I’ve noticed a problem with my photo labeling that only became obvious after doing a week of concentrated blogging. I have almost 10,000 photos in my Flickr stream, and they’re all labeled in a very factual, concrete way. However, when I search my photos to support an entry, invariably I look for something to support a concept. Fortunately, I’m familiar with my catalog of work and have a sense of where to look for the perfect photo.

However, this means my photos are only showing up in targeted searches instead of conceptual browsing. I think it’s something to be careful of when I try to sell photos to a larger audience. Then again, I don’t always know what concepts a photo may suggest to a person. Take the photo I used here. What does it convey? Wonder or boredom? Intensity or vacuity? Should I define that for someone? Would it be worth it?

I don’t want to attack my back-catalog, but it’s something to consider for future tags.