Flickr as an image repository
Build an institutional image
request interface on Flickr’ API
s
w PHP
ith
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