Fact: Instagram was a place for photographers a very long time ago. TikTok isn’t for photography, it’s for shooting and sharing videos of you acting like a photographer. Instead, there are very few real communities for photographers anymore. One, of course, is Flickr. Flickr has always been a place where photographers can share and store their images. For years, it was just a dumping ground for iPhone users. But in the past few years, photographes have been picking up cameras like the R5 and using it to showcase some of their very best work. So if you want to get into Flickr, here’s a quick guide for you.
Different Algorithms
I’m off of social media for four years, but I can tell you that algorithms tend to mess with everything. Flickr, thankfully, gives you events in more or less a chronological format. You’ll see updates from groups, photographers. The feed tends to prioritize groups a lot more, though, partially because that’s where most of the activity is. So dive into them.
Groups
Think about the types of photography you like to do. And then, think about the places where you most want to share your images. Flickr lets you share images to groups, and that can also depend on your membership level. There, you’ll be able to interact with other photographers, start chats, and find inspiration and community about the subject matter or gear you like.
One of the most important groups of street photographers, for example, is the Hardcore Street Photography Group. This group is heavily moderated, and as a result, you really only see very solid work.
Commenting and Actual Engagement
Social media algorithms have made it so that comments on images are more or less just emojis. But here, you have to be more organic and human. Learn how to use your words again and actually talk to people from an organic and authentic place. Instagram made everything fake. Be real on Flickr.
How Tagging is Different
There aren’t hashtags that people follow and contribute to. Instead, tagging is old school and has to do with describing what’s in the photograph and what it is. For example, if I shot a portrait using a Leica camera, I’d tag it accordingly.
The Biggest Secret About Flickr
Truly, the desktop experience is far superior to the mobile experience. You can see images much bigger that way and explore through the entire community much easier.
Flickr also has things like a Print shop, an explore page, a feed showcasing what’s new, and so much more.
This isn’t a place for being an influencer. Instead, it’s for photographers who have solid inner validity instead of waitng and hoping for external validation.
