From its minimalist layout to its user-friendly functions, Flickr offers heaps of features that attracted hobbyist and professional photographers alike. Easily, it grew into a place where people can comfortably share their work, interact and learn.

So if until today you’re not yet Flickring then it’s about time you start. Registration is free. And to guide you on your Flickr baby steps, here are some beginner tips to help you move around.
 
Sign up using your Yahoo! mail account
 
And that’s it—no long bio forms to fill out, no secret password questions and no codes to confirm your being a human.
 
Upload photos with ease
 
The first thing you need to do—fill your photostream with as many photos as you want. There are a handful of ways to upload your photos in Flickr.

• Use the web-based upload form right in the Flickr website. Ideal when you only post one or two photos at a time.
• Upload photos straight from your desktop with the Flickr Uploadr 3.0. You can download the uploader for Windows (Vista/XP) or the uploader for Mac OS X.
• When you’re on a vacation and there’s no computer within your reach, you can use your mobile phone to send photos to your account.
• Email your photos to your photostream using an especially configured email address.

 Add titles
 
After uploading, the filename of your JPEG file (e.g. IMG_076) automatically becomes the title of your photo. Change it to a more descriptive or artistic title like “Angelli sipping her coffee” or “Tonight I’m leaving my sky.”
 
You can also write a brief story behind the photo in the description box. Some users write (or paste) famous quotations that somehow describe their photo.
 
Use tags
 
Tags will help you search photos within your photostream, especially those belonging to the same theme. For example, you may choose to put the tags “travel” and “Sydney” on photos from your recent trip to Australia. Also, tagging allows other Flickr users who search for “Sydney” photos to discover yours.
 
Adding contacts
 
One of the great things about Flickr is its community. You’ll connect with photographers of varying expertise from all corners of the world. Some of whom would become your favorites, whose work you would want to follow and stalk. Here’s how you can add another photographer as a contact:

1. Go to his or her photostream page, say AusPhotographer’s.
2. Click Profile in the menu under AusPhotographer’s Photostream.
3. On the upper right hand part of the Profile screen, click Add AusPhotographer as a contact.
4. On the confirmation screen, you’ll be asked to add AusPhotographer as either friend or family. If the photographer is neither, leave the tick boxes unchecked.
5. Finally, click Add.

Join groups
 
Flickr is home to thousands of interest groups you can join. They usually have a field of expertise in photography.
 
You can find groups on portrait photography, Canon cameras , Nikon gadgets, beaches, insects, lomography, macro, kites, and just about anything you can take a picture of. Some also form groups based on their country or city. There are also groups specifically created for themed photo competitions.
 
Advanced Flickr Tips
 
There are more fascinating things you can do on Flickr and one post is not enough to lay them all down. But the above tips should be enough to give you a jumpstart. Come back soon for more tips on Flickring! In the mean-time make sure you check out our advanced guide to the Flickr photostream.

 

Tags: beginner, flickr, introduction, tip, tricks, tutorial