This post was stimulated by several reasons. Lately, I have been very curious about Flickr, especially because of a friend of mine, Helen Keegan. Helen is a huge fan of it and her enthusiasm about photo sharing is just contagious. Besides that, I have been receiving some comments about the pictures I have published there, which just adds more meaning to Helen’s eagerness about it. Furthermore, yesterday I received an email with one more stupendous video from commoncraft about photosharing, where the use of Flickr is emphasized.
My question then is: Should I go pro?
I have had a free Flickr account from quite a while. I haven’t used it for some time, but now that I am away from my home country it makes more sense to keep it updated so people can have a visual idea of what I am doing. I must say that I am not a great photographer and many times it even happens that I take a camera with me, but get so involved with what I am doing that I even forget to take pictures like I had previously planned.
But photos are a great way to immortalize a moment, celebrate a meeting or record an event. Who doesn’t like to see the family albums and recall the stories behind those photos? Story-telling through photos is such a nice way to examine past experiences, recall the good old days and even have a great laugh about those times. But unfortunately through the paper pictures stored in albums, which we put away in the living room shelf and only go back to on Xmas day or on special occasions, we are not able to access what our or any one else’s impressions about that capture moment were about when the photo was taken. Thus we are not able to compare it with what our current attitude towards it is.
However, today with digital albums such as Flickr this is possible. We not only store the pictures, we also get to store our and any one else’s opinions about it. The story telling becomes much richer this way, I would say.
Another aspect that is actually interesting these days is that the online village is bigger and bigger and pictures can be a great way to keep in touch with the “connected family”. It is also one more strategy share experiences and to engage in commented story-telling. In other words, it is one more way to communicate.
I am now growing fonder of Flickr. Not really sure why, but… Maybe because more friends of mine are there, and hence I visit it more often… Maybe because the image sharing offers a different opportunity to exchange perspective which I only recently was able to experience, as I started to store more pictures online and consequently received feedback (comments) of the pictures I posted… Maybe because those comments are stimulating me to be more active where picture taking is concerned… And definitely because I like the interaction that goes on there. But that is not news …I like the interaction everywhere!
And that is why I like the “free” web so much. It empowers everyone to try new things and share their stuff.
But I have also noticed that many of my Flickr acquaintances have a pro account. It allows them to organize their pictures better. I still haven’t activated this option thought. And that takes me to the question that motivated this post:
Should I go pro with Flickr or should I stick to my free account? I am only asking this because I am not sure what happens if I apply for a pro account for a year or two and then decide not to pay it anymore because I want to move on to something else. And in that case, although I wouldn't continue in Flickr I am sure I would like to keep what had happened there, especially the interactivity generated by the photos published and the comments posted.
For instance, I started a blog in 2004 with blogger for my Masters’ course and although that blog finished with the end of my course, and I moved on to wordpress, I am still able to access it and read the comments and posts published there. And that is something I praise. I would like to be able to do the same as far as my photo sharing is concerned. Any ideas about what is best in this sense?
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Comments
The pro account (currently £24.95 per year) gives you Ad free space, unlimited uploads, storage, bandwidth, and photosets; high resolution image archiving; and up to 60 group pools. If you un-subscribe, you lose access to uploads and photosets etc above the standard quota - photo stream views limited to last 200 pictures (although pictures published to blogs will continue to be viable), 3 sets, 10 group pools – so this could be a significant loss. You get access back once you renew your pro- subscription.
I do kind of feel that I’m doomed to renew my subscription forever, or until such a time as the account types change, and I do make sure I have backups of everything just in case I have a major problem with the site at some point in the future (or they have some horrible melt down) – although this is good practice anyway.
Does this help? I can’t advise you either way I’m afraid but hopefully you can make a better informed decision!
Hi Josie,
Thank you so much for the feedback.
I think I am definitely going to go for it. There are a lot of advantages and Helen has also made me realize how Flickr can be a great tool.
I understand and support the fact that not everything can be for free. My only thoughts about this were that if I decide not to renew the license I will lose all the interactivity recorded there, and that it really a pity. Because that is what I perceive as the greatest potential of Flickr.
But I think I am going to "risk" it, because web 2.0 is like a chain reaction kind of thing and you have to go where all the action is and right now I think I really need to be part of the Flickr community and feel what it means to be involved there.
Thanks for the feedback. It is nice to have access to other people's opinions. That is, in my opinion, the most positive aspect of the web 2.0: constant feedback.
Cris,
Just go for it! The reasons are all stated above. I was also worried about being attached to it forever, but it's just a fantastic place to share and appreciate other people's photos and lives. Besides, the 200 photo limit would be impossible for me as I compulsively take photos!
Beijos.
Thanks Carla,
All I need is this community and freind support to get me in the right track. I will definitelly purchase the license soon. Maybe this evening. Can't wait now!
Hi Cristina,
Josie gave you all the right info. People use flickr in lots of different ways. One of the main reasons I have a Pro account is to back up my pictures. We had a great holiday in Iceland and my son and daughter were taking 100s of pics. We were able to upload them in the evening and clear the photo card for the next day. Most of my pics are actually private. See you soon.
Hi Frances,
Hi Frances,
after all the positive feedback how couldn't I consider it. In fact, I have not only considered it; I have also decided to go for it.
I tried to upgrade my account yesterday, but somehow I didn't manage to do it. I got all the application form in Brazilian-Portuguese, which was odd and the amount I had to pay was also given in Brazilian dollars. However, since Flickr seems to be really international - I do love to get the welcoming message in so many different languages - I thought it was another way of making us feel we do live in a very international environment - but someone I was not able to pay for the upgrade. Hence I didn’t get it done!
I want to make a pic-record of my travels and learning experiences in Flickr. Although I don't travel as much as I would like - I could be a hippie wanderer!! :-) - I think this would be a great thing to do. I sure want to try the Flickr community spirit. After everything you all said, I have no doubts this can only be good.