This Rainbow Lorikeet let Front Page Explore go straight to it’s little head.
Explore is Flickr’s Daily Artist Showcase. Every day Flickr admins choose 500 of the most interesting images determined by “interestingness”.
Being chosen as one of these elite few can mean a huge increase in your photo’s views and the number of comments and favourites you receive. Land on the front page of Explore, Flickr’s home page, and magical things happen, all of which having to do with increasing your ego, none of which actually leads to earning money as a photographer. But who cares, when you are royalty on Flickr for a day. :P
I’ll admit to feeling proud like a peacock when my mum first spotted my photo on the Explore home page. Within minutes, the comments and praise flooded in from the Flickratic. I began to pump out more quality shots and I continued getting Explored. I felt like my photography was finally reaching people. It was a great feeling, like a really perfect high-five or winning cookies. It also pushed me to try new techniques and really perfect my images before putting them up on Flickr.
A lot of people have asked me if there is any secret to getting Explored. The most obvious thing is take a great photo. But, beyond a great shot, there seems to be a definite pattern in which photos get Explored. After all, photography is art and the personal taste of the Flickr admins does impact the photos that are chosen. Using my keen intellect and the power of the internet, I have compiled a list of power tips on how to get your photos Explored and because I’ve been a lazy, good-for-nuthin’ blogger as of late, I’m going to share these with you.
Here are my top secret tips for getting your photos Explored on Flickr:
1. Mo’ Bokeh
Bokeh of street lights created with a LensBaby and the star shaped Creative Aperture disk.
By far the most popular type of bokeh photos on Flickr is that derived from taking out of focus pictures of small clusters lights, like on a Christmas tree. If you haven’t heard, the phrase Bokeh, “a photographic term referring to the appearance of point of light sources in an out-of-focus area of an image produced by a camera lens using a shallow depth of field”, then you probably haven’t been on Flickr for very long – because people are nuts about bokeh. Those little out-of-focus orbs of goodness can give a photo a magical, almost surreal quality. And the hip Flickratti are pumping it out faster than you can say, “Ashton killed twitter”. I mean… ahem. What?
How to get this shot:
Crossing your eyes is the easiest way to find cool bokeh. Snicker as you may, but seriously try it the next time you are out at night on a street with street lamps, stop lights, restaurant twinkle lights. Practice this technique in moderation and definitely not in combination with making a funny face because that would seem unprofessional and may weird people out.
Once you’ve found a cool bokeh source like a row of street lights, set your camera’s aperture wide open (>f/3.0) or >f/3.0, >f/5.6 if it’s a telephoto focal length (ie. 200mm at f/5.6) and set your lens to manual. Now pull it almost completely out-of-focus until you see nice fuzzy bits. That the good stuff. Now snap!
Shaped bokeh i.e., stars, hearts, is also really hot right now and companies like LensBaby are making it really easy to do with inexpensive Creative Aperture Kits. If you can’t afford a LensBaby ($100-$270), you can even make your own bokeh shaper lens hood with some black paperboard.
2. Lens Flare
Lens Flare of sunlight streaming through Brisbane Eye Ferris Wheel.
I love lens flare, Michael Bay loves lens flare & so does Flickr. Go ahead. Break all the rules and point your camera at the sun. Within reason of course. Like don’t burn your eyes out or anything. Aim to head out during magic hour (1 hour before sunset) when the sun is low and golden and play with different angles of flares. Also, make sure you’ve got a UV filter so you aren’t damaging your camera’s lens.
3. Hot Chicks
Hot Chick & Musician, Kylee Epp. See behind the scenes shots here.
Like most people, Flickr love pictures of hot chicks. Pretty much any photograph looks better with a hot chick in it. Think about it. A nice still life shot of a bowl of fruit? Boring! A nice still life shot of a bowl of fruit with a hot chick holding a banana? Shizzam! A breathtaking image of a white sand beach? Meh. A breathtaking chick in bikini on a white sand beach? Explored!
It probably won’t surprise you that one of the most commonly explored content is pictures of hot chicks.
More often than not, they are beautiful young photographer/models AKA “modelographers” who have taken their exploration of narcissism to the next level with daily self-portraits called Flickr 365. They are blessed with looks, talent, and a passion for photography, and they are the new power elite on Flickr.
I have to give these young modelographers credit, because they produce near professional quality fashion-esque images of themselves nearly everyday and they are not afraid to try new and creative methods to light, take, and process their images, including film, toy cameras (lomo), strobe. Their photos are edgy, trendy, painful, naked, and oh so indie. They will often get a friend to do makeup or approach young designers whose clothes they or their other young hot chick friends can model. I am constantly amazed and bemused by the sheer number of beautiful images they create and the community wide adoration and respect they receive on Flickr.
How to get this shot:
If you happen to be a young hot chick with a camera, perfect your photography skills by snapping photos of your self and your friends, because the world has never been more open to the idea of a 16-year-old female fashion photographer.
If not, then take a lesson from these young photographers, go out and find someone to model for you, someone hot that looks like they could be in a fashion magazine and all of a sudden your photos go from 2 views to 2, 000 views. Need some tips on finding models I have a post on that :D
4. Cute animals
Lovely Koala taken at the Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary in QLD, Australia.
If you can’t get a hot chick, a cute animal is your next best bet. Everyone loves a cute animal, especially when it’s displaying seemly human characteristics. Ooh, that’s one angry squirrel! Aww look at those fuzzy ducklings. Ooh, a rare hummingbird!
How to get this shot:
Find cute animals. Pets are a good place to start. Zoos are great. Check your backyard, or the park. Go out and find cuteness. I suggest you take shots of animals at eye-level. Take different angles, use different lenses, get creative with these shots. Take a shot of your pooch’s nose close up with a wide angle. That always looks funny. Flickr loves animals in action, animals with personality, and whimsical cat/dog photos.
5. Soft Flower & Plant life Macros
Leaf found in Queen Elizabeth Park on a damp Vancouver afternoon.
Flickr loves soft flower & other plant life macros like leaves and stuff. It’s as simple as that.
How to get this shot:
Find some blossom, blooms, pedals, leaves or flowery things. I am quite the botanist, can’t you tell? Choose an interesting angle, probably one where you are lying in mud. Bring a water sprayer and lightly mist the flowers do they are all dewy. Open your aperture up to f/3.5 and lower so you get some nice background bokeh and you are money.
6. Photos with interesting and tragically bohemian titles
I call this, “Oh love you have bewildered me with your absence”.
You won’t just get explored simply for a title. But, it definitely takes the artistic merit of your shot up an notch and will increase your chances of getting noticed. Even if you are not exploding with photo titling talent, anything is better than IMG_9807. Here are some tragically bohemian titles to get you started:
Simple
*broken flight*
insomnia
humble
where’s my freedom?
love is a trap
my peace is gone, my heart is heavy
Ahh, I poke fun, but you get the idea. The point is, there are types of photos that are more likely to be Explored than others, but there is no easy way in. You have to take great shots. And to take a great shot, you have to be out in the world taking shots. Take risks. If you always go on a photo walk to the beach at sunset, go in the opposite direction and take some urban landscapes. If you always snap pictures of your cat Mookie, turn the camera on yourself and do some self-portraits. Keep your work fresh and keep posting your best shots on Flickr and one of these days maybe it will be your shot on the front page of Explore!
Got any tips and tricks or great photos you’ve taken that you’d like to share? Add them in the comments!
Other Interesting Posts
Tags: Featured, Photography
I’d love to get photos on the Explore/Interesting page of Flickr.
One day I hope, all I can do is just to keep taking photos!
Oh you are the evil and manipulative one, aren’t you? Nice tips there, BTW. But again, why do I care if I am on the Flickr Explore again?
You forgot to mention HDR photos… they appear to be all the rage as well.
Having a non- piece-o’-crap camera helps, as well.
I got one on explore. #177 on 26/12/08. I would be prouder if i didn’t have 1,887 that weren’t.
Keep up the good work Lisa.
If you have a lens that can do f3, 1.8, 1.4, etc aperture setting,such as a 50mm lens, then you can make your own bokeh aperture adapter with half a sheet of black construction paper, a little scotch tape, and a steady hand. For your viewing pleasure at DIY Photography.
I’m guessing this was more tongue and cheek than anything. My recent favorite addition to Explore is the random Arabic photo that is worse quality than a cell phone camera. Look for it the next time you’re exploring.
There are some basic things to get photos to explore and you’re more likely to get shots up there the more you’re willing to promote your own work. Joining groups, commenting on others photos frequently, adding contacts (but contacts that will add you back, aka not mass adding contacts), and favoriting photos you truly like. It actually pays off to be honest instead of trying to game Flickr. But if you’re not a popular trendy photographer with tons of followers, it takes the interaction to work. I notice a correlation between when I stop commenting/favoriting and finding new like-minded contacts to having my photos on explore.
Like Lisa said, not all of us are lucky enough to be our own pretty models. It takes a little work to get the results you want in Flickr. But like Lisa also said, it’s not going to pay the bills, either. :)
Would you mind to link to the post you mentioned about how to find models ? I tried out the search function of your blog, but I was unsuccessful with different terms.
Thanks for the tips, Lisa. I noticed that you didn’t mention the technique that some people use, where you add your photo to every group pool in Flickr and hope that enough people will see it and give you glittery awards to get explored.
Since I’m a Flickr newbie, I don’t know how to get your photos seen by other people. For example, if I had a photo that I thought was really good (like any of yours from above), how do I “get it out there”?
Check out my link above to see one of the two photos I’ve taken to hit #1 on Explore. Irony works wonders!
Like a lot of people I started hosting images on Flickr and eventually upgraded to a Pro account. I participated in groups and did a lot of the social networking stuff on the site. I had several photos that got a large number of views.
Eventually I gave up on Flickr because despite its social nature, it is an extremely closed system.
I have a travel blog where I showcase my travel photography. Ideally, I’d like some people to visit my site, not just look at my images on Flickr. I found that Flickr is HORRIBLE at this because the only way people can ever know about your site is if they go to your profile which is not up top and obvious.
Also, Flickr is the #1 spot for people to go to steal images.
I’d rather have fewer people see my images but know they were taken by me, than have more people see them and just be known as a Flickr username.
I totally understand why some big Flickr users like Rebekka Guðleifsdóttir have cut back or left Flickr entirely. I am currently just using it as a backup for my images as the cost of the Pro account is worth it for that purpose.
And not to forget, that a “sexy geek blogger” has maybe a much higher chance to get explored ;-)
But thanks for sharing your tips!
You forgot to mention legos! Build something simple out of legos, take a picture of it, and wham-o your on Explore!
Great post. I have been in a photo taking rut lately. This will give me a few things that I can try out and have some with. Maybe get out of the rut too. I think the first thing I will mess around with the shaped bokehs.
Just a correction. “Flickr admins” do not select the photos for Explore, a computer program with a changing algorithm does. So basically anything is eligible except porn. Some of those 365 shots by teens come pretty close to porn in the opinion of many though. But hey, looks are king on Flickr, not quality photography. If you want real “interestingness” then Explore is not the place to look. :/
So, I’m waiting for the ultimate Flickr photo. An HDR of a hot chick, holding a cat and a flower, accented with lens flare and bokeh, titled “I only have eleven minutes to live (inspired by my friends in the FASPG.” Please click here for large on black.
Great sense of humor, Lisa.
Lisa,
I love these photo related posts and I especially love your pure Canadianna sarcasm. Favourite tips were Bokeh and Hot Chicks! DOH why didn’t I think of that.
Please, please, please keep writing stuff like this.
BTW you rocked on TWiT -191-Corked. Stay edgy!
lol i love the “modelgrapher” concept…Now if only my chick friends weren’t so camera shy…Or if only my friends loved taking photos of me….i guess i could always ask my professional photographer friends. ;)
I agree with Smith+Fritzy. Also, Flickr uses an algorithm to choose the Explore photos for each day, not an admin.
Your photos are chosen by how many comments, favs and page views you have in a short time. This usually happen by taking a great photo or a funny photo, sending it to groups and having a lot of friends or internet friends view and comment on your photos.
it doesn’t even have to be a great photo. I’ve seen photos in explore that look like the camera took a photo by accident get on explore. That is because the people already have a huge following of people (Internet Famous or Flickr Famous) and no matter what they put up, people will love, fave and comment.
Excellent! Very helpful!
Great tips and gorgeous photos!
You know I wish you were correct but sadly, you are not. No human being chooses the explore photographs. A Computer does, as explained by a previous poster. explore is basically a marketing tool . It is not a collection of the best photographs on flickr. If anything it is a monument to successful social networking.
Thanks for sharing your tips. Gives a good insight. :)
I posted the link to my flickr website :) add me as a friend!
I would love to have the privilege to even get one photo explored. Thanks for the awesome tips, and hopefully it will help :) all the photo’s on this page are AMAZING :D
[...] that aren’t “perfect.” In addition to my personal musings, I came across this blog post about how to get images noticed on flickr. While I’m pretty sure this image won’t matter to anyone, it’s still interesting [...]
hey… a pretty guud post !!!
din’t learn a lot about explore… but u did open my eyes to a lot of neat stuff :)))
Your article made me laugh quite a lot, because it’s true. I don’t know much about Flickr, I don’t have many friends on it, and I don’t really care. But it’s interesting how some people are obsessed with the idea of online celebrity.
If you want lots of views, post a link to that photo’s flickr page on bookmarking sites like Reddit, Dig and Stumbleupon. You’ll want to be sure you are in the best category at these sites or you post will be voted down very quickly. I’ve received 1000s of view in just a few hours on some of my photos. As far as I know, views don’t have much affect on “interestingness.” My most viewed photos aren’t high on my interestingness list. “Whoville?” is my most viewed with almost 3000 so far: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mully410/2681427418/
Joining groups and commenting on everyone’s photos is another great way to get views.
If you want to promote your blog with your Flikr account, post a link to you blog on all your photo descriptions and in the description of all your sets and collections.
nice article, I would dearly love not to build my photographic reputation by resorting to taking pictures of hot chicks (although it would probably be fun, but self portraits are out of the question, I’m the exact opposite to a hot chick), perhaps an easy street to viewing success.
using toy cameras (such as the holga/diana) to take photos are popular as well, redefining technically crappy photos into art ;)
Hi,
Jus asking if you get a notification once your pic gets on explore?
Wow i love the first picture! The lorikeet! The color is very vivid and it’s very relaxing on the eyes. Thanks for the post and also thanks for the info on how to use FLICKR. Thanks!
I needed to say that it’s nice to know that someone else also brought up this as I had trouble finding the same info elsewhere. This was the first place that told me the answer.And Witten its in great detail Thanks. so much
If you are interested in having your photos on Explore it is not wise to post more than one a day and if you have one that you think is particularly good post as early as possible in the day and make sure you visit other people photos and also other Explore photos. I use Flickriver because it is quicker. Because there are so many comments on Explore photos I tend to only add as a favourite and add to one of my galleries. I get to know my favourite contacts and make more constructive comments on their photos. I can be time consuming but I really enjoy looking at other people’s photos and I am retired so I have the time. If you do not enjoy it do not waste time on it.
I currently have 16 Explore photos. I have had more since I started to post one alternate days rather than every day. Finally do not post in too many groups. View my photos here. http://www.flickr.com/photos/rosyrosie2009/4781527889/
If you are interested in having your photos on Explore it is not wise to post more than one a day and if you have one that you think is particularly good post as early as possible in the day and make sure you visit other people photos and also other Explore photos. I use Flickriver because it is quicker. Because there are so many comments on Explore photos I tend to only add as a favourite and add to one of my galleries. I get to know my favourite contacts and make more constructive comments on their photos. I can be time consuming but I really enjoy looking at other people’s photos and I am retired so I have the time. If you do not enjoy it do not waste time on it.
I currently have 16 Explore photos. I have had more since I started to post one alternate days rather than every day. Finally do not post in too many groups. View my photos here. Comments welcome. http://www.flickr.com/photos/rosyrosie2009/4781527889/