Review of 500px

Let me begin with saying that I've only been taking pictures for just over a year now. I've learned many new things and have met many new people in that short time, all through this hobby of mine. As I began last year, I wanted a place to post my pictures, where others could view, like, and comment on my photography. A friend suggested Flickr and off I went to create an account. For over a year I posted pictures to Flickr regularly and participated in groups. I even created a Facebook page, where I linked my Flickr pictures after uploading them. However, I wanted to find a new area to explore in the photography sharing world. Flickr was nice, but I needed something different. That's when I found 500px.

Coming from the white pages of Flickr, 500px was a sight for eyes that wanted something different. 500px had a sleek design, one that immediately drew me in. I spent hours going through photos from people around the world. After reading what perks a free account had, I quickly made an account.

A free account allows you to upload pictures up to 30mb in size. You are allowed 20 uploads a week, with the ability to upload up to 10 photos at a time. Besides the uploads and hosting, a free 500px account also gives you a portfolio, a place to showcase your work. It is pretty much a free website for your pictures. For an example, here's mine: JFMiller Photography. As you can see below, it has a very professional look for being free. You can place your pictures in groups called Collections. A free account allows only 1 collection, a Premium account allows unlimited.

While Flickr does have a much larger community (500px has approximately 85,000 users vs Flickr's millions), 500px community tends to be more serious photographers and hobbyists. They are there to showcase their work, not upload every picture from their child's birthday party.


In the end, it will come down to preference. I love 500px. I don't have anything against Flickr, the site served me well for what I needed during that period of time. But now I need something better and I think I've found it.