The 'Flickr' Effect

Doug

Doug

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Doug
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Hi,

Does anyone know what processing is applied to the images you upload onto Flickr?

I would love to get it as a plug-in for photoshop!

Regards,
 
Slight increase in saturation and quite a bit of sharpening I think.

I find it really fustrating, it makes the smaller sized images look ridiculously over sharpened, annoying when your posting them on forums with small size limits.
 
Don't know about the saturation, I've never noticed that, but Flickr definitely sharpens them and quite a bit too.
 
I have my own webserver - rented - not free but not that expensive - I upload what I want - it doesn't mess with sizes or add sharpening or mess my pictures around in any way!
 
Jim B said:
Slight increase in saturation and quite a bit of sharpening I think.

I find it really fustrating, it makes the smaller sized images look ridiculously over sharpened, annoying when your posting them on forums with small size limits.
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That I never knew.... I have copies of line any way....

One thought - I was running my own web service no problem how ever I upset the host due to the bandwidth I was using.... for the money I cant complain.

Terran
 
awp said:
why do people use flickr?
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Cheap, Community, Exposure, Ease, Speed, Reliability, probably a few more. Flickr has never altered any of my images, they appear exactly as I export them.

I am guessing peoples problems could be colour profile based or looking at the resized version if they upload large file sizes. I upload 800x533 images in srgb and never had an issue.
 
Flickr does not seem to have ever altered any of my images, and re-dowloading them confirms that the processing remains faithful to the original image stored locally on my hard drive.
 
Scotty B said:
Never noticed Flickr altering my images.
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This.

However I upload at 800x533 and display that size on forums. I do still have my own hosting as well where I keep my portfolio as such.

Maybe just a little test in this thread:

No. 1, from flickr

3062214168_a35edc8a23_o.jpg


No. 2, from my hosting

IMG_7514_.jpg


Look identical to me. :thinking:

EDIT: 3, small from flickr

3062214168_c5e4fda32c.jpg


Definate sharpening but I think any possible saturation boost is more to do with the sharpening than actual saturation boost.

(The first may show a slight saturation boost (tiny), but that is most likely because i'm looking for it...)

Having said that if flickr processes different sizes then that probably will make a difference.
 
I have never noticed any difference on flickr

But looking at the smaller image you have displayed, you can definately see a difference.
 
Its that bloody 500 pixels size that Flickr has that is the only usable size for posting on here thats the problem. Makes everything look ridiculously over sharpened.

Photoshelter does it too!

One of my pet hates on this forum! grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
 
desantnik said:
Its that bloody 500 pixels size that Flickr has that is the only usable size for posting on here thats the problem. Makes everything look ridiculously over sharpened.

Photoshelter does it too!

One of my pet hates on this forum! grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
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Why not use 800xXXX? Isn't that a standard size, or at least a standard size for most forums I frequent anyway?
 
I don't know why they don't, but seem to remember back ages ago when I used Flickr for web postings that it didn't have a suitable size - it was either the 500x one (and have it look nasty) or too big for TP.

Looking just now, they seem to offer 800x now.

Edit: no they don't! If you upload to Flickr at 800x then you get a hotlink for "large" which is 800x... if you upload to Flickr bigger than that, 800x is not a resize available (just as I remember). Found this by looking at my photostream for some old large sized stuff.
 
Just realised that too. Doh! :)
 
It can depend on what colour space you are using -for example the default with Lightroom is AdobeRGB, but Flickr is sRGB, so if you do all your processing in Lightroom without changing the cs and them upload them to Flickr they will look completely different.
 
I read the first few posts here and thought "wtf?!" so was glad to see people eventually conclude that Flickr isn't messing with things! I haven't noticed any saturation changes or sharpening, and I would be surprised if they did (and annoyed!).

As JL said, reasons for using Flickr are many. I have perfectly good servers on which I could install Gallery2 or write some flash site, but ultimately I use Flickr because other people can easily stumble upon my stuff and give me feedback. And I can add pictures to groups... the community is a big factor with Flickr.
 
The "flickr comments" are something that you soon grow out of though.

If I wanted one liner's (sometimes one word'ers) or some sort of stupid graphic posted as a comment, I guess it would be ok.

Besides its the old "you pat my back and I'll pat yours" on there, its not about good photography its more like collecting friends on Facebook...

*yawn*
 
desantnik said:
The "flickr comments" are something that you soon grow out of though.

If I wanted one liner's (sometimes one word'ers) or some sort of stupid graphic posted as a comment, I guess it would be ok.

Besides its the old "you pat my back and I'll pat yours" on there, its not about good photography its more like collecting friends on Facebook...

*yawn*
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Agreed. I rarely post to any groups anymore. I do agree it's a bit Facebooky with the social side of it, but that's what immediately attracted me to it. I have made some money out of Flickr so it's not all bad.
 
¿¿uʍopǝpısdn ʇxǝʇ ɹnoʎ ןןɐ suɹnʇ ʇı ǝɹǝɥʍ ʇɔǝɟɟǝ ɹǝʞɔıןɟ ǝɥʇ sı
 
desantnik said:
The "flickr comments" are something that you soon grow out of though.

If I wanted one liner's (sometimes one word'ers) or some sort of stupid graphic posted as a comment, I guess it would be ok.

Besides its the old "you pat my back and I'll pat yours" on there, its not about good photography its more like collecting friends on Facebook...

*yawn*
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I have no time for the one line comments on flickr but do use one particular group that gives proper and detailed feedback. Some of it can be quite brutal but I have learned more from this one group than all others put together by listening to the feedback and taking it on board. I also find writing a detail critique of others photos helps me really study and understand what makes an image good or not then try and apply it my own photos.

I have found no other site offering such good feedback as this one group on flickr.
 
Tom Harper said:
I have no time for the one line comments on flickr but do use one particular group that gives proper and detailed feedback. Some of it can be quite brutal but I have learned more from this one group than all others put together by listening to the feedback and taking it on board. I also find writing a detail critique of others photos helps me really study and understand what makes an image good or not then try and apply it my own photos.

I have found no other site offering such good feedback as this one group on flickr.
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Errrr.. you are on such a site now?
 
Oh looking at others photos and analysing why a photo works/doesn't work is an essential part of learning IMHO. Better still if you can read others thoughts on it too, but it does need to be properly written comments, not one liners - "it sucks" isn't helpful, you can probably tell that already, but comments about recropping to get a better composition or processing type comments are all good.

And yes, as Trev says, this site is very good generally.... I have learnt TONS from here.
 
Trev Rich said:
Errrr.. you are on such a site now?
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Errr not really....

I posted a photo here looking for feedback and got a single comment with nothing really helpful. I have looked through many of the threads here and rarely does anyone give an in depth response. There are some but not so many and no guarantee.

The flickr group gives me a guaranteed 5 responses all of which usually contain an in depth critique if not they are quickly kicked out the group. In the 18 months I have been using the group I have never not received all 5 responses.

I'm not knocking this site as its full of usefull information its just not the best I have found for receiving valuable feedback on photos.
 
Tell them you want them to tear it apart - this is a UK site and Brits are quite reserved.
 
desantnik said:
Tell them you want them to tear it apart - this is a UK site and Brits are quite reserved.
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I did say I was thick skinned and not to hold back.

I think as you say a lot of people are scared of expressing a negative opinion and while I, like most, prefer positive critiques explaining why a photo is so good I am also appreciative of negative comments when reasons are given.
 
I use flickr and photobucket. Photobucket is good :P
 
I like flickr.

And it does seem to alter an image slightely. there was a thread about it a while back. nothing wrong with it, really.
 
Flickr only really adds sharpening to the smaller size options, the "original" size should be the same.

Looking at the "original" size shot comparison posted by Amp34, I'd say the Flickr version has a very slight saturation increase compared to the one on his webspace, which is what I said earlier! ;)
 
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