Experimenting with Flickr

Flickr is a photo sharing website you cannot miss, at least hearing about, on the Internet. It is currently the leader in web photo sharing and is probably the most commonly utilized photo sharing service. Even if you are not currently using Flickr, someone you know, or the image links in an article you read will eventually introduce you to Flickr.

One of the benefits of using this picture sharing service is that Flickr is optimized for all mobile devices and browsers, including Mac, Android, iOS and Windows. It also offers ample storage space, so photographs will always have a home. Flickr lets you save, edit and share your favorite images. Just download the Flickr app, sign in, and you can access your photos and also enjoy the benefits of storing, editing and sharing photos on the go.

Also, the company offers 1,000 GB of free storage space for photos. It allows you to store hundreds of pictures and easy access when needed. They also offer automatic backup features, so you never have to worry about the photos that are lost

Using this photo posting and sharing service is easy. To upload photos, drag and drop images into your camera roll. Then choose which photos you want the public, friends or relatives  to have permission to view. Also, you can sort the images by the date on which they were uploaded.

WHAT's SO COOL ABOUT FLICKR?

Experimenting with Flicker was a rewarding but challenging experience. I am not much of a photographer or graphic designer for that matter, hence the challenge. I was not comfortable uploading randomly chosen and/or edited photos from a simple Google search, mainly for licensing reasons that completely confuse me. So, I did a little research on free graphic design/photo editing software and decided to give Inkscape a try. I watched some YouTube tutorials and to get ideas, I browsed some graphics on the subject of Web 2.0. Then I created 3 fairly good original graphics and uploaded and tagged them on Flickr. I had a little trouble learning the export vector (svg) to png process as Flickr does no support the svg format but got through the process eventually. You can see the graphics I created here: My Flickr Creations.

ABILITY TO TAG LICENSING NOTICES

We are all aware that tagging makes the Web a richer place (by tapping into people's desire to categorize things and also share those categories with everyone else). Tagging provides a bottom-up order on the web, making it easier to find information. Flickr at one point was the wild west of copyright, but now there are simple options to use to configure a license notice for each photo or series of photos. Unfortunately, licensing and copyright information is almost hidden in the bottom corner of the screen and is often overlooked.

SOCIAL NETWORKING

Because social networks, photo tagging, and groups are built into Flickr, you do not have to use more social platforms if all you want to do is be part of a photo community and that’s it.

PHOTO VISIBILITY SETTINGS

Individual photos can be labeled as public or for a group (or individual) only. This feature gives users great flexibility in sharing photos with just only select people they wish to share with.

INTEGRATION & ORGANIZATION

In addition to its mobile application, Flickr is integrated into many large photo editing programs (Aperture, iPhoto, Photoshop Elements, etc.) to make easier uploading directly from editing.  Drag and drop organization makes moving photos on Flickr much easier than other sites demanding text-based folder system categorization.

The best parts about Flickr - communities, and mass storage space - are all free. And you can easily share your images with friends and family through social networks or the service itself.