We’re super-happy to be working with Tate again this year. Tate are giving Flickr members the opportunity to get involved with their new exhibition Street & Studio: An Urban History of Photography, which focuses on international photographic portraiture taken on the street or in the photographer’s studio.

You are all invited to contribute your own urban portrait photography in Tate Modern’s Street or Studio group on Flickr. Photos from the group will be displayed on a screen in Tate Modern and on the exhibition website. In the final weeks of the exhibition, some very fine judges will select 100 photographs to be featured in a Street or Studio photobook (which will be produced by our friends at Blurb). As a thank you, all the photographers chosen will receive a copy of the book, which will also be available for purchase through the Blurb website.

The Street or Studio group will be open for submissions until July 27th, and the exhibition runs until August 31st.

Photos from thoka, catherine buca, jenna hanks, clareybonbon and anne556.

While only one “STOP Hammertime” photo is featured in this selection, I tripped across quite a few in my travels through the flickrverse. You all might want to think about creating your own group. Might suggest “Can’t touch this…”?

Photos from Skyler J., ®ominitä, kirt thirsten, Sarah S.R., Studio 950, somewheregladlybeyon d, magg!e, Richard Moross, and melisdramatic.
More stop signs can be viewed in this cluster.

“A buoy is a floating device, which can take on many forms, whether anchored or free drifting. These devices go by many names: Buoy, Bouy, Bouey, Bhoy, Bhouy, Float, Bouee, Flotteur, Boei, Boj, Boja, Boya, Boje, Bojen, Boia, Boa, Poi, Poiju, Bauja, Dufl, Pelampung, Plude, Flyteboye, Plovec & Samandira.

In the group Buoyant, we collect images of buoys and the waterscapes they exist in. A single buoy floating alone on a vast body of water is a metaphor for our isolation; and shows loneliness.” — TPorter2006

Photos from Potatojunkie, vijayal, and Panorama Paul.
As suggested (and written) by TPorter2006 in FlickrCentral.

Have you ever wondered what you look like to your washing machine? Ok…maybe not, but now that I’ve piqued your curiosity, check out these great fisheye photos! They give you a whole new perspective on everyday chores. Just a warning though – it’s probably a good idea to make sure the oven is turned off before you put your camera in it!

Photos by Ikeyama, arkworld, and demetri..thinking out loud.

There are plenty more where these came from! Check out the fisheye tag or browse through the clusters.

We’re thrilled to welcome the first non-English member and second library to join The Commons on Flickr, Bibliothèque de Toulouse.

Witness this focused archive of life in the mountains around 1900. From glaciers to families, markets to mountaineers, these historic shots tell all sorts of tales about the people and places of the Pyrénées over 100 years ago. (See the map view.)

Do you have any photos taken in that part of the world? You might have noticed that some of the other photos in The Commons have had “here’s what it looks like today” photos added in the comments…

ColleenM has been sharing photographs that she took on a trip to Ireland in 1972. A couple of those photos have triggered stories from members.

“Well heres the story I grew up on that street, Its called Upper William St., it used be called Patrick St. I lived 9 doors up from the building with the balcony. That Hall is called St. Patricks Hall, they had snooker and Billard tables. The man standing at the door is Tony Fealey and I remember that wee black dog well I used to play with him. I was 12 when that photo was taken. I know everyone who lived in all those houses, one of them was direlect back then, the one with the brown door where the dog is. We thought is was haunted. The guy who owned the donkey is probably having a pint in Sheahan’s Bar which was just a bit up on the left from where the donkey and cart were parked.” — bernard.oconnell

“Yes, Sheils is a butcher. Actually, it is my Father’s family (we spell it differently) and he left Dublin a very long time ago. I can’t wait to show him the photo. Also, his Mother’s family has had a stall on Moore Street for generations. I know that this photo will generate alot of memories for him. Thanks so much! “ — jackieshiels

Photos from ColleenM.

Anyone who spends a decent amount of time in front of the computer every day knows that not all chairs are created equal. From metal folding chairs to ergonomically adjustable chairs with knobs and levers coming out in every which direction, The League of the Empty Chair group has taken their dedication to seating to a whole new level! Archie Bunker would be proud.

Photos from romul0, ben patio, and eef..

Check out other chair related groups: CHAIR or empty seats. Or check out the chair tag.

“A day in the life” (or DILO for short), was first celebrated throughout the flickrverse on October 31st 2004. Since then, the group has grown to almost 5,000 members with quarterly events.

It’s a very simple premise — on the designated day, document your activities and then select 5 to share with the group (the full poop is documented in a variety of languages on the group home page). If you’d like to participate, you’re in luck as this Saturday (June 21st) is a DILO day, with a theme of “green.”

Photos from Computer Science Geek, werewegian, and xsquared featuring the photos from the previous DILO.

We are proud to welcome the Smithsonian Institution as the fourth member to join The Commons on Flickr. To begin their journey into Flickrverse, they share with us some glorious history including photographs from Smithsonian’s First Photographer, Thomas Smilie:

…Portraits of Artists, like John Singer Sargent in his Paris studio in 1885…

…Portraits of Scientists and Inventors, Einstein notwithstanding…

…and “People and the Post“, and a pup named Owney…

…to the first contemporary collections to enter The Commons, the American Celebrations and documentary from the Smithsonian Folklife Festival; a wide range of contemporary photos of various celebrations throughout the country:

By the way, I’ve had the distinct pleasure of meeting staff at several museums, archives and libraries in London over the last week. A highlight was being shown some wonderful portraits of circus performers from the early twentieth century in the bowels of the British Library. I flipped over one of them to reveal the red “leather” background, embossed with gold lettering that read “Edward Sharp,” and this lovely phrase, “copies can be made.” I find that phrase utterly charming. What a positive way to suggest that things can be shared. (Plus, our current “no known copyright restrictions” is a little dry, however useful, so it might be nice to look to change it.)

The Commons is continuing to grow. The Powerhouse Museum reported that their copies of The Tyrrell Collection on Flickr received more views in their first month here, than in the whole of 2007! We’re also ironing out the final kinks to add search to The Commons too. It’s already fun to play around behind the scenes making new collections and different connections between the various photographs in The Commons, made possible by the tags and conversations about what you’ve discovered so far.

Finally! For those of us here in the Northern Hemisphere, a colorful spring has taken over all of that wintery brown and white! Whether you’re just putting away your winter woolies or you’re digging your gloves out of the back of the closet, changing seasons means plenty of new photo opportunities. Lucky for us, June 15th is Nature Photography Day! So grab your camera, glop on some sunscreen or throw on your long johns and head outdoors – nature awaits! And hey, if mud in your shoes makes you shudder, there’s always an urban safari!

Photos from *christopher*,-yukiroad- and Creativity+ Timothy K Hamilton.
See more photos tagged nature or landscape. You can also check out the nature photography clusters.