For some photographers, the thought of sharing their work with the public is unimaginable. Photographs are a personal look into themselves and are meant to be printed and hung up on the wall, kept in shoeboxes, and shown to only the closest of confidantes.

This being so, many are surprised to hear that I share much of my work, especially the work that I am proud of, through a photo sharing site known as Flickr. The most common concern voiced to me is, “Aren’t you afraid that someone will steal your work?” While that may be a worry for a well-known photographer whose works are worth a large sum of money, I am but a struggling student photojournalist. I also upload my photos at 72 ppi with the longest side being only 450 pixels.

Instead of fearing that others will view my photography, I view uploading pictures to a site such as Flickr as similar to how a small band might view file sharing. Posting to Flickr allows me to reach a worldwide audience quickly and easily. I can create photosets that photo editors can view instantly, meet fellow photographers around the world, discuss technique, etc. Sites such as Flickr and Lightstalkers serve to bring photographers together in support of each other and their respective forms of photography.