Flickr view total oddities

[Experiment_626]

Does this happen to you? I've noticed that some of the photos I have on Flickr with the higher total number of views are, to me, rather odd choices. Not that I don't like the images — with only a couple of exceptions, I don't post things that I don't really like — but I can't always fathom why certain images gather lots more views than some of the others that I think are more striking and interesting. For example, there's this one I just posted a few days ago:


Fountain Blue (of Nations) by Scott S. Baxter, on Flickr

It has risen to become my second-most-viewed image on Flickr, with anywhere from two to four times the number of views of most of my shots. It is a nice shot and obviously I like it, but I can't figure out why it has garnered that much attention when there are other, more interesting and striking images in my Photostream. Indeed, it is ranked at number eight, currently, on the "Interestingness" scale — whatever that means.

Any idea why that image has gotten more views, especially so quickly, than something like this shot, which is one of my best in my opinion? Granted, this one is still in my top ten, but still ...


Characters in Light by Scott S. Baxter, on Flickr

Just curious. Have others of you had a similar thing happen?

SSB

 

[Gianna'sPapa]

I have given up trying to predict which shots people will like. Many times I will have my family look at them pre-post and it is always amazing, they choose images totally different than I would have chosen. The DW is exceptional about seeing things in an image that I never notice. I'm never a good judge of my own work.

 

[ancestry]

I have found that some of my best shots (composition and difficulty wise) are not necessarily the favorites of others.

Personally as a piece of visual art, I like the first one better as well. For composition and difficulty the second one would win but just as far as what appeals to me I would prefer the first.

 

[SrisonS]

Do you ever look to see where your views are coming from??? Maybe the first gets hits when people do a search for "Epcot"!?!?!? Or maybe isn't linked on another page somewhere???? And although the second is a cooler shot, the 1st is more eye-catching; especially if you're initially looking at smaller Flickr preview sizes.

 

[LittleMissMagic]

If the Characters in Flight balloon picture has only recently gotten a lot of views, it could be because of the recent accident in Hong Kong and closure of Characters in Flight in Downtown Disney. "Disney Balloon" has been getting Google searched a lot lately, which could've taken some people to your photo.

*Wait, nevermind... I had the number of views backwards. I'm stumped!

Both are beautiful images, though.

 

[Experiment_626]

Do you ever look to see where your views are coming from???

I haven't — how do you do that?

SSB

 

[Experiment_626]

If the Characters in Flight balloon picture has only recently gotten a lot of views, it could be because of the recent accident in Hong Kong and closure of Characters in Flight in Downtown Disney.

I hadn't even heard of either of those things. I guess it's off to Google …


SSB

 

[Hockeyman]

I haven't — how do you do that?

SSB

I think what Scott may be referring to is on your stats page towards the bottom you can see where the views are coming from.

Example of mine for today. I can get a general idea of where these clicks are coming from.

Referrers

So far today...
Visits %
Flickr 5 26%
Search Engines 3 15%
Other Sites 1 5%
Unknown Source 10 52%


Domain Visits %

flickr.com
5 26%

google.com
2 10%

disboards.com
1 5%

images.google.com
1 5%

 

[Gianna'sPapa]

I think what Scott may be referring to is on your stats page towards the bottom you can see where the views are coming from.

Example of mine for today. I can get a general idea of where these clicks are coming from.

Referrers

So far today...
Visits %
Flickr 5 26%
Search Engines 3 15%
Other Sites 1 5%
Unknown Source 10 52%


Domain Visits %

flickr.com
5 26%

google.com
2 10%

disboards.com
1 5%

images.google.com
1 5%

Where is the "stats" page? Disregard I found it!!

 

[Experiment_626]

Ah — I see. Or rather, I don't. Looks like you need a pro account to see your stats, at least in that level of detail.

SSB

 

[mom2rtk]

I'm betting that it's linked somewhere else.

 

[2Tiggies]

Does this happen to you? I've noticed that some of the photos I have on Flickr with the higher total number of views are, to me, rather odd choices. Not that I don't like the images — with only a couple of exceptions, I don't post things that I don't really like — but I can't always fathom why certain images gather lots more views than some of the others that I think are more striking and interesting. For example, there's this one I just posted a few days ago:

It has risen to become my second-most-viewed image on Flickr, with anywhere from two to four times the number of views of most of my shots. It is a nice shot and obviously I like it, but I can't figure out why it has garnered that much attention when there are other, more interesting and striking images in my Photostream. Indeed, it is ranked at number eight, currently, on the "Interestingness" scale — whatever that means.

Any idea why that image has gotten more views, especially so quickly, than something like this shot, which is one of my best in my opinion? Granted, this one is still in my top ten, but still ...

Well I confess to having caused part of this particular oddity in your case. I don't know if I'm weird or if you just have very different taste in pictures but I views these the other day (on numerous PC's and laptops) and liked them so much I emailed the link to some friends I love them. Perhaps that clears up part of your mystery - at least if my opinion is on a par with the 'average' viewer.

That said, I have found in general with my own photos, the ones I love are often not the ones others are totally enthralled by. I have also had plenty complimentary comments on photos that I have actually debated bothering to upload in the first place; some of them having been dangerously close to the recycle bin

 

[photo_chick]

I have a picture of a jellyfish in a jar that has received more hits than all my other images combined. It's not that great of a shot, but I guess there's something appealing about a jellyfish in a jar. And pretty much any cat picture is guaranteed to get hits.

 

[Gdad]

I agree what takes-off on Flickr can be a little mysterious. I had a picture on there one time that was just an average family photo of my sister-in-law and her daughter driving in a bumper-car at Busch Gardens. I have no idea why but it had zero comments and zero fav's but like 10,000 views which put it at the top of my popular/views page. I could never figure out where all the views were coming from (Flickr just said "Other" or something) and I eventually just deleted it.

 

[zackiedawg]

Was your sister in law attractive by general consensus? I've found that of all the photos in my gallery (non-Flickr), somehow it always ends up that some photos I have with attractive girls in the shot end up near the top or at the top of the view count. I don't link them, mention them, etc - they're just in the gallery along with hundreds of other photos - sometimes they were the subject of the shot, and sometimes they were just in the background or in the shot, but if they are attractive, the views go way up.