Keyword generators

[AdrianGJ]

Hi All, 

I am struggling to find a free keyword generator, does anyone out there use one?

[Colblimp]

1 hour ago, AdrianGJ said:

Hi All, 

I am struggling to find a free keyword generator, does anyone out there use one?

Do you really need a keyword generator?  Just look at the pic you want to keyword and write down what you see.  I've never used one and never will.

[Michael Ventura]

13 minutes ago, Colblimp said:

Do you really need a keyword generator?  Just look at the pic you want to keyword and write down what you see.  I've never used one and never will.

 

I agree, I can't imagine farming it out to another person or a program. I know what was right in front of me better than a generator.

[IanDavidson]

1 hour ago, AdrianGJ said:

Hi All, 

I am struggling to find a free keyword generator, does anyone out there use one?

In my view is at best you end up spanning keywords and at worst are useless.  As colblimp states, just look at the picture.  If you get really stuck you can use a Thesaurus   Many years ago I used a systematic approach with keywords obvious from the picture and then drew a mind map with similes, concepts and metaphors

[Robert M Estall]

Years ago I tried a free trial; it was just a joke. Free was what it was worth. You are the only person who can do it that is worth anything at all

[spacecadet]

I used one when I started out. Those older images are now the most difficult ones to add new tags to, because the limit is 50 and they are overtagged!

More recently they have come and gone- the one I've used most recently is microstock keyword tool but that's not really a recommendation- as the name suggests it doesn't suit our business that well and it's very US-centric. I would only use it for a brand-new and unusual subject. Otherwise as you build up numbers you can cut-and-paste basic sets of tags  for similar subjects, or, as others do, use hierarchies in Lightroom.

But really, it's the one thing we do that can't, or shouldn't, be automated. Your tagging is fine AFAICS.

[Mr Standfast]

Hello Adrian,

 

Completly agree with above posts.

 

In measures, I find "All of Alamy" is very useful. A search for my local subjects in "All of Alamy",  shows the actual terms picture buyers are using, not a programmes interpretation.

 

It gives me hints as to keywords I'm missing as well as the subjects I've forgotten.

 

Stay safe.

 

 

[Reimar]

Not sure what you mean by "keyword generator".  There are quite a few free ones out there that I have used. 

In my case, I can often use help in coming up with alternative keywords to the main ones I can think of.  Sometimes I'm amazed at what didn't come to mind (or maybe I shouldn't be, I'm getting old after all). 

Here is one I use the most to generate related keywords.  It often gives me 5-6 I didn't think of.  (just put in your main keywords instead of "Toronto city skyline")

 

http://www.mykeyworder.com/keywords?tags=Toronto+city+skyline&submit=Find+Keywords

Edited May 5, 2021 by Reimar

[Reimar]

21 minutes ago, spacecadet said:

I used one when I started out. Those older images are now the most difficult ones to add new tags to, because the limit is 50 and they are overtagged!

 

Yes, but just think: they all have green discoverability! (just kidding)  I've had the same thing where I had 70 keywords and deleting 21 just to add 1 is too much trouble.

But I use the keyword generator to provide suggestions, so I can choose to add only those which are appropriate.  For travel work, it's not so important.  For objects or more conceptual stuff it can be a good aid.

[geogphotos]

Perhaps a good test is to see if you could spot the picture from the keywords.

 

What does this show?

 

And before somebody bothers no doubt you could find plenty of mine and do the same test and find them lacking

 

Search stock photos by tags

aaactivityarchitecturebeachbluebritainbritish holidaybritish summertimebuildingchannelcloudcoastcoastlinedestinationsduskeasteast sussexeastbourneedgeenglandenglishenjoymenteuropegoldengreathistorichistoryhourjourneykingdompierpromenadereflectionrelaxationresortsandscenicsseaseafrontskystylesummersussexukunitedvacationsvictorianwaterwinter

hide all

 

 

 

 

[NYCat]

19 minutes ago, Reimar said:

Not sure what you mean by "keyword generator".  There are quite a few free ones out there that I have used. 

In my case, I can often use help in coming up with alternative keywords to the main ones I can think of.  Sometimes I'm amazed at what didn't come to mind (or maybe I shouldn't be, I'm getting old after all). 

Here is one I use the most to generate related keywords.  It often gives me 5-6 I didn't think of.  (just put in your main keywords instead of "Toronto city skyline")

 

http://www.mykeyworder.com/keywords?tags=Toronto+city+skyline&submit=Find+Keywords

 i took a look and it does seem useful for subjects I don't often do. My usual animals are easier for me than some more commonplace images.

 

Paulette

[Michael Ventura]

I like to think of it as having to describe, in detail, your photo to someone who is a forensics illustrator and you want to give that person the most accurate description, so they can find that photo! 😃

[AdrianGJ]

17 minutes ago, NYCat said:

 i took a look and it does seem useful for subjects I don't often do. My usual animals are easier for me than some more commonplace images.

 

Paulette

 

[Gnans]

A year back I used the one linked above. I was also trying to get into the "Good Discoverability" by filling in all 50 keywords and 10 super tags etc.  Result was poor ranking of image because the keywords are more suited for MS as rightly pointed by others. 

[AdrianGJ]

Hi All thanks for your help, I get the "add what you see" trouble is I am Dyslexic and finding 50 words is hard going! does anyone go for green with discoverability or are some well keyworded and Orange with 10/10 super tags.

[spacecadet]

35 minutes ago, geogphotos said:

Perhaps a good test is to see if you could spot the picture from the keywords.

 

What does this show?

 

And before somebody bothers no doubt you could find plenty of mine and do the same test and find them lacking

 

Search stock photos by tags

aaactivityarchitecturebeachbluebritainbritish holidaybritish summertimebuildingchannelcloudcoastcoastlinedestinationsduskeasteast sussexeastbourneedgeenglandenglishenjoymenteuropegoldengreathistorichistoryhourjourneykingdompierpromenadereflectionrelaxationresortsandscenicsseaseafrontskystylesummersussexukunitedvacationsvictorianwaterwinter

hide all

 

 

 

 

Eastbourne pier?

 

[Mr Standfast]

24 minutes ago, AdrianGJ said:

Hi All thanks for your help, I get the "add what you see" trouble is I am Dyslexic and finding 50 words is hard going! does anyone go for green with discoverability or are some well keyworded and Orange with 10/10 super tags.

 

 

Hi again,

 

Yes, dyslexia is a challenge, sevaral contrributors have this challenge to varying degrees.

 

Discoverabilty is a red herring. This blog article gives some more info.

 

https://www.alamy.com/blog/questions-we-get-asked-about-alamy-image-manager

 

The key statement is (i think), "Sometimes, possibly more often than not, you may have an image that doesn’t require the ‘full quota’ of tags and information and its fine to leave these without boosting discoverability further." 

 

As for choosing captions and keywords, stick with the obvious.  For E77W89  try Cat sleeping on wicker picnic basket at Goodwood Festival.

 

Stay safe.

[Mr Standfast]

33 minutes ago, spacecadet said:

Eastbourne pier?

 

At dusk? A holiday destination without people, so winter time?

 

Brain hurts!!!

 

 

[Sally]

You could try this. I haven’t used it but I have used some of the other useful plugins. Not free but not a lot.

https://www.photographers-toolbox.com/products/keywordmaster.php

Edited May 5, 2021 by Sally

[MizBrown]

2 hours ago, AdrianGJ said:

Hi All thanks for your help, I get the "add what you see" trouble is I am Dyslexic and finding 50 words is hard going! does anyone go for green with discoverability or are some well keyworded and Orange with 10/10 super tags.

 

Some things don't even need five keywords.  I've got ten photos to green and none of them have even been zoomed, much less sold.   My sales over the last year had between five to eleven tags.  Precisely what the thing is seems to be more useful than trying to get 50 tags.  For plants and animals, most common name and scientific name in the caption and as separate keywords, then other common names, plant or flower description or something descriptive about the animal(s), and where and when the plant or animals were photographed.   Landscape -- what's the name of what you've photographed, where is it, what is it (outcropping of Tuscarora sandstone, Miocene volcanic plug, glacier erratic, etc.), and where is it, and if people are around, what are they doing: poaching ginseng (saw them, didn't photograph them), winter camping, preparing to do rock climbing, taking photos, feeding deer illegally (also, didn't photograph them).

 

I find Wikipedia useful for finding other common names for plants.  All of Alamy shows what terms people use in searches. 

[Colblimp]

10 minutes ago, MizBrown said:

 

Some things don't even need five keywords.  I've got ten photos to green and none of them have even been zoomed, much less sold.   My sales over the last year had between five to eleven tags.  Precisely what the thing is seems to be more useful than trying to get 50 tags.  For plants and animals, most common name and scientific name in the caption and as separate keywords, then other common names, plant or flower description or something descriptive about the animal(s), and where and when the plant or animals were photographed.   Landscape -- what's the name of what you've photographed, where is it, what is it (outcropping of Tuscarora sandstone, Miocene volcanic plug, glacier erratic, etc.), and where is it, and if people are around, what are they doing: poaching ginseng (saw them, didn't photograph them), winter camping, preparing to do rock climbing, taking photos, feeding deer illegally (also, didn't photograph them).

 

I find Wikipedia useful for finding other common names for plants.  All of Alamy shows what terms people use in searches. 

This. 👍

[dlmphotog]

3 hours ago, AdrianGJ said:

Hi All thanks for your help, I get the "add what you see" trouble is I am Dyslexic and finding 50 words is hard going! does anyone go for green with discoverability or are some well keyworded and Orange with 10/10 super tags.

 

All the BEST photographers have dyslexia! 😊

 

All I can say is thank God for word processing software with spell check and synonyms!

 

I can not spell my way out of a wet paper bag so I do all my caption and keyword writing on a word processor and then cut and paste them into the image's metadata.

 

Others here have given you wise counsel, never strive for fifty tags or ten super-tags just what's appropriate.  Remember the five W's - Who?, What?, Where?, When?, and Why?

 

Hope this helps,

 

David L. Moore

[Colin Woods]

So Alamy, maybe you could include a blog post about how crude a tool the discoverability bar is and how it invites people to add irrelevant keywords and hence ensure that they sink in the ratings. Or you could just get rid of it. It would save us a lot of typing.

[Michael Ventura]

53 minutes ago, dlmphotog said:

All the BEST photographers have dyslexia! 😊

 

Can't say I'm on the BEST list but I had major reading and comprehension issues as a kid, dyslexia was just one of my academic problems.  Once I was exposed to photography, I knew right away, THAT is a thing I can do.  I still have a hard time with wordy instructions or following detailed recipes. YouTube tutorials have been a life safer for me.

[MizBrown]

Other things are to learn about what you're photographing and to consider what Robert Capa said,  "If your photographs aren't good enough, you're not close enough."