Flickr

Flickr is a site that I found very interesting and useful. It is categorized as a social networking site that allows users to upload and share photos. People can also browse other user’s photos and make comments and suggestions to the photographer. On Flickr, users can edit photos and create cards, photo books, framed prints, and other things that can be ordered through the site. This site is intended for anyone from artists trying to get their work in the eyes of potential clients, to people who like to take photographs and need a place to edit and store them.

I think that Flickr is successful in reaching its intended audience because it is simple and easy to navigate, making it easy for potential clients to browse photos. This makes it appealing to artists who want to get their work out there. The site also provides a space for constructive criticism so artists can use the site to improve. The simplicity also reaches the intended audience of people who are not interested in the profession of photography, but use it to edit and store photos because a person doesn’t have to know a lot about editing and posting photos to be a part of it. Every step is laid out on the home page.

One issue that the site addresses is privacy. This is especially important on social networking sites because users put identifying information on them that could potentially be harmful. On Flickr in particular, the privacy issues are more concerned with original work and plagiarism. Users want to know that what they are putting up will be attributed to them. The site has privacy levels to allow users to choose who will be able to see their work. It also comes with a usage license so copyrights are protected. Finally, Flickr allows users to set a safety level so that they will not be able to see material that they are not comfortable with.

The one thing that I would add to Flickr is having other artistic medium represented. Instead of aiming the site at photographers, it should be a place for all artists to display their work. There could be separate groups and folders on a Flickr member’s account for each kind of medium.

Overall, I find Flickr to be a very useful site that I plan on joining. It is a great way to network and receive feedback. I also appreciate how easy it is to look at other artists’ photos and get inspiration from them. The photo on the home page is a great way to draw viewers in to look at other work. It gives just a glimpse of the site and makes me want to keep browsing all of the photos. I would recommend that people visit Flickr because even if one isn’t interested in making an account, the site has some beautiful and inspiring photography.