhotographybyOdille

[Invictus]

I did. Within 10 days, I found them being used elsewhere without permission.

I do like the site though. Layout, speed and content is enjoyable.

[Viper]

I did. Within 10 days, I found them being used elsewhere without permission.

I do like the site though. Layout, speed and content is enjoyable.

That is not good, how did you find your images?

[Woody08]

I've been a member for a while now. It seems everyone is posting their Sunday best. there are some great phoots.


http://500px.com/woody08


Cheers,

John w

[Invictus]

That is not good, how did you find your images?

Google Images

[Xenedis]

I'm not a member there (I've been based at Flickr for six years), but I'm curious to know what features it offers.

The site looks nice and clean, and is somewhat reminiscent of RedBubble.

[ricktas]

Google Images

Ouch. Letting Google images catalogue all the photos on the site is not really a good thing, cause it's one of the easiest ways for people to get a free photo to use.

AP doesn't let Google or any other search engine go through the Members Photos forums Photos, so they cannot catalogue them from AP

[Tommo224]

I have one, I've posted a link here to some amazing macro work too, in the relevant forum.

http://500px.com/PhotographybyOdille

Just commented on your photo, I remember this!
http://500px.com/photo/1608799


Some amazing work on 500px, I feel I'm not up to scratch to go on that site =/

[Invictus]

Ouch. Letting Google images catalogue all the photos on the site is not really a good thing, cause it's one of the easiest ways for people to get a free photo to use.

AP doesn't let Google or any other search engine go through the Members Photos forums Photos, so they cannot catalogue them from AP
Sorry, just to clarify: I found the offending usage on other sites, via Google Images ( search by image functionality ), not my own images on 500px.

[sunny6teen]

I joined recently just to see what the fuss was about. It's a nice enough layout and it certainly has fewer crappy cat photos than flickr...but there's no bbcode embed function so I really don't know how to embed photos from that site to this one.

for those interested, or if you're slacking off at the office and aren't too fussy about how you waste company time...click here ---> http://500px.com/sunny6teen

[donnnnnny]

I have been there a while, i quite like it, but do feel that for the most only very highly processed images will get to the front page http://500px.com/DonGoldney
The good part is i like the lay out and how it presents my work.
cheers don

[Dylan & Marianne]

Finally got round to trying this out, just tried the interface , uploaded a picture - bang! .....flabbergasted
Love the way it actually displays the work
It's a tad odd about the dislike button though - I honestly don't think I'll ever use it....I kind of think that I go online to photo-sharing sites such as this to appreciate , not to depreciate?

[Xenedis]

It's a tad odd about the dislike button

That sounds decidedly unappealing.

Is it possible to disable its use?

[Xenedis]

I joined 500px a few months ago.

A few minutes worth of reading the site's support forums will quickly reveal that the 'dislike' feature is extremely unpopular, and many people (myself included) feel that people use this to manipulate the site. Specifically, I have heard of claims that some people whose images are increasing in popularity will go out of their way to cast a dislike vote upon competing images, so that their own images can increase in popularity to the detriment of other people's images.

Unfortunately 500px's staff provide the usual canned response that more or less denies that front page manipulation and vitriolic disliking exists, and that people who suspect abuse should privately email the site's support email address.

If you ask me, I believe the practice of pulse manipulation is rampant.

One day I uploaded an image which has proved to be the most popular and actively voted/faved/commented image in my gallery, and it very quickly rose through the ranks. What I noticed in addition to all the positive responses was that it received three dislike votes, which pushed it further down the ranks.

What I also noticed on the same day was that another image came almost out of nowhere, very rapidly gaining a higher ranking than mine, and later slipping back by a significant amount. I strongly suspect that some people did not like the surge of popularity that image achieved, and went about casting dislike votes to cut the 'tall poppy' down. I was as surprised to see its dramatic fall as its monumental rise.

Personally I believe that kind of behaviour is disgusting, and an extremely low, vile act. One should achieve merit through one's own achievements, not due to manipulation or sabotaging of other people's achievements.

While there are many images on 500px that I don't personally like (art is subjective, after all), I would never seek to actively cast a dislike vote against them. I'd rather spend my time clicking on something I do like, rather than engaging in what I consider to be a childish, detrimental act.

By all means, one need not be concerned about popularity. I don't consider myself to be a popular photographer, and being featured on the front page of image hosting sites, while it's very nice and strokes the ego considerably, is not something that drives me or serves as a reason for existing on such a site.

If you can avoid all of the pulse manipulation, 500px is a fantastic site on which to maintain a gallery, and see the work of some truly fantastic photographers. Many of my esteemed Flickr contacts also have galleries on 500px.com, so I follow their work on both sites.

In summary, if one is not fazed by the popularity ranking system and consequent vitriolic manipulation which I'm sure (but cannot prove) exists, 500px has a voluminous collection of outstanding images, which for a fine-art photographer subject to peaks and troughs, can provide enough inspiration to get out and shoot when life's happenings and one's general mood would otherwise stifle that.

[Darvidanoar]

I joined a few months ago, but I'm not sure I get the point of it.

It looks very pretty and there are a lot of great photos there, but if I put my images 'in store', who am I actually selling to? other photographers on 500px?
Who, apart from other photographers, actually knows about 500px?

[pixy]

I have had a look at 5oopx but to me it has no appeal,any photos that I take are for my enjoyment or the subject`s, for someone on social networking sites to" like" a photo because it is a friend, is not what is desired,for me.

The people on social networking sites are not the sort of judge`s that would make me think that a photo is good or bad,if you only get a few dislikes does that mean it is a good photo or you have a lot of friends.

I will contradict my selfe, by saying that I have posted on PPG in the past because it is voted on by photographers before it is accepted.

Jack.

[JM Tran]

Seen it, strolled through a few sites by people, not a fan of it. Just another one of those 'stroke my ego and photographic skills' site etc.

I use wordpress to create a travel website/blog to share travel photos and info with friends and those that follow me. Not really interested in achieving a high number of likes and friends online like 500px and other sites.

www.wanderingasianguy.com :D

[Xenedis]

I joined a few months ago, but I'm not sure I get the point of it.

It's a photo-image hosting site, as is Flickr, RedBubble and others.

The idea is to upload high-quality images rather than use it as a dumping ground.

It has a popularity metric system, which, while it's a source of controversy, can easily be ignored if you're not into that sort of thing.

From the Wikipedia article on 500px:


500px, pronounced five hundred pixels, is an online photography community that was co-founded by Oleg Gutsol and Evgeny Tchebotarev (artistically also known as "Ian Sobolev"). The Toronto based startup launched its Web 2.0 version in 2009 and is aimed at aspiring and professional photographers; encouraging members to upload their best work.




It looks very pretty and there are a lot of great photos there, but if I put my images 'in store', who am I actually selling to? other photographers on 500px?

I'm not sure. I'm not the least bit interested in selling, so I haven't enabled it.



Who, apart from other photographers, actually knows about 500px?

The same question could be applied to Flickr, RedBubble and others. They're all image hosting sites which more or less do the same thing, but some have features others don't.

[ricktas]

Redbubble when it started was going to be photographers only, and they even had a booth at a home show early on. They were going to promote the site as a place to go and buy high quality photos. They had a business plan to have booths at major events like home shows etc. Somewhere along the way, early on, they added in other art, then stopped doing the home show idea, added forums and more products to print on. That is when I closed my redbubble account as it deviated from what was (for me) a good business plan.

[Dylan & Marianne]

I've been ever less keen to contribute to 500px these days because of the ongoing dislike button issues
Why I think it is important is because nowadays, I like to know which images have good general appeal so as whether to consider them for exhibition (amongst the images I consider are personal favourites regardless of what others think). 500px would have been a great medium for that purpose save for the dislike button. Flickr can be a medium for it but is too prone to similiar manipulation of the explore algorithm too.

ps. check out whytake.net - for the moment, that seems to be a high quality image site which forces photographers to only choose their best 50 images. Take a look before the corruption occurs lol

[I @ M]

This has proved to be an interesting thread.

Having had a look around and uploaded a few images it does seem to display things well.
I am not interested in marketing through the site.
I feel that the main ( 99% ) audience will be other photographers.

I totally fail to see any "dislike" button and I only realised that there was a "like" button after reading this thread.
Maybe I am missing something or is the option of "disliking" something only available to paying members? :confused013

[Dylan & Marianne]

Andrew - underneath the like green button , there's a small blue text "I don't like this photo" which I think anyone can use as long as they are signed in

[I @ M]

Andrew - underneath the like green button , there's a small blue text "I don't like this photo" which I think anyone can use as long as they are signed in

Signed in, hope you don't mind the subject matter but I still fail to see any "hate" "dislike" buttons. :confused013

A screen print of what I see as a logged in freebie.

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/9582534/500%20whatsits%20screen.png

[Dylan & Marianne]

wow, that's really weird andrew - this is what I get (also as a freebie) - I think the mods stated somewhere that you need to 'like' X amount of photos before you can dislike one? not sure on that but maybe that's the reason why nothing has popped up yet for you?

92320

[I @ M]

Dylan, it does seem rather inconsistent but maybe the system is based, as you suggested, upon "like" usage to enable a person to fully access all features.

To me, the only worth the like and dislike functions appear to have would be to enable people to push an image into prominence for either commercial gains through sales or merely for ego stroking.
Likewise, the dislike function appears to be there so that a person or people can relegate a popular piece of work to a lower ranking so that another rises above it. Once again, the benefit of that seems to be for either commercial or possibly back stabbing, bitchiness, tall poppy syndrome and plain jealousy.

Surely the latter points wouldn't happen on the internet? :rolleyes:

[I @ M]

After a little look round ---

It seems that I'm not trusted :o Hmmmmm, a truly intelligent web site. :D

From their support pages ----- http://support.500px.com/customer/portal/articles/558994--i-don-t-like-this-photo-or-dislike-button

This bit describes their process.

"Who can Dislike photos?
The Dislike Button is enabled for trusted community members. This is determined by having a high affection rating and a clean record with 500px (meaning no copyright abuse or any other infringements of our Terms of Service (http://500px.com/terms) on your file). Being granted access to Dislike photos is a sign of our trust and we will have zero tolerance for misuse. Each user gets 5 anonymous Dislikes per day. After 5, they will have to leave a comment with a reason for the Dislike. This helps ensure no single user of 500px has a large influence on the outcome of our Popular page or other user's success."

Maybe if I go and like lots and lots of things I will become trusted.

Or perhaps if I flash the credit card around and buy an "awesome" membership I might become instantly trusted. :shh:

[Kym]

Andrew -- We don't trust you!!! -- what hope have you over there :lol2:

[Dylan & Marianne]

haha! that's hilarious andrew :P

I think the like / dislike thing is definitely all about manipulation one way or the other and since critique isn't usually the aim of these types of sites, why not just keep it positive rather than introduce something with the potential for negativity and ill feeling.
I figure that when browsing images, I'm always looking for stuff that inspires me or that I like. If I want to keep it on reference for possible future visits to that location, I add it to my favourites, if I just plain like the shot, I'll vote for it and perhaps leave a message. If I don't like it, I just leave it alone - I just find it odd that you have to have a dislike button - surely the no vote is enough ?

anyway, I have little to beef about since our images get a good audience already. I have a personal opinion of what images of ours I like the best, with 500px, I was hoping to get as honest as possible an opinion from the public about which images were most popular and of course, just to put our stuff out there. Since Marianne and I don't solicit magazines or other employers for photographic work, posting our stuff and hoping seems to be our most effective passive approach !

[I @ M]

Dylan, you summed it perfectly I reckon.

If they removed the dislike function and everyone used it sensibly and rationally it would be a very good site.

[Kym]

Our thanks system here on AP can be configured for Like/Dislikes -- Rick and use mods decided not to turn that on

[mikew09]

I did have an account but have now moved to smugmug. It is a good site with great photos. My only complaint was the rating system. I found that it is more like an advertising campaign - when I posted new photos I got hit pretty quick and the rating starts to move but noticed that voters left a comment saying I voted now come and vote on my site. The less you visit the less you see voters on new photos added.

That is not to say I didnt vote. I did on photos that I really liked but cant say if any where by the members that liked my photos. Still a great site and worth a try, just didnt suite me and I love smugmug

[Telby]

I joined a while ago. Its a great way I feel to get inspiration.

http://500px.com/stuarttelfer

[Xenedis]

I joined a while ago. Its a great way I feel to get inspiration.

It is.

While most people dislike the 'dislike' function, the site is otherwise great and provides me with inspiration and motivation.

If people aren't fazed by popularity, that function can be ignored, as a score is just a score, and doesn't say anything useful about the quality of the image.

I have seen some great images get overlooked, and some very mediocre images in the 'Popular' section.

Popularity isn't implicit of excellence or quality. After all, Britney Spears was once popular, and Justin Bieber, One Direction et al. are presently popular.