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Flickr lists few python libraries to access its API. Of these, I choose Beej’s Python Flickr API. Probably the reason being it had extensive documentation (and it appeared first!).

Choosing the library was only one part. I had to spend most of the time (almost the whole of today) reading through the Flickr API. Once you understand the API, it becomes easy.

My requirement for S-I-P is pretty simple. Given a photo id, I need photo details (title, description), EXIF details and size details (thumbnail, original). To access Flickr API, you need to apply for a API Key.

Here is the simple program to access Flickr Info given a photo id. Most of it should be self explanatory. For more details, read through Flickr API documentation.

I’m still, relatively, a newbie in Python and Django. So if you think there could be a better way to do this, feel free to leave a comment.

def get_photo_info(api_key, photo_id):
    f = flickrapi.FlickrAPI(api_key)

    info=f.photos_getInfo(photo_id=photo_id)
    title = info.photo[0].title[0].text
    desc = info.photo[0].description[0].text
    #url = info.photo[0].urls[0].url[0].text
    tags = ' '.join(["%s" % (tag.text) for tag in info.photo[0].tags[0].tag])

    exif = f.photos_getExif(photo_id=photo_id)
    model = exif.photo[0].exif[1].raw[0].text
    date_taken = exif.photo[0].exif[2].raw[0].text
    exposure = exif.photo[0].exif[4].raw[0].text
    aperture = exif.photo[0].exif[5].clean[0].text
    exposure_prg = exif.photo[0].exif[6].clean[0].text
    iso = exif.photo[0].exif[7].raw[0].text
    exif_details = dict(model=model, date_taken=date_taken, exposure=exposure, aperture=aperture, exposure_prg = exposure_prg, iso=iso)

    #getSize gets both size (thumbnails etc) and corresponding urls
    sizes = f.photos_getSizes(photo_id=photo_id, format='json')
    #there should be a better way to do the below
    #flickr returns jsonflickrapi(....) as string
    #i am retriving the values
    sizes = simplejson.loads(sizes[14:-1])['sizes']['size']
    for size in sizes:
        if size.has_key('label'):
            if size['label'] == 'Square':
                thumb_url    = size['url']
                thumb_height = size['height']
                thumb_width  = size['width']
                thumb_source = size['source']
            if size['label'] == 'Large':
                photo_url    = size['url']
                photo_height = size['height']
                photo_width  = size['width']
                photo_source = size['source']

    thumb_details = dict(url=thumb_url, height=thumb_height, width = thumb_width, source=thumb_source)
    photo_details = dict(url=photo_url, height = photo_height, width = photo_width, source=photo_source)

    return dict(title=title, desc=desc, tags = tags, exif=exif_details, thumb=thumb_details, photo=photo_details)

Related Links:

Flickr API

API for getting Photo Information

API for getting Photo EXIF

API for getting Photo Sizes

Flickr JSON response

S-I-P Google Code