One of the most powerful aspects of the Web is the ability to generate an immediately accessible knowledge base around an infinite number of topics.

We hope the Personal Archive Forums will help create such a knowledge base, as well as a shared culture of integrity and respect across a very wide range of photographers - from serious hobbyists to established leaders in their fields. We strongly believe in the power of the photographic community to effect positive change in the industry through education and interaction.

In this spirit, we have created dedicated forums for news, gear, photography business and industry, a 'bazaar' for buying and selling equipment, critiquing one another's work, and general photo-related miscellany. We hope (and expect!) that there will be a lively dialogue across our wide gamut of users.

A Word About Community Values

We encourage you to participate actively in the Forums. As you do so, please bear in mind the following values that we ask you to adhere to in order to ensure a productive and well functioning community:

• Treat everyone with respect and politeness.
• Make sure comments are productive and advance the flow of conversation.
• Deliver all feedback constructively and not over-personally.
• Have fun!

Thanks for being a great citizen. We do keep an eye on the Forums - you'll see us marked as Admins - so, please don't go too nuts.

Click here to read the chatter and get involved!

Virtual Agency Forums

If you are a member of a Virtual Agency, you automatically have access to a private forum that is open only to members of your Virtual Agency.

While you must be a paid subscriber to PhotoShelter in order to post to the main forums, if you are a free Starter account holder and also a Virtual Agency member, you are more than welcome to post in this private arena without a paid account.

Adding an Icon/Avatar

The icon that displays for you in the Forums is the same as the one that appears on your PhotoShelter homepage and within the Photographer Directory.

To upload an icon, click on the Update Avatar link, located within your My Account section in the upper right hand corner of your screen. Here you may upload a JPEG up to 100px by 100px that will show off your flair.

You can change your icon at any time.

Messaging Through the Forum

If you'd prefer to contact a Forum participant privately and directly, click on the photographer name's from the Forum. There you'll see a message window that allows you to send a note to them directly.

Email addresses are privatized until the message is sent, which means that once you send a private message through the Forum, the email address associated with your PhotoShelter account will be revealed to the recipient. The recipient's email address is never revealed (unless the recipient chooses to respond to the message).