Tech Tuesdays - Flickr

Hmmm... is this the start of a series? For the second week in a row, Tech Tuesdays is focusing on online technology for photographers. This week it's Flickr! For those who are unfamiliar with it, Flickr is a website and online community that allows you to share your photographs with other people, join groups of people who take similar photos and participate in communities that are full of ideas and information.

The main feature of Flickr is the ability to upload your photos and share them with friends, family or the world. There are free memberships and Pro memberships. The free membership allows you to upload a limited number of photos and have a limited number of sets (a way of organizing your photos). The Pro membership allows you to upload unlimited photos and have unlimited sets and collections (a way of organizing your sets).

You can also submit your photos to groups. Groups are made up of Flickr members with a similar interest, which can include a particular model or brand of camera, style of photography, location or subject. Here's an example of a group: The Portrait Group. The wonderful thing about groups is that they're not just places to show off your work. They're also great sources of inspiration and information. Browsing through other people's photos can provide inspiration for future shoots. Browsing through the group forums can provide lots of information, tips, tricks and techniques specific to the group's focus. As an example, check out the forums of a few groups I'm a member of: Strobist and Nikon D90 Club.

Flickr is not just a great way to share photos you're proud of. It's also a great way for photographers to be seen. By strategically placing your photos in relevant groups and diligently tagging your photos, local people will find you while searching Flickr. Google Images even searches Flickr, so those keywords and tags can be very helpful if someone is doing an image search. I also include my website and blog in the notes of every photo I post, along with having my contact information in my profile.

Some people will say that sites like Flickr can do more harm than good to photographers. You will rarely see any actual constructive criticism about a photo. All of the comments are always positive. It's hard to improve and grow as a photographer if you never hear any suggestions or criticism of your work. I agree with this sentiment, but would argue that Flickr, with it's active communities and global pool of contributors, does more good than harm.

So there you have it, my quick take on Flickr. It won't replace your web site. It won't act as your portfolio. You can't sell photos on Flickr. It won't put you at the top of a Google search. What it can do is provide you with enough inspiration and support that you never are at a loss for what project to tackle next or for how to get started with it. It might even drive a few potential clients to your website!