Quick note on Flickr. You can disable comments but not disable faves. I would like to be able to disable faves. I think they are pointless anyway. I have always used them as a means to identify photographs I have already seen. I fave every photo I look at. Sorry, if that disappoints some, but I have over 60,000 faves. I rarely look through them. I have noticed in the past year that views have increased dramatically. Before the new and so awesome version of Flickr, I was averaging about 500 views per day. A daily post would be seen about a 100 times, get about 20 or so comments and about 30 – 40 faves. Now, a photo is seen about a 1,000 times, gets about 80 – 100 faves and about 15 – 20 comments.
Yesterday, I had reached over 300 views and over 30 faves but only had 1 comment. Flickr have made it so easy to consume photography that people spend as little time as they can on photos. On the Flickr app, double click and a star appears obscuring the image and scroll quickly to the next and repeat. Dozens of photos can be consumed in a matter of minutes. On the desktop version, the page with your contacts – sorry followers (how much do I hate that term!), you can just single click on the star and consume with even more convenience.
Time to contract, I think. I have, for the moment, abandoned Instagram because of this trend of scrolling and clicking. Perhaps if the fave button was disabled – if this was an option – then people might be more inclined to view the photograph and even write a comment in reaction to what they have seen. Good idea, bad idea?
Anyway, rant suspended, I don’t subscribe to the rant over idea. If I want to resume the rant later, then it is nice to know it is there waiting for me to pick up from where I left off.
Photographs for today. I am still in the Shibuya underground station. It is past midnight, edging close to the time of the last train. Commuters are streaming out of trains and I am there in wait, camera poised and ready to capture the moment. I have one or two more in this series to show. I love the fluid colours in them.
Commitment to the future
The iPhone image for today is another taken as people are waiting for the train to leave the station. I was pretty lucky with the commuters I got in shots like this. Usually they responded well to me, sometimes smiling or like the photo other day when they guy gave a wide-mouthed exclamation. Today’s image is a little out of focus (when did that ever bother me?)and grainy, but his expression is tender and warm.
This is about as happy as I can look for you
So agree, the colors in that series “Shibuya Underground Station” are superb, fluid and somehow soothing.
Thanks Josee. You are kind.
Great article, Brendan. When I initially joined Flickr, I posted in a tremendous amount of groups, trying to get as many views as possible. I have now greatly reduced the amount of groups and my views have dropped considerably. I no longer care. I read an article about Flickr whores, who spam groups with all their posts. I no longer want to be a whore. Favorites no longer matter to me also, but comments do. I appreciate them and try to comment also on other people’s posts. Hope your day has been good, as my day is starting.
Day has been acceptably stressful and frustrating. Most days are like this. The reality is most of it is of my own making. All manageable though.
Going for a run now – hope it rains.
Thanks for dropping by.
Have a moderately good day.