I enjoy uploading images to 500px now and then. When an image is first submitted, it immediately appears in the "Fresh" images category. Viewers then have the option to vote for an image by pressing the "Like" button. If they find the photograph to be exceptional, they can mark the picture as a "Favorite". Points are awarded to the photo in part based upon how many Likes and Favorites it receives within a certain period of time. Points are deducted after the picture has been uploaded for a certain amount of time to ensure that new images are always rising to the "Upcoming" and "Popular" categories. Photos are always ranked by points in real time.

Often times, I like to view the photos that are currently the most popular on the site. Usually, I find those photos to be inspirational. They teach me more about composition and make me think about the processing methods used to create such images. Click here to view the most popular photos right now.

I am pleased that my 500px portfolio surpassed an "Affection" rating of 10,000 points yesterday. Since I started participating, three of my photos led the way by reaching the first page of the popular category. Here are the three most popular images in my portfolio:

Dog in Flight (reached #1 status on September 1, 2011):

Dog in flight"Bud", a Miniature Dachshund, in Orland Park, Illinois on May 31, 2009 Long Desert Highway (ultimately made it to the second highest rated photo):

Long desert highwayLong desert highway leading into Death Valley National Park. Photo captured on Highway 374 just west of Beatty, Nevada on December 15, 2010 Claws (reached a #7 ranking at one point):

Claws!Claws of a grizzly bear (Ursus arctos) swimming at the Brookfield Zoo in Brookfield, Illinois on September 27, 2011

Opening a basic 500px account is free. If you haven't tried it yet, you might enjoy uploading a few of your favorite images.