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Bridging Tech and Creative Photography
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Features

I’m Moving On From Flickr; But Here’s What I’ll Miss

Joy Celine Asto
15 Comments
12/10/2018
5 Mins read
Flickr-Trending

Yes, I’m saying goodbye to Flickr. It was only a matter of time, but nonetheless, there are a few things I’ll miss about the platform.

I’ve recently decided to move on from Flickr, and this decision, as some of you may already have guessed, was prompted by their recent announcement regarding the 1,000 photo limit for free accounts. In fact, I’ve already started culling my uploads there to meet this limit before the January 8, 2019 deadline. Many photographers have long moved on from it (including most, if not all the Phoblographer Staff) so I’m sure it’s mostly surprising why it has taken me so long to come to this decision. But I liked being on the platform for a handful of reasons, albeit nostalgic at best given all the choices we have today. So yes, these are also the things I think I’ll miss.

But first, in case you missed it, here’s this year’s Flickr’s announcement regarding the recent changes for free accounts. If you’re signing up for the first time, the 1,000 photo limit may be a good number for you to get a feel of the platform, check out the features, join groups to get inspiration and promote your work, and even consider linking some of your albums if your portfolio site also has a photo upload limit. But if you’ve been a long-time member and have thousands of photos uploaded there, there’s no other way for you to keep uploading unless you sign up for a pro account, which allows unlimited photos.

To be fair, this isn’t the only change announced since Flickr was acquired by SmugMug earlier this year. For example, they are finally getting rid of the antiquated Yahoo sign-in, and gave the Galleries a fresh look. Still, the most recent change could bear the biggest impact for existing users.

The Free 1 TB Storage

To be honest this was the main, if not the only draw of Flickr for me in the recent years. The thought that I could upload with confidence on my account kept me on the platform, even if there were more relevant and updated sites, apps, and groups already available. It encouraged me to keep most of my work there both as back-up and for sharing on Flickr groups without being conscious of upload limits.

Flickr argued that this perk for free accounts was actually counter-intuitive; that it only “largely attracted members who were drawn by the free storage, not by engagement with other lovers of photography.” They also claimed that some users didn’t like the shift because it diverted users’ attention away from community interaction and exploration of shared interests. While all of these could be true to some degree, I think it’s more that photographers started moving on from it and shifting to newer ones.

Sure, I could simply just get a Flickr Pro account at $49.99 per year to get unlimited uploads along with other features. But if I’m going to shell out extra money, I think it’s a lot better to spend it on my portfolio site.

The Flickr Groups

Long before the rise of Facebook groups and pages, Flickr Groups were my go-to platforms for checking out the photos of other film photographers and occasionally sharing my work. This was important to me especially as a film photographer because it allowed me to join groups that, while varied in scope, were all about film photography. Some of these were accounts of  magazines and collectives I liked. A good number were dedicated to certain films and cameras. There were even groups that allowed me to check out (and salivate over) special films like the Kodak Aerochrome.

I’ve always thought that the best feature of Flickr groups is its simplicity. It was easy to follow topics because the Discussions are kept separate from Photo pool, but still on a single group page, so you have a choice to browse through photos or join in the discussions.

If I wanted to challenge myself with photography prompts, for example, I just check out the Flickr Friday group, with or without the intention to submit anything. It also felt great to have my submissions accepted in groups whose aesthetics and overall quality of images I really like. But, let’s face it: a lot of these publications and collectives have also moved to Facebook groups, or at least have become more active there. This is most likely why some Flickr groups I joined aren’t very active anymore.

The Photography Community

Back in the days, Flickr was among the platforms where everyone would go for photography advice, to ask for camera info, and connect with their fellow photographers. It was an effective avenue for independent publications and collectives to interact with creatives and scout for new works and talents to feature. Everyone gave helpful tips and valuable information, so it came to house one of the most popular and trusted photography communities. Those were the days when there weren’t a lot of trolls in the threads, discussions were cordial, people didn’t do and post stuff “for the ‘gram”, friendships were often forged, and most members shared only their best work. It was a simple but truly inspiring creative community; maybe it still is to some degree.

Today, there’s a myriad of websites that boast of their own photography communities being the best, the most engaging, the most interactive, and so on. Flickr simply wants to reclaim their spot as the home of a vibrant community that fosters interaction. Looks like we’ll have to see.

Will I ever go back to Flickr someday? Maybe. Will I still log in and check things out once in a while? I don’t see why I won’t. Do I share the insights of our EIC Chris Gampat on the platform? Absolutely. As he mentioned in this post, it is, after all, still a community just for photographers. The trolls have left the platform alone and populated the more trendy Instagram, so photographers have less distractions to deal with and get to see a lot of more solid work. I won’t deny that I got a lot of traction for my work on Flickr, so it was good while it lasted. But unless something really new and groundbreaking comes up from the platform (and I get the time to further cull and replace what I have there at the moment), those 1,000 photos are all I will leave my free account with.

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15 Comments
  1. Guest

    05/17/2019 7:00 am
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    You’re asking for a lot from a platform that isn’t charging you anything. I’ve been on Flickr for more than a decade. I’d tried other site (e.g. Fotolog), but realized that even with the growth pains and changes of ownership, the positives outweighed the negatives. It’s certainly worth the annual fee to have unlimited uploads. I’m not exclusive to Flickr, but I’d sure miss the many friends I’ve made there who don’t post to FB or IG. Flickr still has some terrific advantages.

  2. Guest

    05/17/2019 7:00 am
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    I think it is Pre-Mature to go with just the Free FLICKR Account. I have paid for 2 more Paid Years for my Pro Account. I have many years on Flickr, joining in 2006. I post once a day at least, and I post the same photo usually on Instagram, Facebook and EyeEm. The audiences from the other platforms are different. There are totally different photographers and topics on the other sites. I am hoping Flickr enables some modern and easy upgrades. I would like to be able to “Bulk” Leave Groups and Quickly Sort thru and stop following some people. The one by one method is archaic. I have a big mess on Flickr as a 12 year member as a result of my own ignorance and changing interests over time. I do like the way the photographs look very good on Flickr. Facebook seems to ruin the whole “Look & Feel” of many of the photographs that are posted. The colors, tone and sharpness seem to be ruined on Facebook. I feel that I have thousands of hours of time, gasoline and experiments on Flickr that will not quickly walk away from. $50 per year is not cheap, but it is well spent on a service that has depth and value to me. I hope you don’t follow the Herd over a Cliff and shoot yourself in the foot!

  3. Guest

    05/17/2019 7:00 am
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    Scratching my head over someone who is supposed to have their finger on the pulse of photography but is leaving Flickr!? And you are the last in your office to do so?

    I’ve been a member there for almost 12 years and have seen the ebb and flow and now seems exactly the wrong time to be leaving…..especially for someone who is supposed to be staying on top of photography & the web.

    My personal experience is that Facebook photography related groups can’t hold a candle to Flickr…even at today’s reduced levels of participation. I’ve not found any other sites that can compare either.

  4. Guest

    05/17/2019 7:00 am
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    Sorry but I couldn’t find anything else that replicated Flickr’s whole vision. I’m keeping my account. I don’t think the groups are as active, but really it’s more about being able to make my own albums and collections all in one place. I love it. I also use it as research to find out about camera and gear trends, see other’s photography and sketch artwork. I love the artists on there. So many great ones. Anyway, It’s my go-to website, then I also blog, use twitter, instagram, facebook. I had smugMug for a quick second. Hated it. I hope they don’t change too much on the website.

  5. Guest

    05/17/2019 7:00 am
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    Exactly. I should be used to it by now but I’m always astonished when I read that a professional photographer, who always charges for their service and never gives their work away for free, expects to get a service for free and refuses to pay a small annual fee to participate in a service like Flickr.

  6. Guest

    05/17/2019 7:00 am
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    This is a long list of pretty big things that you are going to miss. So, why move again? Because it is going to cost you money?

    Im staying with Flickr and have been a ‘Pro’ member for over 5 years now. All the pluses you listed keep me there as well as an easy place for people and family to find my photos. As many photos as I see fit to put up there. It is a place for me to share as well as a place for me to back up some photos.

  7. Guest

    05/17/2019 7:00 am
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    Why do you feel you are entitled to a service for free?

    SmugMug and Flickr serve very different purposes and different audiences and are never going to be combined. SmugMug is a portfolio site that best serves the needs of professional photographers or very serious hobbyists. Flickr is meant for the casual sharing of photographs, all photographic skill levels are welcome and people welcome to participate in the groups that best serve their interests.

  8. Guest

    05/17/2019 7:00 am
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    SmugMug bought Flickr. I’m solely speaking in the context of people that already have a SmugMug account in addition to a Flickr account. If Flickr is your only account then I see no problem paying for it. Some consideration should be given to people already paying for a SmugMug account. SmugMug serves as my photo storage site so Flickr is not needed for that purpose (which is one of the main reasons a lot of people started using Flickr in the first place). For me, I don’t see it is worth paying $50/year just to have a platform to interact with others over pictures people take when I’m also paying more than $50/year to have a SmugMug account. I even proposed to Flickr that they could/should at least offer a lower price to current SmugMug account holders (which I would have considered if reasonable) but that is not an option. I see a lot of people already paying for a SmugMug account opting not to also pay for a Pro Flickr account. The benefit is just not there in my opinion.

  9. Guest

    05/17/2019 7:00 am
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    I too will not be using Flickr like I have been in the past. I first got on Flickr because of the ability to store photos but I really loved sharing my photos with others and looking at other people’s photos, I really loved and still love the interaction and comments with other photographers. I currently have about 2,500 photos on Flickr. As I progressed with photography I acquired a SmugMug account because it seems that it is a better platform for showing pictures (better quality resolution) and also the ability to sell my photos if I desire. When Flickr recently said that the free account would be limited to 1,000 photos I was quite disappointed. It is ridiculous in my opinion to already be paying for a SmugMug account and then also pay for a Flickr account (especially since they are owned by the same company). I emailed Flickr and said that SmugMug clients should be able to get the Flickr Pro account for free but they said I could only get a temporary reduced price for a Flickr Pro account and then have to eventually pay the full price. My response was NO! Doesn’t make sense to me. I have downloaded some photos from Flickr and moved them to SmugMug. I’ll still keep the Flickr account but find I am not utilizing it like I have in the past. I feel this is a bad decision by the company. It would be nice if they would combine capabilities into one site, but perhaps that is wishful thining!

  10. Guest

    05/17/2019 7:00 am
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    Me too

  11. Guest

    05/17/2019 7:00 am
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    Agree…If I had some better ideas as to where folks are headed, I would be interested. 500px was a terrible experience for me, Instagram is fine but moves fast and has terrible image quality. Just not sure that paying for online hosting/sharing is really the way to go…thoughts or ideas welcome..

  12. Guest

    05/17/2019 7:00 am
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    500Px is another stinkhole. Hated them and SmugMug, I am kind fo worried what SmugMug will do to Flickr now. I like Flickr a lot. Also, what did the author end up using? What’s the better deal than Flickr? I’d really like to know.

  13. Guest

    05/17/2019 7:00 am
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    Curious to know where you’ve moved to.

  14. Guest

    05/17/2019 7:00 am
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    But it also hides it if you like. Nice feature.

  15. Guest

    05/17/2019 7:00 am
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    Don`t forget that Flickr is the only photo sharing site that displayes the exif data

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