Best Websites to Promote and Sell Your Digital Photographs

With the advent of digital cameras, the ability to take quality photographs is greater than ever before. I would venture to say that even the great Ansel Adams would probably being shooting digitally if he were around today. In fact, many of the professionals I follow have switched from film to digital. Some of my favorites that have done so include Ken Rockwell and Don Paulson.

If you are reading this article then you are probably already taking quality photographs. Now you are looking for some places where you can offer your pictures for sale or promote your own personal photography website. There are definitely a lot of places on the internet where you can put your digital photographs, but which ones are the best? In my research I have found four photography websites that I believe top the list. Here they are in no certain order.

1.Flickr- Most people have heard of or have used Flickr. Flickr is a place where photographers from all over the photography spectrum can upload their photos for the world to see. Flickr is a great place to get feedback from other photography enthusiasts. From my experience with Flickr, it is a great place to put your photographs in order to get a feel for what type of response a certain image will receive. It can serve as a great test site for your images before you put them on more elite photography websites.

Their free membership allows you to upload a limited amount of pictures at a time as well as submit your pictures to a limited amount of groups. However, their "Pro" membership will allow for unlimited uploads and unlimited submittals to groups. Currently, there Pro membership is valued at $24.95.

2. RedBubble - RedBubble is a place where you can sell your pictures, get great feedback from other photographers as well as create and promote your own "Bubble Site." I have been a member since January of 2009 and have really enjoyed my experience thus far. Their interface is very easy to navigate and the content on RedBubble is very high in nature.

They urge members to upload only their best photographs in order to keep the content at a level that stimulates visitors to purchase content. Along with selling photographs, members can upload art, t-shirt designs and even sell calendars created from their collection of images. RedBubble is a free website and offers unlimited uploads to members. I have not sold a lot off of RedBubble so far, but the community and feedback has made up for that.

3. Photo.net - This website is for the more elite photographer. This is a place where you will want to put only your top photographs. There are several professional photographers on this site, so the content is very high quality. This is a great photography website to promote yourself and possibly get some residual sales on your main photography website. Photo.net also has a place where you can submit an image for critique. If you submit a photograph for critique then the photo.net community will vote on your picture on 2 scales from 1-7. One for originality and one for aesthetics. The higher your ratings, the better chance you have at getting featured as a "top photographs."

They do offer a free membership (for only registered users), but like with Flickr, it offers limited uploads and limited critiques for your pictures. Their fee for subscribers is currently $25/year and $68 for 3 years. As a subscriber you will get your very own personal ImagePro website as well. Overall, this is a great site for drumming up freelance offers and to drum up business on your own personal website since they don't offer the direct sales of uploaded photographs.

4. Webshots - I have been using Webshots for several years now. What I love about Webshots is the sheer size and volume of people that visit the site. They claim to be one of the largest photo-and-video-sharing sites in the world. Webshots offers a Basic membership which is very similar to Flickr. It offers a ton of promotion for you as a photographer, but no option to sell your images.

The "Pro Shots" section of Webshots allows photographers with extremely high quality images to upload photographs and earn royalties from sales. Your image will then be subject to a two year - nonexclusive rights contract, whereby Webshots can market your image. Still, you are free to market your photographs elsewhere. The royalties you will earn is a 35-percent revenue share from the net purchase price of your image. Pro Shots offers even great exposure for your images and yourself since it allows you a link to your main website beneath your photograph.

These websites each offer photographers something unique. If you use all four of these photography websites you will be able to market yourself, drive business to your main photography website, get feedback on your pictures from other photographers and even sell your images. Of course, not everyone will agree with my choice of websites as the best to market and sell your digital photographs, but that is okay by me. Please feel free to leave a comment describing what sites you believe to be the best for the edification of all of us aspiring photographers.