What is the optimal size for photos in a digital portfolio?

Question

Currently most of the pictures that I want to put into a my portfolio are around 3000 x 5000 px. It is obvious that most people don't have a screen resolution even close to this. Is there a standard size for online photos?

Asked by Dylansq

Answer

The optimal size depends on a lot of things. The intended audience, the quality of your work, the license you use and the watermark if applicable.

Most of my professional friends limit themselves to about 600x600 to avoid illegal copying. This obvisously limits the ability to appreciate photographic details but this is the one I chose too because people steal online images constantly.

Unfortunately photo buyers sometimes as for full-size (or close to) previews in which case you can use a service with private access to show these.

If you want to give an immersive experience you will need a higher resolution. A minimum of 900px on the wide side but up to 1400px would not me unreasonable. In that case you will probably want to place an intrusive watermark over the center/subject of the image or content yourself if an open licence which, sadly, will probably not be respected anyway.

Online images get copied and even printed, so limiting to a small size which cannot be used printed is key to keep your property from being abused.

Answered by Itai

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What's the best website for showcasing my work to the public?

Question

Wondering which website is more popular for posting own photography art and maybe get some feedback from community in other words a way to carry photography to mass public. FB is not the right place.

Answer

Flickr is definitely a good fit for what you're after:

1. It's public by default (unlike Facebook which tends to be private).
2. It's huge: it definitely ticks your "mass public" box.
3. It has excellent social features that make it very easy to interact with new users (people you don't already know) and get your photos seen.
4. It doesn't over-compress your images (like Facebook does) so it's a great place for a high-quality showcase.

In response to Kiril Kirov's comment ("I created a flickr profile, but not a single view for about a week :D"), it sounds like you're not using Flickr to its full potential. If you want other people to notice your work, try the following:

1. Give your photos meaningful titles, descriptions and tags to ensure they appear in search results.
2. Add your photos to relevant groups and join in the group discussions.
3. Find other users whose work you like and add them as a contact. It's not obligatory to reciprocate but many people will. At the very least, they'll usually check out your stream to see who you are.
4. Look for other photos you like and comment/favourite them. Again, there's no guarantee people will reciprocate but many do.
5. Join a Flickr group local to your area and go along to a meet-up. (If they don't seem to have them, try arranging one! If there's no group, create in!)

Even though Flickr is public by default, you do have to invest some time in it before you'll come to other people's attention. But the same is true of any other photo site. Plenty of people choose other sites (such as 500px, SmugMug or Zenfolio), often because they have a more professional "portfolio" look, but for social features Flickr just can't be beaten.

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What solutions are available for a self-hosted portfolio website?

Question

I am trying to find a simple yet solid solution for a self-hosted photo site. I have been through a bunch but have found them outdated code-wise (Gallery2), technology-wise (Flash based) or just plain ugly or disorganized (Coppermine).

I am considering using non-photo CMS like WordPress simply because the themes look good and the user interface is so simple, but would like to know if there are any other options out there.

P.S.: Please don't mention photo sharing sites like Flickr, Picassa, etc. I'm not interested in anything that is not self hosted. And nothing based on Flash, please.

Edit. I am a web developer and have no problem working with code/servers/etc, just wondering what options are out there, most everything I have seen is dismal.

Answer

My favorites are ProPhoto and RawFolio. Both of these are going to cost you money up front and both of them have self hosting options. They even have the option to install the software for you if you decide that is the path you want to follow.

You will find that the ProPhoto blog is used across the photography industry. It is hard not to run into this template at some point if you view a lot of photography websites. I personally like it, and am very happy with its customization options. The backend GUI is very intuitive, and the support staff is very helpful if you need further customization added.

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What can I do with a Nikon D40?

Question

I have been using my D40 with 18-55mm kit lens for four years now and love it to no end. Two and a half years ago I fell down face front in a steep beach slope while I was wearing the D40 around my neck and loads of sand got lodged in the lens. At the time I had difficulties while zooming in and out, and the auto-focusing wouldn't just work. After a while, zoom and the focus started working normally.

In the last year or so, I have noticed that the auto-focus would stop working for brief periods of time. Of late the auto-focus has stopped working altogether. Whenever I try to auto-focus, I can hear the motor try and fail. So I have started to adjust to the manual focus and am started getting the hang of it.

I am also considering buying a tripod and the wireless remote. I understand the core concepts of photography, but I have only used the camera in a hobbyist way and not to produce seriously good pictures.

How can I make the best of use of my D40? Would D40 be useful to get some great shots that I could potentially use for a portfolio?

Answer

The Nikon D40 is absolutely capable of delivering excellent portfolio worthy images. If you want to continue to use that body, I highly recommend sending it in to Nikon for a cleaning and a general checkup. If sand did enter any parts of the body, continuing to use it could just cause more issues. As another user pointed out, a great lens to start with would be the Nikkor f/1.8 lens, preferably the soon to be released version with autofocus included.

If you are looking for great portfolio worthy images, your best investment is almost always in high quality lenses rather then body upgrades. Consider this as your next step before spending big bucks on a body that might come with a lens of similar quality to what you already have. The other big advantage to purchasing lenses is that they typically hold their value for a much longer period of time, where as body's need to be replaced every few years if you want the next new features and functions.

From what I gather it sounds like you are ready to take a deeper dive into photography and get more serious shots that can be printed large and shown off. The best way to do this is to focus on composition and read books, articles, magazines, and websites like this, then get out and shoot shoot shoot! I would recommend getting a lens with a larger aperture but for a low cost (under $200 USD) to get started with as well!

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