Flickr

[Archiver]

On reflection, I seem to have forgotten exactly why I started a flickr account. In the 2000s, my random images were piling up, and there were many fascinating images on flickr, so I think I started as a way of posting whatever images that I considered quirky, fun and interesting. Mostly they were observations that tickled my fancy, or sunset photos that I found beautiful.

One of my early flickr posts was this, where the subject seems to be dressed to blend into the background. This is the quirky kind of observation that I particularly enjoy.

Camouflage by Archiver, on Flickr

Over time, I began to treat my flickr account partially as a way to talk about the little things in Australia, by writing a bit about the location or situation of a photo in the description. Sometimes I'd post an image from a recent trip, treating flickr like a blog. In other photos, I'd write notes about the camera and how it performed. A number of years ago, another RFFer complimented my flickr account, saying it was like a pleasant travelogue, which was a wonderful compliment to receive.

Z750 - Sunset in Sydney Airport by Archiver, on Flickr

G7 - Three in the Light by Archiver, on Flickr

So this is me on flickr. Looking at my earlier images reminds me that not everything has be serious, I can post quirky and whimsical things as well as scenes from an everyday activity. But I like to keep the quality reasonably high, so now I post what I think is flickr-worthy.

Archiver

Explore Archiver’s 1,201 photos on Flickr!

www.flickr.com

 

[boojum]

I use Flickr as a place to store images. I do not worry about people copying my images and do not care anyway should they do so. For me it is a convenient storage medium in addition to HD's here. Regardless of what others think of what I shoot it is important to me so I make sure I have copies. The downside is that Flickr only stores JPG's. I store JPG and RAW locally.

I have gone back and looked at photos I shot 20 years or more ago and like some of them. If I were not so damned anal about them they would have been thrown away.

 

[Dogman]

I'm really enjoying Flickr. As a photographer, I'm a snap shooter, a generalist, with an interest mainly in B&W documentary style. I'm also interested in creative, quirky types of photography. There's a wide range of styles on the site and I enjoy that.

I post my muddling photos on Flickr and here on RFF--pretty much the same photos. Both sites are opportunities to have others see what I've done and for me to see what others are doing. There are some really good shooters on Flickr, just like there are here on RFF. I like discovering those good shooters on Flickr and following some of them. There's a ton of stuff to dig through there but it's always interesting. Once you get past the sunsets, cute kittens, family vacations and general silliness, there's a lot of seriously good stuff. My own photos probably fit in the categories people flip by--general silliness. But sometimes a cute kitty or a pretty sunset can be nice.

 

[Muggins]

I do wonder why they are currently flagging discounts on Pro subscriptions - I've still got about 8 months left on mine, so I'm suspicious!

I've had a lot more time lately so have tried to be a bit more organised. I did get a spike of an extra 1000+ views a few months ago - I can only assume that it was the photo of a kitten that I maliciously tagged as "cute pussy"!

 

[Godfrey]

I do wonder why they are currently flagging discounts on Pro subscriptions - I've still got about 8 months left on mine, so I'm suspicious!

I've had a lot more time lately so have tried to be a bit more organised. I did get a spike of an extra 1000+ views a few months ago - I can only assume that it was the photo of a kitten that I maliciously tagged as "cute pussy"!

I received a couple of emails from Flickr.com regarding my pro account, including one that said something really messed up like it was deleted or deactivated, and I'd have to manually pay for it when it next comes due, blah blah blah, in Feb of 2026 ... Irritating and stupid messages, very unclear; got me angry enough after the sixth or seventh that I considered just deleting my account and seeking entertainment elsewhere.

So I emailed the billing department. "Say, guys, what da fOOBLE is going on? I paid on a two-year in Feb for this account..." etc.

The customer service adviser wrote me back: Flickr.com has moved to a different billing system/contractor. This required that all the paid for subscriptions/accounts be re-vetted for the new system, particularly those with auto-pay enabled. Of course they don't know how to write a sensible message to tell their subscribers that... But the long and the short of it was to let the system re-vet my account by re-subscribing my existing account and setting up the two-year auto-pay again. I will not be charged until the next renewal date (Feb 2026) since the account is current and paid until then.

A typical modern-business-era pain in the butt, but so often the same across all these "virtual" companies and services.

Flickr.com has been good, overall. I occasionally look in on a few groups discussing things I'm interested in, and a few photographers whose work I enjoy, but I mostly just use it as an image server rather than setting one up here for myself and having to maintain it. It's less work than that... 😉

G

 

[Bolo Kukus]

I do wonder why they are currently flagging discounts on Pro subscriptions - I've still got about 8 months left on mine, so I'm suspicious!

I've had a lot more time lately so have tried to be a bit more organised. I did get a spike of an extra 1000+ views a few months ago - I can only assume that it was the photo of a kitten that I maliciously tagged as "cute pussy"!

This could be a warning signal. In my past history, a few web sites have done this - usually as a prelude to either making major changes, often as not detrimental to the users, or closing down. Many of us will remember a once-popular photo site which did this, and then folded. It's a madly competitive world out there in webland.

Autopay I would never ever sign up for. My hatred of it goes way back to the so-called GODs when banks had their direct debit system entirely locked in at the whim and whimsy of the service provider. When you signed up for one, you were locked into it until such time as the provider chose to cancel it. if they didn't, you had only one option, to close the account with the bank, which even for a small business entailed too much in-office work. I had one utilities provider who kept billing me for 12 months after I cancelled that service. Silly me, I didn't check my account and only realised what was happening a year later. It took me almost another year to get the bank to actually do something about it. Eventually I got a refund. But it rankled...

Call me suspicious, but I do think this way. Doomsday, maybe not. But forewarned is - forewarned. And wise.

 

[bulevardi]

I loved it before... and I used it to store pictures that I then could upload on forums like this one.

But for some reason I don't have good interactions there or make connections with others like I do on Instagram very quickly.
I'm still doubting to leave IG, I really met some nice people and locals, as you can quickly view which visitors come into the bar or shop next door, as they tag it and comment there too.
IG has no privacy, that's right. Some say it's bad, but I found it handy to quickly get social and connect with others I probably wouldn't have met otherwise.
On the other hand: too much ads...

I have ads on Flickr too, as I'm a free plan user, and I stopped uploading because otherwise I get to my max 1000 images and will face the question: paid plan or delete old pictures?

What bothers me on Flickr too is that the way of engagement is so childish... hundreds of groups to tag your BW shot as "BW" or people willing to be a curator and starting a group, "like 5 pictures and .... ", "award and fav that... group".
Oh boy.

And then all the following: same as on IG. Ok it's nice to have a lot of followers, boosts your ego, fine. But on the other hand there are so many uninteresting people you follow too... you could easily unfollow, and then they're offended.
Or boring family and friends who started to follow you and wanted a follow back to see picture of what they're eating and their cats... Unfollow them and feel the rage coming 😀

Perhaps I'm a bit done with that, outgrown, I don't know, perhaps I need a rest and focus on real life, doing something else, start playing my guitar again. But sooner or later I'll feel the need to record that guitar, and put something online to share... for feedback? and then I need an account somewhere, with followers 😀 that I don't know and will never meet 😀
I'm in a cycle you know, endless !

 

[j.scooter]

I used to love flickr 52 weeks out of the year.
Now I only love it for 2 weeks, and ignore it the other 50.

There are two weeks one in Spring and one in Fall where everyone in the group posts a instant photograph.
It is called 'Roidweek and it is great fun!

 

[Godfrey]

Hmm. I use Flickr a lot, but I don't spend much/any time on it, I don't look at followers or do a lot of following. I use it because it's a useful image server that I can use to show photos in many places. A few friends have accounts there, and I occasionally look at their latest photos as we discuss Photography.

I don't think it's wise to worry about the community or feel obligated to participate. Get involved with the community when it seems appropriate, participate similarly. Otherwise, use the system for what it provides.

In general, I like to share my photos and I enjoy it when people react or want to discuss them. But I don't put any pride into receiving "likes" or getting comments ... I just do it, and if there are no responses, I just move on to the next photo or next set. The work is what I love to do, the development of my vision and aesthetic is what I'm after, and if no one else is interested, well, that doesn't really affect or bother me.

G