If you’re not familiar with Unsplash, it’s a stock photography platform that relies on photographers uploading photographs using the Creative Commons Zero (CC0) license. By licensing their respective images using CC0, the photographers effectively put their images in the public domain where they’re free for anyone to use for whatever purpose.
The new 5.0 update comes on the heels of a recent milestone — over 1 billion — yes, with a B – total photo views on since it was created back in 2013.
Unsplash has expanded from a small Tumblr blog with only a dozen images on it to a full-fledged platform, complete with APIs and integrated apps. Now, it’s looking to take its next step.
Inside the 5.0 update is a collection of new features, almost all of which revolve around making it a more social platform.
First up is the Following Feed, a new way to follow your favorite Unsplash artists and have your fans follow your work. When on your Following Feed, you’ll see a “PhotoGrid” of the latest images shared by the photographers you’re following.
Of course, with the ability to follow and be followed, notifications are all but a necessity. Now, Unsplash has an integrated notification module that will let you know who’s following you, who’s liking your photos, what collection your photos are being added to, and even give you a heads-up when you’ve reached a milestone for photo downloads.
Finally, Unsplash has introduced Stories. Now, you can add little snippets of text alongside each photo to give a little behind-the-scenes sneak peek at how the image was captured.
Aside from the social features, Unsplash 5.0 also improves performance with refactored code that should make everything smoother, from browsing through the archives to keeping up with your favorite photographers using the new Following Feed.
Unsplash 5.0 is already live, so head on over and take a look for yourself.
