Flickr in 2024: Dead or Alive?

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nx4737 said:
In regards to Flickr, I've noticed over the last couple of years, how much more adult content seems to be on there, I know it's always been there, but now it seems a lot more prominent now.

Flickr is becoming quite seedy.

And no, I'm not looking for it!
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And more AI generated stuff as well..

For me, it's a way of sharing my images with friends and family - if I do work or social photography it's the easiest way and I can put links in emails/Viva Engage etc.
 
Speaking of dead Flickr, is anyone else having trouble with the Android app? I'm getting a total blank, completely dead. I've tried all the obvious things - reboot the phone, sign out - sign in, uninstall - reinstall, and nothing. Dead as a dodo!

Alex
 
The iOS app is working OK.
 
Working fine for me
 
It's semi returned to life - it doesn't quite recognise my account, including Pro setting.

It's a bit ropey isn't it, for what it costs.
 
alexcarnes said:
Speaking of dead Flickr, is anyone else having trouble with the Android app? I'm getting a total blank, completely dead. I've tried all the obvious things - reboot the phone, sign out - sign in, uninstall - reinstall, and nothing. Dead as a dodo!

Alex
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Yes mine has been off for most of the day on Android 14. I have just got the camera roll back a few minutes ago but cannot get any notifications when clicking on the icon.
 
The app has always seemed outdated to me, they really need to start it again from scratch.
 
I think Flickr is really good for photo sharing precisely because it isn't Instagram.

It's true many forums are dead although there are good discussions in some

I would personally scrap forums within groups and instead host (fewer) forums in a section organised like TP.

In fact if TP merged with Flickr that works be rather cool
 
Flickr seem to be pushing their groups on the emails recently, hopefully it breathes some more life into them.
 
To be clear, I like the Flickr groups in terms of pooling photos of a specific genre together, or having competitions.

I just think the discussion forums are all too fragmented
 
The value of any platform depends on how you use it, and whether it matches what you're trying to achieve. Flickr seems to be a good way of sharing collections of photos, but you will need to drive people there somehow. Instagram is about trying to get attention, but you're constantly battling competition, short attention spans and the algorithm (even if you have lots of followers, only a fraction will see any given post). An artist friend of mine likened Instagram to a huge field full of millions of people all jumping in the air shouting 'look at me'. Having toiled away with both platforms I ditched both of them. I can see Flickr being a useful tool, but it's just not one I need. Instragram is a zoo.
 
To me Flickr (in the way that I use it) is all about images speaking for themselves in the visual realm, and very little to do with talk, though you may comment on images which can add to the fun. Whereas, again to me, these forums are predominantly about talk.

If that sounds confusing - there's a vast reservoir of images on Flickr to select from, & a very small reservoir of images here. And very little talk on Flickr, but lots here. So one may sensibly use a medium relative to its nature. Flickr: image-centric. Talk Photography: talk-centric. Both biases are implicit in the names - funny, that.
 
austenhunterphotography said:
As a younger guy I really don't see the point of Flickr.. Never felt compelled to use it.
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Just wondering why you don't see the point of Flickr...

Like many platforms, many people go on there to receive "likes" etc... Flickr I guess isn't any different, however it is possible to interact in a "normal" sort of way communicating on images.

For me, the whole point of Flickr, is you can publish your images in full resolution. Comapre that to Instagram or Facebook where you cannot zoom right in to native full res images to explore all the detail..... Flickr wins. Hands down.

TikTok and Insta.... they are full of the "look at me" type attention grabbing and wanting thousands of likes.

However Insta you cannot see images full res unless they have changed their style in the past few years. TikTok is more video orientated(?) So stills aren't really the thing.

Flickr is more dedicated to presenting your images in the best possible viewing pleasure available.... and for me, the best user experience of all. Not to mention you can share your images on discussion forums, like this one I took yesterday night, oh... i mean daytime!....

Night and Day by Brian H, on Flickr

Have a nice night... or morning :)
 
I’ve started posting to Flickr again after a break (last posted in 2018 iirc), deleted most of my images as was up to 1000 and started again.

It’s been quite interesting, followed a few groups and photographers for inspiration and it’s nice to have a scroll through.

for me the biggest strength of the platform was groups for specific lenses or focal lengths - not just to inform purchases but also to see what other people were doing with the same gear as me so I could keep pushing myself to try new things.

Instagram whilst it’s got loads of photos, isn’t for photographers. I’m sure some big YouTubers etc get some engagement, but it’s actually really hard to find anything on instagram unless you know what you are looking for. Most of Instagram is is really ‘Dave’s iPhone pictures at the zoo’ or some stupid meme or video that’s pointless - nice to keep up with friends / family but I don’t get any inspiration from it - or more precisely, it’s hard to find anything to get inspiration from.

So yea, do use it, not as busy as it was in its heyday 10-15 years ago, but still fun. Still on the free tier… when I get to 1000 images I might pay for a sub.
 
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'Why Photographers Are Ditching Instagram for This Platform in 2025'​


www.thephoblographer.com

Why Photographers Are Ditching Instagram for Flickr

Instagram is one of the important photo-sharing apps today. However, it seems that it is no longer everyone's favorite. But how is Flickr?
www.thephoblographer.com www.thephoblographer.com

I thought their bullet point re 'why Flickr' was pretty sound:

  • Algorithms don’t rule the world: Flickr is that one platform where chronological feed allows users to follow those who don’t optimize posts for visibility. This means you will see the works of your favorite photographers without an algorithm disturbing your feed with forceful content.
  • A proper platform for photography: While Instagram has lost its way, Flickr still remains a platform for photographers over other forms of visual arts. This means images get priority, and the interface allows you to interact with stills without being distracted by reels or stories.
  • Genuine Engagement: Unlike Instagram, which is too dependent on likes and visibility, Flickr is focused on catering to photographers and their needs. The platform is centric on nurturing the imaging community, allowing one to foster good bonds with other photographers and have genuine engagements and conversations. This could also mean you get a chance to highlight photography techniques, creative inspiration, and constructive feedback instead of running for likes and comments to increase reach.
  • Revisiting memories: One great feature is that Flickr allows you to rediscover your old world with a simple search, something that Instagram is still unable to match. This means you can easily reflect on how you used to photograph and compare your journey to where you stand today.
 
cuthbert said:
I’ve started posting to Flickr again after a break (last posted in 2018 iirc), deleted most of my images as was up to 1000 and started again.

It’s been quite interesting, followed a few groups and photographers for inspiration and it’s nice to have a scroll through.

for me the biggest strength of the platform was groups for specific lenses or focal lengths - not just to inform purchases but also to see what other people were doing with the same gear as me so I could keep pushing myself to try new things.

Instagram whilst it’s got loads of photos, isn’t for photographers. I’m sure some big YouTubers etc get some engagement, but it’s actually really hard to find anything on instagram unless you know what you are looking for. Most of Instagram is is really ‘Dave’s iPhone pictures at the zoo’ or some stupid meme or video that’s pointless - nice to keep up with friends / family but I don’t get any inspiration from it - or more precisely, it’s hard to find anything to get inspiration from.

So yea, do use it, not as busy as it was in its heyday 10-15 years ago, but still fun. Still on the free tier… when I get to 1000 images I might pay for a sub.
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I think the price is going up next month for Flickr, I am okay with that. I use it to follow a few photographers that really interest me and I find engagement with the ones I follow is quite high. I think I only follow about 55 people but then it's impossible to follow 4k people and interact with them all.

Certain groups are of particular interest, like the R7 group as I like to see what people are producing with landscape on that camera model. There is a lot of wildlife in the group however I do enjoy seeing the few landscapes that appear - being crop I guess a lot of people have it for extended reach on lenses in wildlife scenarios.

For me, I find it the easiest platform to use photography wise and as you say it may not be so busy as it was 10 years or so ago but it's still my number one choice to share images at full resolution.

I'm sure you will enjoy the return after a lengthy hiatus.
 
A few years ago they reintroduced more stringent limits for free users. They said at that point Flickr was loss making and they needed to stop appealing to the masses and focus on photographers more to get more subscriptions otherwise they'd go bust (or words to that effect).

I do wonder how long they will keep going

I have an account (with not many photos on yet) and think it a nice way to link to share photos with people. I like the site
 
I was a massive flicker user back in the 2010-2016 I had a few groups but it all slowed. I have re-signed up and joined a few groups to find the last post says 5 and 6 years ago.
I will keep trying

David
 
I'm sure I've posted in here in the past and it keeps popping up, the consistent thing is the flickr is (or at least has been) always there and plodding along. Its an old staple, the new kids come and go but flickr is the old faithful just doing what it does, reliably.

The thing is you have to see it for what it is, it is not a bells-and-whistles social media site, it is a photo sharing site. They have bolted on some social media like features over the years like and old rocker having a hair transplant but there's nothing wrong with using it for what it started out as.
 
Dead or alive? Well, to get to the nitty gritty, define your terms, and define your usage ...

If you're a user, how passive or active are you? Just want photo storage? - well there are other methods. Want to see stuff, share stuff and interact with other photographers? - spot on.

Of course it has limitations, everything has - but If you actually engage with it, within those limitations you can mould it to your own purpose.
 
My family often visit my Flickr page, to catch up on what I've been doing and where I've been. I may post a couple of images from a set to Facebook, and the family know that there'll be more on Flickr. It's a platform for photographers, not iPhone jockies, like. Instagram.
 
I have always kept on using it. For the last little while been trying to post an image a week.
 
And as an afterthought, best to ignore the childish aspects like 'explore', which is just a pointlessly random algorithm ...
 
droj said:
And as an afterthought, best to ignore the childish aspects like 'explore', which is just a pointlessly random algorithm ...
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Explore is a bonus if it happens. I've had a photo land in explore 30 times in 48 months. Explore isn't the be all and end all of Flickr. I have various uses for Flickr - the greatest thing is full size photos being uploaded without a limit if you are a paying customer.

Childish is expecting to land in explore. I've had a few explores barely reach 100 faves! Does it bother me? Mope.... err Nope. Of course it is nice to get a lot of views on your photo but that isn't the point for me either.

I just want to connect with other like minded people that love and enjoy photography... So I come here. Yet if I upload a photo directly here people will say it's crap because there isn't enough resolution. So get Flickr and share your images here. I already had it, so not much of a big deal.

I went out today, weather meant to be spectacular but it was the polarised opposite and these were the comatic misty images available on the day....

0D3A3773 by Brian H, on Flickr

And this...

Middle Staple Tor by Brian H, on Flickr

Sometimes it's used just to share anecdotes, or to talk about specific things on a forum where images back up what you are talking about....

And then sometimes its used to showcase what I can do with a camera....

Where there was some nice weather in a cold January morning -

Nun's Cross Farm by Brian H, on Flickr

Sorry that it got in Explore.
 
My point about 'explore' is that it isn't the result of sensible curation but is essentially mindless - the work of a casual bot. Another demerit is that an image's presence there, over which one seemingly has no governance, attracts hordes of senseless, flash-in-the-pan 'faves' by people that you're unlikely to hear from ever again, thus hardly a true mark of community or dialogue which to me are Flickr's worthwhile strengths. Is Instagram something like this? I wouldn't know. A lot of things pass me by, happily. :)
 
droj said:
My point about 'explore' is that it isn't the result of sensible curation but is essentially mindless - the work of a casual bot. Another demerit is that an image's presence there, over which one seemingly has no governance, attracts hordes of senseless, flash-in-the-pan 'faves' by people that you're unlikely to hear from ever again, thus hardly a true mark of community or dialogue which to me are Flickr's worthwhile strengths. Is Instagram something like this? I wouldn't know. A lot of things pass me by, happily. :)
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One should not be expecting to garner community dialogue through explore. You do that off your own steam. And it helps me connect with local photographers, some of which I know and have met. That for me is the essence of Flickr - and if I can connect with users around the world that interest me then all well and good. Too much emphasis is put on Explore, it doesn't always mean you're a great photographer to be there, if that was the case, then I would probbaly never be there! I have seen some amazing images from people that get less than 10 likes every time they post an image yet when you look in depth they have never been in Explore. I think it is more about how active you are in the wider community that decides whether you get in explore or not.
Anyway, my pet hate about Flickr is the star means "fave" why don't they just call it "like" or a "sign of appreciation" instead of fave. But then who really goes onto a social media platform so share stuff "Just For Likes"?.... that very last question was rhetorical by the way!
 
droj said:
My point about 'explore' is that it isn't the result of sensible curation but is essentially mindless - the work of a casual bot.
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I'd tend to agree with the above. I've found explore to pick my pictures at surprisingly regular intervals, whether I post sh*te or semi-sh*te. The pictures that are selected don't exhibit any particular qualities to my eye - they're often pretty silly, personal stuff I'm not too excited about, and the only remarkable point is that they seem to have received more comments than average soon after posting - for whatever reason (certainly not due to any intrinsic artistic quality as I'm a poor photographer).

So my conclusion is that explore is just some silly algorithm-based selection that essentially picks at random, or perhaps just based on 'perceived community interest' and it's designed to make me feel 'rewarded' and make me keep paying into my pro subscription.

I just ignore it.

droj said:
Another demerit is that an image's presence there, over which one seemingly has no governance, attracts hordes of senseless, flash-in-the-pan 'faves' by people that you're unlikely to hear from ever again
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It's people/bots trying to game the system. I'll routinely delete their comments and block them. After doing this for a while it'll only happen sporadically.
 
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