Photo enthusiasts share and compare their snaps online

People often say that digital photography is the end of the professional photographer. This may or may not be true, but digital technology has opened up all kinds of doors for the dedicated amateur. Uploading photographs to the Web is nothing new, thanks to photo-sharing resource Flickr and other services. But for those interested in taking their photography to the next level, Hungarian site Fotózz! offers a more alluring model.

The key difference between Fotózz! and traditional photo-sharing is that it goes for quality ahead of quantity - which makes it much more pleasing to the eye. While anyone with a digital camera can dump their holiday snaps on Flickr, Fotózz! is heavily moderated and all images are rated and commented on by registered users. Indeed, the whole process is taken very seriously. All opinions submitted by new users must be approved and only constructive criticism and advice are tolerated. In addition, users can only upload photos once they have amassed the requisite number of credits by posting valid comments.

Although today's Fotózz! is highly polished, it has grown into its task since it was launched as a spin-off from Index Digicam, a portal for digital photographers operated by index.hu, in October 2003. According to Fotózz! founders Birdie and Tibor Antalóczy, "We didn't always have all these rules, but our users proved time and again that we needed some kind of system to maintain the quality of the site. But despite these restrictions, we have several thousand registered members, with more joining every day."

All these rules and regulations are designed to make the site a lively and interesting community experience for Hungarian photo enthusiasts, but the great thing about the Internet is that anyone can poke their noses in. Every day, a photo of the day, week and month appears on the front page, but there are also links to exhaustive categories ranging from "absurd" to "underwater." There is even a section for the images with the lowest ratings and for Fotózz! submissions Photoshopped by other users.

For casual visitors, the result is a truly breathtaking interactive gallery of highly original images by local Hungarian shutterbugs. Hungarian-speaking users, on the other hand, can learn the complex art of photography on a collaborative basis, by reading comments and criticisms attached to their own and other users' work. Details are also attached to each photo, such as film speed, exposure and the type of camera used. All of which is certainly less expensive and more fun than scouring through dozens of photography books. "I don't think professional photographers have any use for the site, unless they want to show off their work in some ízirájder ("easy rider") fashion. They won't learn anything here - the site is more suited to enthusiastic amateurs," admitted one Fotózz! administrator. The site may be aimed at amateurs but it is highly professional. It is supported by advertising revenue and sponsors.

The photos published online are copyrighted (so we can't show you any examples here), but registered users can contact the photographers themselves and beg them for high-resolution originals via e-mail. Alternatively, you can go out and buy a printed version of the best Fotózz! images. The brainchild of dedicated user Tibor Csukás, the Fotózz collection (above right) is available on the shelves of the Tesco, Cora and Auchan supermarkets, and in Libri bookshops. The coffee table book features 400 high-quality pics in 15 categories.

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