OK, amateur shutterbugs, time to get those digital cameras clicking
Digital photography has made taking and sharing pictures nearly instantaneous as pixels and cyberspace have replaced film, processing and snail mail. Most mobile phones today can grab images and videos of decent quality and folks are shooting more pictures with pocket-sized cameras that deliver top-notch images.
Now there’s a new place to show off your photo skills. The reviewjournal.com Web site — which I oversee as executive director of Stephens Media Interactive — has launched a place for all aspiring photographers to get their pictures seen by visitors from across the globe, as “Your PIX” went live in time for Halloween. About 200 photos were uploaded during the first week, with the Pets & Animals gallery accounting for most of the action.
The “UReport” gallery is home for breaking news photos. We have a subcategory of “Weather” ready for your images of the next snowfall, flood, wind storm or whatever else Mother Nature tosses our way.
Other galleries include: Only in Vegas, Around Las Vegas, Celebrities, Events, Families, Holidays, Nightlife, Sports & Recreation and Your Neighborhood. Many of the galleries include specific subcategories to help make it easy to find a home for your photos.
Sharing your images is done through a Web browser interface. Start on the reviewjournal.com home page and click on the “Your PIX” link and then the “Submit Your Photo” link found in each gallery. After entering your e-mail address and nickname it’s time to find the digital image you are uploading by browsing your computer files. Give your photo a name, add a caption and wait for the image to transfer to the gallery.
Site visitors can leave comments on each image or cast votes for their favorites, resulting in collections featuring top vote-getters and the most popular images. The most recent uploads also appear on the reviewjournal.com home page and images are searchable by name or keywords in captions.
Before diving into the digital world, I spent nearly two decades as a newspaper photographer and photo editor. I love looking at photos almost as much as I enjoy shooting them, and know there are many great amateur photographers out there.
The term du jour for this type of Web material is “user-generated content.” It’s also sometimes referred to as “citizen journalism.” No matter what you call it, the Internet has made it all possible. The camera-equipped public is in far more places than any news organization’s photo staff can cover. Get the picture that tells a story and share it with the world.
I suspect you’ll enjoy sharing your photos and taking a look at the world through the eyes of our neighbors and visitors.
Now, get shooting and start uploading.
Share your Internet story with me at agibes@reviewjournal.com.