Photoshare Blog

A New Photoshare!   | Capturing programs in action and the people they serve.

It is a project that was envisioned for many years and finally began design and implementation seven months ago. In addition to a clean new design, the site expands and enhances current services while delivering a range of new features and interactions for requesting Photoshare images, and for photographers sharing their work for nonprofit educational use.

The site being replaced was created in 2003 amidst changes in digital photography and web design. For 8 years the site provided users, photographers, and Photoshare site administrators with a platform for sharing not only images that document the realities of rural and urban life in developing countries, but also knowledge about the importance of ethics, informed consent, and fair use for editorial photography. In that time the Photoshare website and staff provided over 45,000 images for use in global health and development interventions. Growing by nearly 15,000 images, the Photoshare collection developed as a platform for international exchange, with 65% of contributing photographers living or working in developing countries, and 65% of users requesting images living in developed countries. This connection of local advocates and providers with project managers and policy makers has allowed Photoshare to further the vital role of photography in capturing programs in action and the people they serve.

The new enhancements and features include in this update of Photoshare include:

User profiles

New search display with thumbnail view

Faceted search for filtering and refining search results

Image light boxes

Updated forms and request processes

Improved access to images

Faster processing of requests

Photo upload functionality

Interface for monitoring the use of shared images

This release represents a significant achievement for the project and will lay the groundwork for future expansion, as well as demonstrating the value, reach, and impact of the Photoshare collection.