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A map from the Oxford Internet Institute reveals the geographical distribution of billions of photos uploaded to the popular image-sharing site.
Individually, each of those photos shows us something, some flash of a moment on this Earth. All together, they show us something else, a planet pulsing—unevenly—with photo documentation...
Via Lauren Moss
As both a photographer and a student of geography this map is highly interesting. With each dot representing locations on the planet that have corresponding images in Flickr. The map is significant for two main reasons, firstly it is a great example of population density and human patters. Secondly, this image is telling of the ability to capture the earth and share its people and cultures across the globe. The accompanying story raising an interesting point, "Individually, each of those photos shows us something, some flash of a moment on this Earth. All together, they show us something else, a planet pulsing—unevenly—with photo documentation." This photo documentation is the writing of art works and the documenting and curation of global cultures. Being able to access these images allows one to not only read art, and read images, but also read and access different cultures and people.
The images one posts can be viewed as singular works of art for people to read and interpret and engage with as they may. However, when taken as a whole set of images, Flickr is the story of the planet being written daily by thousands of authors in the form of billions of images. Flickr is a giant curated book of visual history and a visual story of shared cultural experience.
When thought of from that context digital tools like Instagram and Flickr are an important cultural and historical resource that allows us to read the world through the visual but also allows us to add to the content and write our own stories within a larger one.