Reviews: Photo Sharing/Critique Websites
WebPhotoForum
WebPhotoForum's tag line is "Providing an online resource and gallery for all Photographers". Here's how the website defines itself on the About page:
ABOUT US
The Web Photo Forum is a privately owned web site. The site runs on Windows
2000 server using a MS SQL 2000 database published by IIS. The site is
run by photographers for photographers and all we ask is that you help
towards the running cost of the site by subscribing to the email alert
service if not already.
WebPhotoForum is a pretty popular site; it currently has 2617 registered users, 15,469 uploaded images and 50,116 comments!
Surprise, surprise, WebPhotoForum is once again an advert-free website! Revenue is generated by asking members to pay a small yearly subscription fee (£15), and more recently by introducing new services such as large digital prints of your photos.
Features
(out of 5 stars)
WebPhotoForum doesn't have quite as many features as some of the other sites that I've reviewed. There are no limits on how many photos you can upload for subscribed members (£15 per year), but there is a restriction of 30 images for those users who don't subscribe.
If you do subscribe, you can also choose to receive an email alert whenever anyone comments on your photographs. However, this is a standard, free feature on all of the other websites that I've reviewed, so it would be nice if WebPhotoForums could add this for free.
WebPhotoForum has chosen not to implement a conventional star or number-based rating system. Instead you can cast a vote for an image that you like, which I think counts towards the "Pictures of Excellence" gallery.
Ease of Use
(out of 5 stars)
WebPhotoForum has by far the quickest and easiest photo upload screen. Type in a title for the image, choose a folder to store it in (you can create your own folders), choose a genre from the list, locate the file on your computer and click Submit. The upload requirements are also clearly stated, although I'm not sure if you can upload files that are not in the JPEG format.
The display of your uploaded photos isn't quite as slick as the upload process. By default, a list of your folders is displayed, and then you click on a folder name to view its contents, which are displayed as thumbnails. I couldn't find a way to display all of my images from all folders at once. You can then choose to delete each photo or move the images into a folder.
To view the statistics for your photos, you have to click the Comments Received link on the left-hand side of the screen, which is a little non-intuitive at first. A chronological list of all the comments that have been made about your work is then shown, complete with thumbnail images. If you want to select a particular picture and view the comments for that one image, just click the title of the image.
Feedback
(out of 5 stars)
WebPhotoForum has a lot in common with WebAperture when it comes to the feedback that my photos have received. A look at the comparison table shows that I haven't got quite as many views or comments, but the people giving the feedback have been very friendly and welcoming, and the standard has been helpful and constructive.
I've received comments about the softness of one of my images, which on a second look turned out to be correct, and also comments about the general composition of another image and how it could be improved. So people have offered their opinions on both the technical and aesthetical aspects of my photography; just what I was looking for!
Conclusion
(out of 5 stars)
WebPhotoForum is another easy-to-use, friendly and inviting website on which to post your photographs for constructive review. If you choose to pay the small subscription fee, it also has all of the features that you could wish for, including unlimited uploading and email alerts. This means that for a mere £15 a year, you can share your photographs with friends and family and hopefully improve the standard of your photography as you go!