American Society of Media Photographers Founded in 1944, at a time when print photographers had little financial or professional organization, ASMP was created to defend the rights and interests of professional photographers. The society advocates for copyright protection, business education, professional standards and fellowship, and against work–for–hire and other abuses. ASMP has chapters all over the nation and holds valuable meetings on a range of issues of interest for photographers—pricing and administration, client relations, and technical “how to” topics, as well as talks on featured photographers. These events are not only learning but also networking and social opportunities, giving photographers, who typically work in isolation, a sense of real community.  

Digital Photography Review Like the rest of the site, DP Review’s Forum is a comprehensive and orderly. The collection of digital gear discussions is grouped by equipment brand and technique and the active interest of the participants is measured by counters that keep track of the number of threads and messages as well as the number of minutes between postings. 

Digital Vision Network An associate of the venerable monthly multi-media magazine for visual journalism The Digital Journalist, Digital Vision Network assembles links to partner organizations, professional organizations, like-minded online publications as well as information on “Platypus workshops” for professionals, DVN consulting and a blog.  

Documentary Educational Resource Documentary Educational Resource continues its longstanding mission of making cross-cultural documentary films available for educational purposes. DER supports filmmakers who engage with communities and cultures all over the world, producing and distributing their work with the goal of educating both students and the general population on many issues. The organization offers financial sponsorship of projects, workshops in film editing, consulting for filmmakers on marketing and fundraising, as well as an internship program for students and a film stock agency to help get the work out there. 

Editorial Photographers Founded by editorial photographers for editorial photographers, EP speaks frankly and directly to many issues facing professionals today. In a field that has seen a lot of change in recent years, EP’s stated mission is to advocate for photographers’ rights and to be a voice for change in the industry. Relying on education and communication to increase awareness of the issues, the site provides ample information on everything from wise business practices to the politics of editorial photography. EP’s site also includes many member services, ranging from the “Find a Photographer” database to Outreach EP, Editorial Photographers’ excellent education and resource page, which deals with some of the most important questions challenging today’s photographers. 

Hey Hot Shot! Calling itself “the best thing going for emerging photographers,” Hey Hot Shots is a competition that offers up and coming photographers a modest cash prize and the invaluable gifts of expert feedback and gallery exposure. New York photo gallery owner Jen Beckman founded Hot Shots as a means of discovering rising talents and has brought in curators, editors, collectors, established photographers and tastemakers of all descriptions to help review the submissions that come in from the world over. Winners gain much needed visibility in a two week group show at Beckman’s Spring Street gallery, and from among these Beckman chooses the “Ultra,” the top of the class, whom will be represented by the gallery with all the benefits this brings.  

Lightstalkers Resources, leads, links and leaks posted by photographers for photographers. Personal recommendations for everything from body armor to camera bags, processing laboratories to travel agencies. A serious and committed group of professionals 

Luminous Lint Luminous-Lint is the result of one man’s laudable mission to get us all involved in the creation of “the world’s leading collaborative knowledge-base for the history of photography.” Although complex, the site is very user-friendly. Information is organized by searchable sections that include themes, photographers, techniques, galleries and dealers, as well as times lines. Luminous-Lint makes very good use of the web’s elastic nature: each link in these sections unfolds into an amazingly rich page of historical and practical information, closely connected with other pages - including eclectic photo galleries - in order to give the most complete picture possible. The most original feature of Luminous-Lint is its very personal and direct requests for input; the site is dotted with areas for feedback and ways to get involved in building the content. The interactive nature of the site, somewhat like a Wikipedia for the history of photography, opens the door to an original and more comprehensive way of researching and displaying photographic history. 

North American Nature Photographers Association Nature photographers are playing an increasingly important role in documenting and communicating the state of our rapidly changing natural environment, and NANPA is professional association that promotes and supports this and the many other aspects of nature photography. One of the Association’s central goals is education, which it pursues through its publications Expressions and Currents, events such as the Annual Summit and Nature Photography Day, as well as student scholarships to help inspire the next generation. The other major aspect of NANPA’s mission is protecting the natural environment, and the site includes many pages devoted to keeping its membership aware of environmental news and apprised of advocacy and resources for hot button issues. 

Photo District News Online An indispensable resource, PDN Online’s comprehensive site literally covers the “waterfront” of information relevant to photographers. Its front page is dedicated to extensive photo news coverage, product reviews and features, but there are also links of several PDN initiatives and alliances- each a distinct and valuable source in its own right. PDNedu is a support system for emerging photographers, offering news, photo critique forums, features, contests, portfolios galleries and examples of photo-essays from students around the country. PhotoServe is a “visual database of the world’s best photographers,” a sort of society page that keeps track of assignments, exhibitions and awards of establish photographers. The site includes a monthly portfolio gallery that comes complete with a search engine for its archives. PhotoSource is PDN’s all-in-one professional photography directory, full of national and international industry resources. There is also a link to IPN, the Independent Photography Network, an organization that provides stock photography from independent photographers and small agency reps. PDN shows its support of photographers of all types through its generous gallery space. Here you find all levels of photographers and photojournalists- established, emerging, or even “legendary”. Online only features as well as in-depth reporting for subscribers. 

Photo.Net Forums From pinhole to digital photography, photo philosophy to photo business, this surprising collection of discussion topics covers a lot of ground in the art and industry of photography. Different from other, more gear-oriented forums, there is a lot of thoughtful discussion here and it is well worth digging through the archives. 

Photographic Resource Center, Boston University Photographic Resource Center, Boston’s vigorous and independent photo non-profit, fulfills part of its wide-ranging mandate by offering an online photo discussion forum. Although this resource still seems largely untapped, the forum does offer PRC’s membership and interested surfers a place to ask general or technical questions, post classifieds and look for volunteer opportunities. The PRC’s many other activities are designed to engage a broad public with the art and ideas of photography. Located on the campus of Boston University, the PRC offers its members and the wider public up to eight annual gallery exhibitions, research resources based in the PRC’s Aaron Siskind Library and other unique events. If that were not enough, the PRC also hosts a web-based photo discussion forum, publishes In the Loupe, its stylish newsletter, and offers the annual Leopold Godowsky Jr. Color Photography Awards. Vigorous indeed!  

Photography Tips Forum A friendly, community oriented message board, where photographers, models and clients post messages and chat about different aspects of the craft.  

Proof: Media for Social Justice An organization that harnesses photography’s power to document both the facts and the emotion of a situation as means to generate awareness of the lives of people in post-conflict areas such as Darfur and Rwanda. Proof’s goals are very direct; they partner with established photographers whose work chronicles the human cost of violence, and in conjunction with groups such as Amnesty International, and institutions such as Houston’s Holocaust Museum, create a visual record – or proof – of humanitarian emergencies that demand the world’s attention. Ultimately, this spare site is a call to action and there is a page full of clearly defined ways to help and to get involved.  

Social Documentary Social Documentary, a sort of collective online gallery, investigates the “global human condition” by inviting documentary photographers to share their work. The well-designed site features an egalitarian mix of photo-reportages from an international cast of established and amateur photographers. Covering issues such as the devastating effects of Nigerian oil on local populations, stories of forced and voluntary migrations, and tales of the lives of marginalized people from around the globe, the themes are broad and the stories are personal. Photographers are invited to create their own web pages within Social Documentary.net, posting a slide show, information about the work, and links to groups and NGOs that are addressing the issues. The makers of this site believe in the power of images to create change in the world; the variety and depth of the work here gives viewers plenty to think about and act upon.  

Women in Photography International For over two decades this group has been advocating for women’s photography and working for its increased visibility in the world. The WiPI Member’s Network Board provides a forum for exchange on a range of photo topics and areas of interest. In fact, the WiPI’s busy website is packed with resources and useful information, a reflection of the organization’s commitment to supporting women photographers through the entire process of creation. The site is home to f2, an e-Zine that assembles news, new photo projects, business tips and book reviews related to women photographers (and women in general). Other useful sections include a member database searchable by photographic specialty and an ongoing series of juried online exhibitions. There is even a reference section of bibliographies devoted to women photographers and their art.  

Zone Zero Particularly attuned to the diversity of the world of photography, Zone Zero features a forum open to all. The discussion topics are gleaned from a small and unpretentious listing and therefore well fleshed out by members. In English and Spanish.