How 500px works? - DPChallenge Forums

Canon EF 24-105mm f/4.0L IS

04/23/2012 08:16:37 PM · #1

This is currently the 5th most popular image in the landscape category:
//500px.com/photo/6894968
While the colors are nice, the composition does nothing for me. It looks like a holiday snapshot. I am amazed with the number of faves it got in 14 hours. How is it possible? Even if one can develop a sizable group of 500px friends there must be there also unrelated enthusiasts.

I have been trying to use 500px to help me work out the best shots for my portfolio but some of it just does not make any sense. I have also discovered that the portfolio features on 500px are very limited and I don't like the standard styles. Unfortunately that means I will have to build my own Web site which will be time consuming.

Has anyone made better use of 500px? It has failed me in two main aspects I was interested in. I will keep on experimenting with it but I am not sure how useful it is going to be.

jeger

Canon EOS-5D

04/23/2012 08:49:19 PM · #2

The more you interact with the website (leaving comments on other photograph photos etc), the more people will start following you. Some people have a lot of followers because of things they do offsite (such as run a photography blog).

I have entered a handful of photographs, and only really had 1 that did extremely well (front page). //500px.com/photo/1826272

The portfolio portion is pretty straight forward. It doesn't have much customization, so what you see is what you get. It's good for people like myself who don't have a lot of time to invest in keeping the portfolio up to date. I was going to post my website address here, but I've noticed it's not working currently. Ha! Time to investigate.

Mike

Canon EOS-5D Mark II

Tamron SP 24-70mm f/2.8 Di VC USD Canon Mount

04/23/2012 09:14:46 PM · #3

in the flow section i see images that people i followed liked and commented.

so the more people you follow and the more people that follow you get you more exposure. it the same with any social media.

personally i'm more impressed by the staggering amount of fantastic images i see on there and that alone makes me want to create and contribute my own images.

Sony SAL-16105 DT 16-105mm

04/24/2012 12:45:44 AM · #4

I was hoping there will be some correlation between the quality of the image and the number of faves but that is not the case. I will have to devise my own method for selecting images for my portfolio. There are some stunning images there. I enjoy looking through some portfolios. My highest score so far is 99.0 (//500px.com/photo/6896305) with 65 faves but it dropped to 86.8 within few hours - extremely fast.

LandzEnca

Samsung TL500

04/24/2012 01:30:46 AM · #5

Originally posted by MargaretN:

There is a regularly scheduled rollover at midnight. Every midnight, a new rating day begins in 500px. Every vote made on your photo within this 24 hour period will have the maximum weight. Every fave will accellerate your score as well. The photo must also have been uploaded in the same day. Photos up.oaded on previous days will not get this scoring behaviour. Anybody who gets around 20 or so votes and at least 10 faves early in the day will get at least a rating of 90. At that time, those that ruled the front page on the previous day will loose their powers and will begin to drop. Your 99 would fall easily to 86. Hence, the one who just got 90 will take their place in page 1. Once your rating of 90 gets you to page 1, it becomes a matter of staying power. It will get more exposure so it will get more chance to get voted on, and it will slowly climb its way until it gets 99. Note that it will also get more chance to be voted down by ill-intentioned competitors. By midnight again, the votes on your photo will loose their weight, so your rating will drop significantly to give wayto newer photos. But the drop in rating does not happen exactly at midnight. It happens immediately after the first vote or faveit gets on that nnew day.

Sony SAL-16105 DT 16-105mm

04/24/2012 01:43:28 AM · #6

Originally posted by LandzEnca:

Note that it will also get more chance to be voted down by ill-intentioned competitors.

Thanks. That's very complicated! What are the ill-intentioned competitors? How do you know you have them?

LandzEnca

Samsung TL500

04/24/2012 02:09:09 AM · #7

I was trying to avoid the use of the word "troll" but, yeah, they mean the same thing.

New members, or those that are not that active, or... I really dont know how they determine it... But there are some users like me who have access to the dislike button, and there are some, like my colleagues who don't. One dislike and it can turn a 99 down to 96. Two dislikes and.. You do the math.

There are legitimate reasons for disliking a photo, but you know, just like here in dpc, there are times when you feel you are just being trolled and there's no way to prove it :)

I mean... It's not even a contest, and there are no prizes, but well.... Some people just want to exercise their right to use the "i dont like this photo" button, when they can simply move to the next photo if they really dont like the one they are currently looking at.

Mike

Canon EOS-5D Mark II

Tamron SP 24-70mm f/2.8 Di VC USD Canon Mount

04/24/2012 07:58:41 AM · #8

why even offer a dislike button?

i would think it would work perfect without, just likes and favorites and if you dont care for an image just move along, adding the ability to dislike just adds a malicious factor that otherwise wouldn't exist.

ETA, apparently its based on your affection.

again this is stupid, i was not aware of the highly political underground that appears to be there. i think the site is much better without a dislike button.

Message edited by author 2012-04-24 08:04:17.

Canon EOS-550D Rebel T2i

Canon EF 28mm f/1.8 USM

04/24/2012 09:23:50 AM · #9

A good explanation about the rating system.

And the dislike button does seem pretty pointless..

04/26/2012 03:34:06 PM · #10

I spent more time on 500px and I like it more and more. Great!

SwordandScales

Canon EOS-6D

Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM

04/26/2012 04:12:37 PM · #11

I think the best way to get noticed on 500px is to take a picture of a mountain, or a naked woman. Other than that, I just find the website a good inspiration tool and have little to no hope for my images there. Or anywhere, for that matter... :D

sempermarine

Apple iPhone 5s

04/26/2012 04:44:52 PM · #12

Originally posted by SwordandScales:

You could always take a shot of a naked women climbing a mountain. :)

Nikon AF-S Nikkor 24-120mm f/4G ED VR

04/26/2012 06:52:20 PM · #13

Just made it to the Top page of Popular:
//www.500px.com/popular

with my FS mountain shot (no naked woman ;)
//500px.com/photo/7010270

Message edited by author 2012-04-26 19:48:17.

Ozzie

Nikon D90

04/26/2012 07:02:36 PM · #14

First link doesn't work

04/26/2012 07:49:05 PM · #15

Originally posted by heatherd:

First link doesn't work

I fixed it

04/26/2012 07:55:05 PM · #16

Still there at #9, WOW! (and no organized voting supporters!)
PS But if you are on 500px why not vote for me!! :)

Message edited by author 2012-04-26 19:56:31.

Canon EOS-550D Rebel T2i

Canon EF 28mm f/1.8 USM

04/26/2012 08:03:04 PM · #17

voted :)

04/26/2012 08:06:50 PM · #18

Originally posted by ozmaster:

voted :)

Thanks!! #6 now! A couple more and I might make #1!

PS #4!!

PS2 Good timing as I have no entry in any of the current challenges. I missing the Update button!

Message edited by author 2012-04-26 20:26:05.

Tamron SP 24-70mm f/2.8 Di VC USD Canon Mount

04/26/2012 08:59:25 PM · #19

WOW!! #2 !! (UNREAL!)

Mike

Canon EOS-5D Mark II

04/26/2012 09:25:30 PM · #20

i just knocked you into #1.

04/26/2012 09:40:52 PM · #21

WOW!!! Thanks!!

pgirish007

Canon EOS-5D Mark IV

Canon EF 24-70 2.8L II

04/26/2012 10:07:46 PM · #22

voted!!! you are #1