SheClicks Connect, a new online space designed to make it easier for female photographers to communicate, ask questions, share work and discuss photography, is now live on the SheClicks website.
Developed following feedback from the SheClicks community, Connect provides a more organised alternative to social media-style conversations, making it easier to find discussions, revisit useful information and connect with photographers who share similar interests.
The launch follows a large community survey, a series of focus group discussions and testing by a dedicated group of beta testers. One of the clearest messages from the survey was that while many members enjoy the conversations and support within the SheClicks Facebook Group, posts can quickly disappear into the feed and it can be difficult to find previous discussions or follow more specific topics over time.
With that in mind, SheClicks Connect has been designed to provide more structure while keeping the friendly and supportive atmosphere that SheClicks is known for.
Unlike traditional social media feeds, Connect includes searchable, topic-based discussion areas covering a wide range of photographic interests and activities.
Current areas include:
All posts are private and only visible to registered members of the SheClicks website.
One of the priorities during development was avoiding the need for another standalone app or platform. By integrating Connect directly into the SheClicks website, members can use the same account and password across the main website and Challenge image upload area. This means members only need one personal login and only need to log in once when visiting the website or upload page.
Members can also now expand their profiles with:
Adding a profile picture is especially useful because members can tag each other in discussions using @username mentions.
During the launch and testing phase, all areas of SheClicks Connect are free to use. Longer term, the general discussion area and some additional sections will remain free, while the more structured areas will move to a low-cost membership model priced at £3 per month or £20 annually.
Subscribers will also receive a completely advert-free experience while browsing the SheClicks website.
Angela Nicholson, founder of SheClicks, said:
“The Facebook Group has been hugely important to the growth of SheClicks and it will continue, but as the community has grown beyond 15,000 members it’s become increasingly difficult to keep track of conversations and information. Connect gives us a more organised, searchable and flexible space that has been shaped directly by feedback from the community.”
There is still some ongoing development work taking place, and members are encouraged to share feedback and suggestions within the dedicated feedback section on Connect.
Images uploaded to SheClicks Connect will automatically be downsized and compressed to suit the platform, removing the need for members to resize files before uploading.
The same functionality will also be introduced to the Challenge upload site. The aim is to remove barriers for anyone who does not have access to editing software or who is new to editing and preparing images for upload.
Founded by Angela Nicholson in 2018, SheClicks is a community for female photographers of all experience levels, from complete beginners using a phone camera to experienced professionals working with high-end equipment. Alongside the Facebook Group and website, SheClicks offers photography news, reviews, podcasts, webinars, meet-ups, workshops, galleries and monthly photography challenges.