[RobG]

I know this forum is supposed to be for non-photography related topics, but I can't find anywhere else that would be appropriate.

I was surprised recently when one of my photos appeared in "Explore" on Flickr. I understand that it's an automated feature of the website, so now I'm curious what sort of features in an image that Explore identifies as "interesting". Does anyone have any ideas? In my case it was a macro image which was very sharp but with relatively simple features. Strong colours also seem to feature a lot in "Explore".

[boriscleto]

How to get on Flickr's Explore Page: Learn how Interestingness is ranked

[Nass]

boriscleto, Very average article... especially tip #6, adding a note begging to be faved. That'd make me run a mile. Exif, less groups, both true. Fyi, the most important thing about getting into explore isn't the number of faves and comments but who faves or comments. Accounts all carry a weight based on the number of followers and your own explore success, and the more of both you have, the more you pass on when you fave or comment a photo. And all those are ranked twice a day to make the explore list. Fwiw, explore top 10 gets you about 100 or so faves and 5000 or so views.

[Macario]

I still do not know why some photo's get there. Some of them are totally non-interesting

[Doundounba]

Many are fantastic, amazing shots, but for some others it's a mystery to me why they got picked. Take this one from Explore 2013-12-10 (the current one as I write):




It's not bad, but if you look at the guy's stream, he's got many, much nicer, sharper and generally more interesting dragonflies in there - IMHO. Why that one?

[Rondec]

I really don't know. I have had four photos explored and I really am not in any groups, don't have a lot of folks who normally "fave" many of my photos. It just seemed to happen out of the blue. And certainly they weren't the best photos I have taken either...

[Nass]

Explore has nothing whatsoever to do with the quality of a photo. Your photos got into explore because of who faved, commented or looked at it, and the % of total people. Ie if it had 10 views but 9 of them faved/commented/looked, that scores higher than 100 views and 15 faved/commented/looked. This is Flickr's way of calculating how much it's liked. It's just a mathematical equation. Computers can't look at a photo and assess its merit. But computers can algorithmically calculate vaguely what people think of it.

[RobG]

Thanks everyone for the responses. Basing interest levels on favourites and comments makes sense. It's more believable than programmed analysis of the images themselves. In that case, posting in lots of groups would be the most likely to get comments and favourites, and therefore more likely to get explored.

[boriscleto]

In that case, posting in lots of groups would be the most likely to get comments and favourites, and therefore more likely to get explored.

But if you post a photo in a lot of groups it gets down rated.

[Rondec]

Thanks everyone for the responses. Basing interest levels on favourites and comments makes sense. It's more believable than programmed analysis of the images themselves. In that case, posting in lots of groups would be the most likely to get comments and favourites, and therefore more likely to get explored.

I think what Nass said is correct -- if only 20 people see your photo and 15 of them like it, that is better than if 500 people see your photos and 40 of them like it. Honestly, my photos that were explored were not seen by many people (other than here on the forum) prior to them being explored.

[Nass]

# of groups is a divisor. So posting in many counts against you in explore terms. If you want to get stuff in explore make a lot of friends and make good photos. Spamming groups might get you views and REALLY ANNOYING SPINNING SPARKLY ICONS but beyond that, meh. Re the other stuff, up to you who you believe and by all means come up with your own suppositions. But believe me, I know Flickr.

[tuco]

What you get if your picture is in Explore is a bunch thoughtless comments with obnoxious motion GIF images for signatures. No thanks. And Explore is dynamic. You may be in it one day and gone the next day, month or year from now for that Explore time period.

[Doundounba]

... Spamming groups might get you views ...

It's only spamming if you post to inappropriate groups. Otherwise groups are simply a way to make your photos visible to people with specific, shared interests. I routinely have a look at many Pentax and macro groups to which I also post my photos, and I find it enjoyable and enlightening. If the EXIF is available, it's also a way to learn about technique and exposure choices. And it's a way to see what other people like. Anyhow, I do realize that posting a photo to many groups makes it less likely to be Explored. I've seen pics of my contacts explored - though never one of mine - and it always happened shortly after it was posted and a few of the poster's contacts had immediately starred the photo and made glowing comments...

[mikeSF]

congrats on your image being explored!
that said, I have always been puzzled as to how that works and am not one to play the popularity contest game as ive seen others do. I have a friend on there that plays a few tricks to increase his # of views and faves which I find self defeating in the first place.

[Nass]

It's only spamming if you post to inappropriate groups. Otherwise groups are simply a way to make your photos visible to people with specific, shared interests. I routinely have a look at many Pentax and macro groups to which I also post my photos, and I find it enjoyable and enlightening. If the EXIF is available, it's also a way to learn about technique and exposure choices. And it's a way to see what other people like.

Yep, totally agree. Flickr is also a great way to find out about good locations btw, using the map tool at Flickr: Explore everyone's photos on a Map - you can search a map by keyword (ie ruin, in area round you). I love that feature!!!