Colour-based Google image searches

Google Image Search now lets you search for images that are predominantly similar to twelve different colours. For instance, the set of all photos from my site they have indexed can be restricted to just those with red highlights or those dominated by blue.

All told, Google currently includes 204 images from my site in their index. Here is the colour breakdown:

• Red: 10
• Teal: 7
• White: 11
• Orange: 17
• Blue: 25 (lots of the sky)
• Grey: 41 (many of them in black and white)
• Yellow: 2
• Purple: 2
• Black: 47
• Green: 8
• Pink: 0
• Brown: 45

You can also search for various image types: news content, faces, clip art, line drawings, and photo content.

As ever, Google Image Search is a somewhat perplexing creation. It’s not clear why it selects the photos it does or how it ranks them. I look forward to further improvements in the service.

Author: Milan

In the spring of 2005, I graduated from the University of British Columbia with a degree in International Relations and a general focus in the area of environmental politics. In the fall of 2005, I began reading for an M.Phil in IR at Wadham College, Oxford. Outside school, I am very interested in photography, writing, and the outdoors. I am writing this blog to keep in touch with friends and family around the world, provide a more personal view of graduate student life in Oxford, and pass on some lessons I've learned here. View all posts by Milan