Boring Flickr links from TP

Splog

Splog

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Hi all

I've looked at many of the Flickr links posted here on TP and the various show us your flickr type threads and seen some very good work :clap: So well done for getting the shots :thumbs: So why do I find some of them incredibly boring? ........ 'yawn'

When I see the photo streams with zero comments, then look at the photo titles I realise why... Why did you bother posting on a photo sharing site if you don't say why you are sharing it? :thinking: Anyway, I really do hope this post is taken in the spirit it is intended? i.e. trying to be helpful :) ...... Here goes and whilst donning a flak jacket....

Why do so many very good photographers post their shots to Flickr and leave the shot title as 0089-36 or whatever? and don't bother explaining their shot or saying why they took it?

If you're just going to use it for hosting then fair-do's but if you would like a bit of Flickr activity on your shots then why not spend a bit of time giving it a meaningful title and a give us a bit of info about the shot, why you took it and what you like or dislike about it?..... I would be happy to comment, but I do expect the Flickr poster to open the conversation.
 
I have to agree with you 100% here....I know my shots aren't the best, but if people can't be bothered to tell us a little bit about their shot, then I can rarely be bothered to comment on it, unless it is exceptionally good.
 
I never really write descriptions for my images because, at the risk of sounding like a stuffy arteeeeest, I prefer for my shots to speak for themselves, and for people to get their own ideas and feelings from them. I do, however, always name my images and say where they're from (in addition to geotagging them), because I know when I see an interesting photo, I'm always curious about where it was taken, and I hate it when people don't mention the location.
 
onona said:
I never really write descriptions for my images because, at the risk of sounding like a stuffy arteeeeest, I prefer for my shots to speak for themselves, and for people to get their own ideas and feelings from them. I do, however, always name my images and say where they're from (in addition to geotagging them), because I know when I see an interesting photo, I'm always curious about where it was taken, and I hate it when people don't mention the location.
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:plusone:

I like my shots to speak for themselves, but helping the viewer get an expanded knowledge of the picture with a brief description and a bit of info on the location is always worthwhile! Especially if they can then go and get some great shots themselves from it.
 
I know where you're coming from Splog and I agree and disagree in equal measure.

As you've said - It's a hosting site and just because we (on this particular site) are 'photographers' it doesn't mean we have to treat it as our 'showcase' or indeed 'pimp' ourselves.

I can only speak for myself when I say I upload stuff to Flickr for a variety of reasons - nothing to do with photography.

Sometimes it's so friends and family can see crap snaps, sometimes it's simply to host for posting images on forums which have nothing to do with photography and now and again its for hosting a shot which I think might be half decent.


90% of what I consider to be my best shots aren't on Flickr - I've loads of '0089-36 or whatever' - but hey ho - I take a look around and make contacts based on what I see. If people share a particular passion then I'll hook up with them regardless.
 
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I think titles and descriptions of why a photo was taken are incredibly pretentious and annoying.
I like judging a photo solely by it's bare form. Everyone to their own though eh :shrug:


Splog said:
Hi all

I've looked at many of the Flickr links posted here on TP and the various show us your flickr type threads and seen some very good work :clap: So well done for getting the shots :thumbs: So why do I find some of them incredibly boring? ........ 'yawn'

When I see the photo streams with zero comments, then look at the photo titles I realise why... Why did you bother posting on a photo sharing site if you don't say why you are sharing it? :thinking: Anyway, I really do hope this post is taken in the spirit it is intended? i.e. trying to be helpful :) ...... Here goes and whilst donning a flak jacket....

Why do so many very good photographers post their shots to Flickr and leave the shot title as 0089-36 or whatever? and don't bother explaining their shot or saying why they took it?

If you're just going to use it for hosting then fair-do's but if you would like a bit of Flickr activity on your shots then why not spend a bit of time giving it a meaningful title and a give us a bit of info about the shot, why you took it and what you like or dislike about it?..... I would be happy to comment, but I do expect the Flickr poster to open the conversation.
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I use flickr to host pictures I take for my photography course. These can seem extremely boring. I.e. 45 pictures of the same water fountain at different exposure settings lol. I link to the photo's in my coursework site but can't always be bothered to name them on flickr.

I also use flickr to host pictures taken at family or friends functions that I want them to be able to see easily. I really cant be bothered to rename every single one.
 
Steelo said:
I have to agree with you 100% here....I know my shots aren't the best, but if people can't be bothered to tell us a little bit about their shot, then I can rarely be bothered to comment on it, unless it is exceptionally good.
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I must remember not visit your posts then. :razz:

y'now some people just find it very difficult to communicate, maybe you should try to be a little more patient & maybe ask the question to the OP. its much easier to reply to a question than to instigate it.
 
Actually I think a title such as "DSC_0342.jpg" says more about a photo of mine that I could ever say myself ;)
 
I don't think zero comments equates to a bad shot, just like 20 comments all saying "great shot!" don't necessarily mean it's good. There are vast circles of "Great Shotters" on Flickr and I find those comments to have no value.

It takes a little bit of thought and time to crit an image, and I've found Flickr users to be (in a purely general term!) much less receptive to honest crit.

So, like Phil above, I use Flickr as a hosting site. If I want crit, I'll post the images here or to my college course group. If it's going on Facebook for family, or eBay, then I don't much care what anyone else thinks.

If I wanted to promote my work (to sell prints or whatever) I'd use something else.

Ian.
 
i couldn't give a fig if no-one looks at my flickr. i don't host them there to get involved in a massive chest bumping festival, i just host them so i can share with tp/friends/family/facebook :D
 
Flickr is a very convenient place to host photos online as it has a very friendly layout and is easy to share links/sets etc with others who don't necessarily have flickr accounts. If I want feedback, I then post them on here as the "Great shot" and "This photo has been awarded a purple guinea pig" comments are completely pointless so, for me anyway (and I suspect for many others), titles and explanations) are meaningless in flickr.
 
I really use flickr to host my images, I do put proper titles and location of the shots, and tags, I dont really care about getting lots of comments,

I have noticed the more you comment and others images the more comments you receive, most of the comments are just pats on the back regardless of the quality of the image, Ive seen carp images on there with hundreds of comments, and great images with none
 
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fabs said:
... the "Great shot" and "This photo has been awarded a purple guinea pig" comments are completely pointless ...
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There are a number of sites that provide advice on maximising your views and gaining comments, which include posting things like "great shot" on someone's photos in the hope that it'll prompt them to return the favour to one of your shots. You could also spam a shot across each and every group even vaguely relevant to your picture in the hope of increasing your views. IMO it's similar to those people on FriendFace who have 25,000 friends, 3 of whom they've actually met. :shrug:

Just wish my shots were good enough to justify a 500px account, really :shake:
 
I title my images most of the time, and in the description post where it was taken and the immediate EXIF (ISO, Aperture, Focal, Shutter) much like people would on a frame, but I'm not a fan of frames.
 
I use Flickr purely as a host so I can show people some of my photos if I want them to see them - far easier than carrying an album or folder around to show them prints (by far my favoured way of showing my pictures.
All my photos are kept private and I don't publicise my account (in fact, I rarely share my photos anywhere - I think there are a few in my gallery here and a few in another on another site.
As has been said above, FlickR can be an arena for backslapping and chest bumping - be high fives next!
 
When posting a digital shot I'm not sure what else to put other than what is in the EXIF data.

For film I try and put some detail of the camera, film, filters, exposure etc.
 
If you take the wider view (ie no just restricting this to Flickr) then the art of captioning, keywording and headlining a photograph is every bit as important as the taking of the image itself; and is a skill that has to be learned.

Part of the problem is how Flickr uses and displays IPTC information. My image naming convention tends to be quite mundane (shootname_date_originalfilename.jpg), but all of the relevant info is held in the IPTC caption (description) and headline fields. Rather than default to using the latter for their titling, Flickr use the image name to headline their display which tends to make the photostream look dull. As a result you have to delve into Flick's set up to manually change all the titles, which is a bit of a faff!

Basically (in my workflow) the image name should be the reference tool that allows me to find a specific image quickly and accurately, whilst the descriptive part lies elsewhere in the matadata. It would improve Flickr no end if you were able to specify how that metadata was then used in the image display!
 
because they don't need to have name - a photo should be self describing.

I tend to find names a pain in the arse simce most have **** all to do with the photo but just some rather pretentious made up nonsense.

here is one of mine

I've named it 17 year old thinking in leather chair - well actually I havent its 6771s lol

5967921486_e5f078e168_z.jpg


Splog said:
Why do so many very good photographers post their shots to Flickr and leave the shot title as 0089-36 or whatever? and don't bother explaining their shot or saying why they took it?
Click to expand...
 
Thrush said:
I must remember not visit your posts then. :razz:

y'now some people just find it very difficult to communicate, maybe you should try to be a little more patient & maybe ask the question to the OP. its much easier to reply to a question than to instigate it.
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That's fine, I don't put them there for that, I use it for hosting, if people want to comment, so be it, if they don't, I won't cry about it, but meh lol
 
POAH said:
because they don't need to have name - a photo should be self describing.

I tend to find names a pain in the arse simce most have **** all to do with the photo but just some rather pretentious made up nonsense.

here is one of mine

I've named it 17 year old thinking in leather chair - well actually I havent its 6771s lol
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I'll go with that. I tried to do it realised I really don't want be a pretentious arse so get titles like "black bird on fence".

I also don't take part in flickrs social side as in 90% of cases it just doesn't seem worth the effort for a purple hamster award level 4. There is certainly some groups worth taking part in but again that takes more effort than I am prepared to put into it.
 
I normally post a little brief bit of info. The major problem with flickr i find is getting people to view my shots, because i only have about 5 contacts.. :lol:
 
Jayst84 said:
I don't actively seek to engage people on Flickr because the huge majority of comments are complete rubbish designed to drawn attention to the commentator rather than show genuine interest in the work.
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Strange I have found the complete opposite with many very useful comments from Flickr Contacts
 
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