Welcome to the NPN community! NPN is not just another photo sharing site, we are dedicated to the art and craft of nature photography. Our mission is to help you learn and grow as a nature photographer.
There are some important aspects about NPN that differentiate it from other photo sharing sites that you need to understand:
- This is not a site to gain recognition. Other sites are focused on popularity, while NPN is focused on learning, creative growth, and building relationships.
- Image critiques are a big part of NPN. Much can be learned from your peers, and we highly encourage participation. You have the choice not to be critiqued as well. The categories are divided into Gallery sections and Critique sections. Galleries are only for sharing images and discussion about those images.
- Only thoughtful comments are allowed on NPN. Simple replies such as ‘Great photo!’ will be deleted, just use the like button instead.
Before you get started we recommend filling out your profile information so others know who you are, and introducing yourself if you like.
- Upload a profile photo.
- Fill out your profile with your location and website if you have one.
- Join a regional group to keep up with events happening in your area.
We recommend reading the FAQ/Guidelines before posting. If you have any questions or problems, send us a message @NPN_Editor
Site Tips
The website may feel a little overwhelming at first, the default view of Categories and Latest is primarily there to help you navigate and understand the structure of the site. Once you get used to the structure you will find the buttons ‘Latest’, ‘Unread’, and ‘New’ on top of the page to be extremely useful. Here is an explanation of how they all work:
- Latest - Shows you everything thing that is happening in the forums, whether that is a new post, or if somebody replies to an existing post it will show up in latest.
- New - Shows you all the new posts (no replies to existing posts) that have been created since the last time you visited.
- Unread - Shows you any new replies to existing posts that either you started or a post that you replied to since your last visit.
- My Posts - Shows you only topics that you have participated in or created.
- No Replies - Shows all topics that have no replies, give them some love and start the conversation.
These can be used in individual categories as well. For example, you can go the Landscape Critique forum and click on New to see only the new posts in that category.
There are many different aspects of nature photography discussed on NPN. Landscapes, Wildlife, Avian, Macro, etc. We know that some of these might not be your cup of tea and you do not want to see your latest feed filled with subjects that you are not interested in.
At NPN we do not use algorithms to show you what we think you should see, we allow you to filter out what you do not want to see and show you the rest. Please see this post on how to customize what categories you see. It’s as simple as muting the categories you are not interested in.
Have feedback for us? Leave us a note in the Site Feedback section, or if you have questions please post them in the Site Support section.
Here is a video that explains all the site features that will help you get off on the right foot.
