Although I only make a small portion of my Flickr photos publicly available and only contribute to groups when invited to do so, I have had 100,000+ views on my account (however, this is small fry when compared with, for example, museum photographer extraordinaire Hans Ollermann). So what kind of images are people searching for? Here’s a top 5 list of the most viewed images on my Flickr:
#1 Getty Villa, Malibu, US
With 8484 views (as of 17 October 2009), this shot of the Getty Villa in Malibu easily takes first place. Photo: TMK, January 2007.
#2 Deir el-Medina, Egypt
With 2217 views, second place is taken by this overview of the site of Deir el-Medina in Western Thebes. Photo: TMK, May 2007.
#3 VDNKh, Moscow, Russia
This shot of the cockpit of a Tupolev Tu-154 aircraft (parked at VDNKh in Moscow) has had almost 1500 views, which can be explained by its (invited) inclusion in several aviation groups on Flickr. Photo: TMK, September 2005.
#4 Isla de las muñecas, Xochimilco, Mexico
Close behind, with 1447 views is this photo of the bizarre Isla de las muñecas in Mexico. Photo: TMK, December 2007.
#5 Museum of Modern Art, New York City, US
With 1028 views, fifth place is taken by a close up of “La Danse” by Matisse at MoMA. Photo: TMK, January 2008.
Incidentally, several of these photos have appeared previously on this blog. However, I don’t think that has been a major factor in their popularity, which mostly seems to linked to specific interests (Matisse, Tupolev) or famous sites (Egypt, Getty, Xochimilco).