What Flickr can - or cannot - do for you?
Flickr is quite an amazing tool. If you see it that way. It is also quite an impressing website. If you consider the size of its databases and the smooth navigation they manage to offer. But beyond these considerations, seen by anyone at the first sight, what does Flickr actually do for you and its community?
I have run a test search - or a few actually. First, I am looking for blurred pictures, because that's a style of picture I like (see my recent post "From my Flickr's favorites : "Sans suite"") and let's imagine it fits my mood. I search with the keyword "blur", which you will agree, is more a notion than a photo subject. Results are somehow what I expected: some blurred pictures and a couple of works using the 'blur' keyword (an artwork for the Britney Spears' song, a box written 'blur' on it, ...).
The BIG thing with Flickr is the interestingness engine. So let's have a look at the most interesting pictures with 'blur'. A church, an eye, pieces of wood, a car, birds, Boston.... A very eclectic selection. Problem, out of 25 pictures on the page, none of them is blurred, one is blurrish. The keyword "blurred" triggers the same results (??!).
http://www.flickr.com/photos/justinlee89/3152154343/ ; not found with the "blur" keyword...
Second search : "flower". Note we are not in the notions anymore as a "flower" is very material. The most interesting picture is... you would have guessed... a fly (see http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=flower&ss=2&ct=6&s=int) !
Third search : "ice cream". The 2 most interesting pictures of "ice cream" are, respectively, a "What's in My Bag?" from a lady in Canada; I have really looked and she does not carry an ice cream around; and feet in a crop field. (see http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=ice+cream&ss=2&ct=6&s=int)
So what does this tell us? My point is here.
Flickr does everything it can to steer you towards the 'most interesting' pictures. How Flickr recognizes your picture worth any interest. Mostly, it is based on a blend of the number of visits (on the picture's page), the number of favorites, the number of comments, the number of groups where the picture appear, ... No one really knows the algorithm behind all this; and it's - IMO - a good thing.
So if you want to be really visible on the Flickr community you need:
- A great talent
- A lot of 'friends' (virtual ones count), that helps for the above requirement
- Be an extrovert, that helps even more for the above requirement...!
The Flickr Community is useless to you as a photographer if you do not have these 3 criteria with you. If you do not fit in there, the community can help you with comments on your works. Many groups are there for this, it works well. Remember that the more group you picture is in, the less interesting (= visible) it is in Flickr.
As a collectionner - or a photography aficionados - things are not perfect either. From the example above, no many chances to find great pictures of things you like (material) and very little from themes (immaterial). A useful trick here: find a picture you really like. Probably a lot of people have faved it before you (otherwise not many chance you have found it), you can see the list and the favorites of other "favers". In their favorites, you will find some you will like. Also, in the Flickr blog, there some photostreams worth browsing through. Finally, follow artists you like!
My favorites on Flickr : http://www.flickr.com/photos/alexhh82/favorites
Use Flickriver.com : for example, http://www.flickriver.com/groups/just_blur/pool/interesting/
These two above comments rely on how Flickr is used (note the above uses of 'community') rather than its functions.
