it really bugs me that i have come to care about the elusive and mysterious "explore" feature on flickr. it's the top 500 photos of the day on flickr, according to some unknown and possibly ever-changing criteria. just a short month ago, i kinda knew about it kinda peripherally. a few of my pictures of the house and my famous robot shot had "gone explore," but i didn't really think about how or why. it was just a happy mystery to me.
but along came our blog camp 365 flickr group and suddenly, explore was everywhere! there are lots of good pictures in the group and with lots of constructive criticism in the form of comments and favorites, suddenly explore became that much more real. for me and for the group as a whole. and so i've started to care about whether my pictures "go explore." and in some ways, i wish i didn't. because it seems a bit insidious, like the whole messianic follower thing on blogs and twitter, and perhaps a tad unhealthy to obsess about it. but still, i can't help but be happy that both of my photos for february thus far have gone to explore - the rainbow monocule© above and this martini glass of yellow randomness. it does for some strange reason reassure me that my photo mojo has returned and i'm improving. tho' it probably doesn't actually mean anything in the big scheme of things.
flickr has done a good job of creating a mystique around it. so rumors abound as to what the algorithms contain. if you want to read some of those rumors, check here, and here. and here's some advice on how to get your pictures there. and now i'm off to stage my next potential explore shot...i wonder if the cat will hold still....
10 comments:
hmmm, be careful of worshiping at teh altar of explore. honestly I don't think it's a measure of photography getting better or anything, it's a measure of being in groups who are very active and supportive in terms of comments/favourites. That, in itself, is a joy.
But it's hard not to feel a thrill I agree. It's like an adrenalin hit! My photo yesterday was on the front page, as was one a few days back. I'm more pleased than I care to admit! I had 7 or 8 explores in a row in January and actually couldn't WAIT for one not to go in to explore so I could break the cycle. Ha ha ha.
lol! i know what you mean. i didn't know about the explore thing before joining this group. which also make me believe spudballoo is right: it's about the pools you add them to. at least that's the primary reason. the other thing is, what you want to do with your photography. i have a hard time combining the excellent shot (in terms of technique) and capturing the moments of the day that i wish to save in a photo. and i can see that the photos that i had on explore are those that are more about the photo technique than on me saving my day (so to speak). except for my cloud-on-the-steamy-window, which i was totally surprised to find on explore.
anyway, to stop my ranting: i have a feeling that by uploading to the 365 pools you have a much higher chance of getting into explore :)
thanks for adding some color to my otherwise grey wisconsin day....and making me laugh at that creature
Whatever the Flickr Explorer algorythms, your photos are spectacular! I am so impressed!
Must get me some more education. You've inspired me.
*sigh* no explore for me yet. And I too despair that I care. But there it is.
I haven't even gotten a flickr account yet. Sigh. I'm so far behind, it's not even funny......
WV: dizeset - how southern americans prounounce dix-sept en francais.
Those pictures have such wonderful clarity and visual punch to them. As for Explore, I live in happy ignorance.
I love your yellow martini glass of randomness. I missed it on flickr, I'll have to go back and check.
I've only had the one piano photo go explore, but I'm hoping for some more (and yet trying not to care...)
You really must live inside the internet, that's the only explanation on how you manage to tweet, post in 3 or 4 blogs and Flickr those amazing pics. Tell me the secret pls.
i agree with spud about explore because it gets to be competitive and the 'tit for tat' thing over at flickr. i've been so swamped at work and of course since i'm not there commenting, i'm not getting comments - sorta like the blog thing.
but...that being said, your shots are beautiful and certainly well worth and attention they get. i especially love the yellow.
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