When it comes to using filters, traditional photographers tend to use as little of them as possible, and only in instances where the filter will result in a better photo. However when it comes to the casual photographer shooting with their phone and posting it on Instagram, it really doesn’t matter especially with the bevy of filter apps available.That being a recent study at Yahoo Labs has revealed that using filters will actually result in your photos being viewed more and commented on more, so if you have friends who tell you to tone down your filters, you can use this study to justify your choices. According to Yahoo Labs, “We find two groups of serious and casual photographers among filter users. The serious see filters as correction tools and prefer milder effects. Casual photographers, by contrast, use filters to significantly transform their photos with bolder effects.”
The team then analyzed 7.6 million photos on Flickr to see which got viewed and commented on the most, and as it turns out that photos that used filters are 21% more likely to be viewed and 45% more likely to be commented on compared to those that aren’t. Yahoo Labs also found that warmer filters tend to increase engagement, although oddly enough an earlier study using Instagram photos suggested the opposite.
That being said we suppose at the end of the day, if you’re after likes and comments on your photos, filters appear to be the best way to go about getting it.
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