Saving Florida
Dedicated to Saving Florida through photography, art, and journalism.

Do something with your photos!

As people who are drawn to nature, many of us find ourselves interested in capturing some of the most unusual or beautiful things we see with cameras and camcorders. Most of the time people seem to keep these things for their own personal reference, showing them off like trophies during arguments, or adding them to a brag board somewhere. But did you know that there are a million and one really cheap ways that you can share your skills, sell your photos or even design a photographic empire online for free or even cheap? There are photographic sharing sites, photographic portfolio sites, photographic product sites with drop shipping, a million or two things you can make order and sell with photos, and even websites that will let you make your own newsletters and magazines. And did I mention that most of it is free for people who use limited amounts, and cheap for those who want to grow bigger?

There must be a million photo sharing sites out there. The idea behind most of them is that you upload your photos and set who can see them. You get a link and can share it with whomever you choose. The fun part is that you can get critiqued and exposure for your photography or art skills by a wide, international audience. One of my favorites is Flickr.com. The people are generally friendly, it has great security features and it’s free for anyone who wants to just dabble. If you want to “go pro” you can pay a very minimal yearly fee and have unlimited uploads and storage. Other websites include PBase, shutterfly, and a myriad of photo developing store hosted sites. Most of these sites do not include integration to sell your work, but provide nearly limitless exposure.

Portfolio web sites generally come in two forms. One of them is a general exposure site. It’s favoured by many people photographers whose works are personalized and there for aren’t meant to be sold to large audiences. Wedding photographers, child photographers, and other general photographic types use these to show off their best works and provide contact information. The second type is better suited to specialty photographic works like wildlife photographers, landscape photographers, and artistic types. These sites allow for viewing of products along with prices and many times even a shopping cart. There are a wide array of sites like these available. One of the easiest and totally free sites is Photoreflect. You can set up an online store, direct people there and control your printing all from your desktop. SmugMug is also a popular, but more costly option. Do a web search and find one that fits you and your style. But always check that your photos can’t be downloaded and have watermarks placed on them to reduce theft.

Another great option for any photographic or artistic spirit is to use websites that will customize products for you and ship them either to you or to your client. Some options in this category are CafePress, Vistaprint, Lulu, Moo, QOOP, Blurb, and Imagekind. There is a huge number of things you can do with photos if you just look. The great thing about many of these websites is that they have built in quality monitors. If you have a photo that just won’t work they won’t let you do it. It’s that simple!

And last, but not the last options, are sites for making and distributing online publications. You can make a really great newsletter using a handy site like MailChimp. You can make your own catalogs and magazines for online and print using Press Publisher.

Finally, if you are always looking for new things to do with your photos and camera sign up for great newsletters already in distribution. I’m partial to PhotoJojo but there are many more worthy of your time. So, what are you waiting for!? Go make something, and send me the link when you’re done. I might just publish it in my next online venture! J

Wanna see what I do online?

Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jbdrake

Cafepress: http://www.cafepress.com/savingflorida

Press Publisher: http://www.presspublisher.com

By Jamie Drake

Jamie Drake is a full time student, amateur photographer, and serious advocate of conservation of Florida and North American natural resources. Her special interests include the Northern Caracara, Limpkin, and in finding ways for nature to thrive even through the rapid urbanization of Florida.
Visit her websites to learn more: http://www.fieldguideflorida.com

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