Working as a photographer can be a solitary experience. You typically don't work alongside other photographers you can turn to for an answer or advice unless you belong to a meet-up group or other club.

You don't have to work in a silo on your own or wait for a meeting. Online photography forums offer a great place to connect and learn from others at any time from the comfort of your home.

Why you should join an online photography forum

Exposure: If you want some exposure for your images, you can get that by joining an online forum.
Critique: You can receive feedback on your images from other photographers on the forum.
Stay current: Online forums can help you stay updated on the latest industry standards, trends, news, and equipment.
Learn: Forums are a great way to expand your current knowledge of photography and equipment.
Community: As we said above, photography forums can be a great way of engaging with other photographers and give you a sense of community.

We have compiled a list of ten photography forums you should check out! They aren't listed in any particular order.

1) Flickr, managed by SmugMug, offers a popular online forum and (massive) photo-sharing site. No longer the top photo site, it remains enormously popular with both amateur and professionals. It's a good place to go for advice and feedback. Topics and groups keep it well organised. Use its search feature to find information.

2) Talk Photography is precisely as its name says. It's also a U.K. site, so keep that in mind. You'll find ten discussion forums such as Equipment, Photography, Beginners, and lighting and Studio. There's a separate section for Photo Genre discussions. There are more than 60,000 members and almost 3/4 million threads and 800,000+ messages.

3) The Photo Forum focuses on various topics related to digital photography. It has approximately 200,000 members and more than 3 million posts. It's divided into several sections, including the main forum, industry news, and articles of interests. Also, Photo Contests, Foundations of Photography, Camera Forum, The Business District, Film Photography, Digital Photography, DSLR Video, Photo Galleries, and Forum Feedback and Testing. There are a lot more sub-sections and worth browsing.

5) Reddit (r/photography) offers a lot more beyond photography but enough photography to make it worthwhile. There are countless discussions and topics, but one of its most popular sections is the photography which often includes tutorials, feedback, and tips.

6) Digital Photography Review is a top and popular site for photography discussions. There are 4,078,746 threads and 44,304,806 posts! Its sections include a general Discussion Forum, Equipment, Computers & Printing, Photography and Techniques, and For Sale.

7) Fstoppers This is a massive online community packed with news, editorials, and tutorials. There's also a photo-sharing gallery, photo competition of the day, and online groups where you can post questions.

8) Photography Forum is loaded with information for photographers starting with the basics. You can post photos and ask for critique and visit any of their eight various forums.

9) VSCO bills itself as a community "for creators, by creators". It allows its users to add, edit, and share images. In the Discover section, members can share tutorials and stories.

10) 500pixels is extremely popular for photo sharing. If you want global exposure and connections, you can look for it here. This Toronto, Canada based company has15 million photographers from 195 countries. You can also "sell your photos, keep your copyright, and get your photography the attention it deserves".