Reverse Image Search
By Nayan Kurup
You’re already aware of searching for information in search engines by entering keywords as input. In fact, you use search engines every day to search for something you want to know about. However, what would you do if all you had was an image and you wanted to know everything about that image?
For example, you have pictures of a person, a celebrity, and you want to know his/her name. In such situations reverse image search comes extremely handy. This article tells you about reverse image search, its benefits and what you can do with it.
What exactly is reverse image search?
As mentioned above, reverse image search means uploading an image to search instead of keywords about the topic. By searching in such a way, you will be able to get more information about individuals, objects or any other topic. It is also possible to search by entering URL to the image as input instead of an image. Reverse image search is powered by content-based image retrieval query.
How reverse image search works?
There are many different factors that influence reverse image search. To find similar images, reverse image search uses mathematical algorithms with many attributes, including resolution, color, size and shape.
For example, in order to locate the search results, certain reverse search engines use colors. These search engines are capable of creating a color histogram and comparing it with all images, which are already stored in the large database of images. If a noticeable match between two histograms are identified, the respective image is fetched to display on your browser. While the reverse image search engines scan the input image, it also scans the textures of the particular image. The information on textures of the image is transformed into 2D graphics to be used for comparing and searching for matching results.
In reverse image search, other important determining factors are shape of the image, resolution and size. Reverse image search also uses a specific mathematical algorithm attributed to these determining factors for comparing input images with various other images, which are already stored in image database.
To make it more precise, reverse photo search works with the assistance of a query system, which is called content-based image retrieval (CBIR). Once you upload an image into an image search engine as a query, Content-Based Image Retrieval (CBIR) system scans all the features of the image you uploaded including its shape, size, color and resolution. CBIR compares these features of the input image with images which are there in the image database over the internet. In case, any of these determining features of the input image matches with any image in the image database, the search engine, with the help of CBIR, will show you in your browser the pages with visually identical images to your uploaded query image from a massive database of photos. This process happens within a blink of an eye and you get the best result for your reverse image search.
When should you use reverse image search?
One can use reverse image search facility in a very clever manner. In similar scenarios as mentioned in the introduction, reverse image search is extremely helpful. It also makes the lives of photographers and designers easy. These professionals will be able to use this advanced technology to analyze the popularity of their work, to get novel ideas for designing and to check for plagiarism. This technology lets them know in seconds whether the image or design was published or not, by uploading a photograph or design to the search engine. One can use reverse image search to reveal the truth, when somebody accuses you for using fake photographs.
Moreover, you will be able to use reverse image search to bring into light the real author of a certain photograph/s. In instances, when you need higher resolution versions of the particular images that you have, you can use reverse image search. With the help of lot of filters, leading search engines such as Google will help you find out it in seconds.
Leading reverse image search services
Currently available top reverse image search engines are Google, TinEye, Yahoo, Bing and Yandex. If you are searching for the best alternative for Google reverse image search, TinEye is the best option. TinEye and Yandex are third party reverse image search engines.
Apart from these search engines, apps are also being made for mobiles. Google Goggles is such an android app, which is compatible with mobile and tablet. Another app is reverse image search app, which is compatible with windows phones. Some other reverse image apps are CamFind, Search by Image, Reversee and Reverse Image Search Extension. Reverse image search is also possible in mobile browsers.
Benefits of reverse image search
With reverse image search, one will be capable of:
Learning more about an image of your interest on which you do not have any previous knowledge
Finding more visually similar images
Finding original sources of various images
Finding plagiarized photos
Finding opportunities to create backlinks to your website
Identifying people, products and places
Discovering more visually similar versions of an image
Detecting fake accounts
Debunking social media posts and profiles
Checking authenticity of art-works
Finding a suitable apartment
Finding out names of celebrities
Exploring unlabeled products
Finding out suitable recipes, and much more
Reverse image search, which is very easy to use, is an advanced technology to search for images without using or worrying about keywords. To find similar images, reverse image search uses algorithms with many attributes, including resolution, color, size and shape. It is a fantastic option to shortlist the images of your interest. It helps one to find out information on an image or similar images.
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