As the new year begins, there’s no better time to think about your growth as a photographer. Whether it’s a new hobby or you’ve been snapping pictures for years, honing your skills often comes down to two simple things: 1. More practice and 2. Feedback that comes when you share and showcase your photos with others, say, with an online gallery.

The idea of getting more practice is self-evident. But doing so in an intentional or directed way can pay off in leaps and bounds. Find a style or photographer you like and try to make similar images. Find a subject, for example macro or “urban decay”, and lean into it. Or, a lot of people enjoy receiving a variety of regular assignments for practice. If you like that idea, get involved in the free 2024 52-week Photo Challenge, sponsored by SlickPic, Photofocus and Radiant Imaging Labs.

So, let’s talk about feedback and how to get it for a minute. In terms of growing your skills, there are many benefits to showcasing your images and asking for comments from friends, family or even strangers! 

Often, the first ideas that pop up are simply sharing photos on social media or emailing them to people. In both cases, you lose control of your image. Any ratings or comments are scattered about, difficult to distill into a specific action plan.

Frankly, the best way I’ve seen to share and showcase your photos is through an online gallery you control, rather than using social media or just emailing photos around. Here are some benefits to consider:

  1. High quality images. Using a professional-caliber online gallery ensures that your images will be of the highest quality possible. Social media and email often compress your photos in ways that are unflattering.
  2. Best image navigation. An online gallery will have better navigation through multiple images in an album, or even multiple albums. This means that you can upload a ton of similar images (e.g. all landscapes or all street shots) and then ask people to rate and comment on them all at once.
  3. Selection = Growth. The very act of selecting WHICH of your images to show is a powerful growth driver. By forcing yourself to cull your images, crop and post-process them for your style (I use a tool like Radiant Photo for natural-style editing), and even give them an interesting name will pay off in spades the more you practice it. 
  4. Cast a wide net. By putting your images on the web in an attractive public gallery, there’s also a strong chance that your images will attract other onlookers besides friends and family, widening the feedback you’ll receive. You’ll look like a serious photographer, impress your friends and family and maybe get a paid gig! 
  5. Have fun. This one is simple: It’s fun! If you’re a passionate photo enthusiast, knowing that you’re shooting for your online showcase gives you permission to shoot more, and with intention. What’s better than that? 

Sure, use social media to attract more people to your gallery. But don’t rely on Facebook or Instagram or X (formerly Twitter) for your main showcase. Make 2024 the year you commit to showcasing your best work publicly with an online gallery you control!

Bonus for loyal Photofocus readers

Our friends at SlickPic, one of the world’s leading gallery and website building platforms since 2010, is giving every Photofocus reader a complimentary 1-year subscription to their Classic Photo Gallery plan! 

This user-friendly Gallery is ideal for enthusiast photographers and offers unlimited high-resolution galleries and unlimited visitors. PLUS, every plan includes fast, easy sharing with your own personalized URL, cloud backup, plug-in support for Lightroom Classic and top-notch customer service. Share your photos publicly with the world or privately only with people you want — great for family and event photos!