Flickr as an image repository

Build an institutional image request interface on Flickr’s API with PHP

Robert Morrison, University of Stirling

Image Storage

• Storage Requirements

• Retrieval and Organisation

• Image Request Handling

• Protecting Copyright

• Showcase of ‘brand’ images

Flickr

• Storage– Unlimited Storage– 10MB per photo– Unlimited Bandwidth

• Organisation– Tags– Sets– Meta Data, EXIF, Geo-tagging

• $24.95 per year (£16.84)

Flickr API

• Non-commercial use without arrangement

• Uses an API Key

• Access to lots of functionality– Uploads, community, sets, tags

• Implemented in PHP– phpFlickr

• Other Implementations– C, Java, .Net, Perl, Ruby…

phpFlickr

http://www.phpflickr.com/

• PHP 4

• Lesser GPL

• Supports DB caching

• Authenticates with Flickr

Lightbox2

www.huddletogether.com/projects/lightbox2/

• Provides photo browsing interface

• Built on the Prototype framework

• Thumbnails created by flickr (and other useful sizes too)

• Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 License

Watermarking

• Image URL is actually a PHP script with the image’s Flickr ID

• Script uses phpFlickr to grab the image

• GD applies a PNG watermark

• PHP sets correct MIME JPEG header and sends the image data in the response

And a bit of jQuery

• AJAX parts of the interface handled by jQuery

• Behaves with Prototype– If necessary, we can use jQuery.noConflict()

Thanks to .net

• See issue #175 – May 2008

• phpFlickr Lightbox2 tutorial

Future Development

• Backup facility

• Look at dedicated Asset Management tools

• http://www.jiscdigitalmedia.ac.uk/

• System with better terms of use

• Flickr can be slow

• Uploadr – seems to be a bit of a weak link