Where Should I Upload My Pics?
I’ve been trying to make sense of all the photo websites — Flickr, Facebook, Twitpic, etc. I think I’ve made a few generalizations you can follow in order to decide where you should upload your photos. Check it out:
Flickr: Used for more artistic shots, usually taken with a higher-quality camera than that of a camera phone or, occasionally, a point and shoot. These photos have a reason to be viewed in higher resolutions, a feature that isn’t necessarily available on other websites. These photos might go into community groups (if you’re into Flickr groups for sharing your photos). If geotagging is of utmost importance, Flickr is preferred. Photos of people could be put in Flickr if it is of an artistic nature and not necessarily “point-and-shoot with extra flash in a dark bar” quality.
Facebook: Used for photos composed primarily of PEOPLE. You have the ability to tag people in Facebook and link those photos to their profile, a feature which isn’t really found on any other service, especially a service you know you will find most of your friends.
Twitpic: Used for pictures not necessarily of people and that don’t really have an artistic quality about them to go to Flickr, either. It’s usually the crap pictures we take of our day-to-day.. mostly insignificant stuff. Good examples include the photos (you know we all take) of what we’re currently eating, where we are, or what we’re doing. Most cameraphone shots will be uploaded here.
Snapfish, ArtsCow, etc.: Used for select photos you would like in hard-copy form. If you do not use Flickr directly to order your prints, you may consider uploading small amounts of photos to an external website for that purpose. It may not be the most convenient option, but competition is good; you can almost always find a better deal elsewhere. You probably will not use these websites for sharing as there are better options available, mentioned above.
Photobucket, TinyPic, etc.: Used for photos that only need to be uploaded to the web for one use, sometimes for a short period of time and not necessarily available to everyone for commenting and tagging. Good examples include website elements and images for bulletin boards.
Did I miss anything? Leave a comment and let me know.
