I became disheartened with all social media in 2020 and found myself turning back to an old friend; Flickr
Where instagram seemed to be more focused on selling us things we don’t need or want. Flickr is more focused on the Photographers and the work we produce. Over the coming years, I see more photographers including my street photography peers shutting instagram in favor of our old friend.
I think Flickr is the way forward, it is simple to navigate, there isn’t anywhere near the negatively that is present with other platforms and I don’t think of Flickr as mainstream social media. For me, social media has taken on a corporate arm that prioritises the monetisation of its content and user base. With Flickr however, the priority very much feels photography focused as it should, therefore the experience is both enjoyable and distraction-free. I can happily spend an hour on the site browsing the photos, in what I feel to be a quality experience and time well spent. For that reason alone I feel that Flickr stands apart from the rest of these photo-sharing sites.
I get a real sense that my followers choose to follow me on the strength of work, not because they are trying to grow their profiles in the hope of becoming some kind of influencer. The lack of commerce within the site really helps to regulate the genuine interactions that I observe and experience.
The digital viewing experience that Flickr is the best outside of seeing the work in print. I have a 27” iMac and the photos look amazing when viewed on this site. Sites like instagram are designed to be mobile friendly and do not provide the best experience on the big screen of a desktop for example, which is how I prefer to view images. I like to take time to absorb the image and immerse myself in the experience. Instagram for me feels disposable and cheapens the work of professional artists. Imagine going into a gallery to look at the work of someone like Bruce Davidson and finding the photos are on a phone-sized screen and are hidden amongst adverts and selfies of teenage girls. For me, Flickr comes close to being a digital exhibition of serious artists.
Instagram has its place for those who are looking to market their products and services to the masses. However, I’m interested in professional artists who want to display and share their work while gaining inspiration from others. It’s very difficult for me to be inspired or moved by an image amongst all the noise and distraction of sites like instagram. As an analogy, I would equate Flickr to being the national portrait gallery and instagram its gift shop. Both have their purpose but I know which one I paid the entrance fee for.
I know many of you will disagree with me and that’s fine, but I ask you to question why are you using a platform like instagram and then question is the best option for you. Once you’ve asked yourself these questions come and take the time to check out your old friend, Flickr remains one the best way to share photos and my personal favourite.
