Monday, January 15, 2018

Search-by-Image with site restriction

We've talked about Search-by-Image before, but here's a nuance we haven't mentioned...  

When you do a Search-By-Image, you upload an image to Google so it can find similar kinds of images.  To do an SBI search, just click on the camera icon, then upload your image.  


It works remarkably well.  But sometimes, it needs a bit of direction--a little guidance to make your result more precise.  

For instance, you can search for a picture of a caterpillar that you photographed in order to figure out its name.  Here's the one I found: 


When you do a SBI, you see this result: 


That's all true, but not helpful.  This caterpillar is NOT the caterpillar of the European gypsy moth.  They look like this: 


So... how can we modify the query to improve the search result?  

Easy--just give it a bit of a hint--like this: 


Now that you've got some decent "Visually similar images" you can click on that link and quickly find a matching caterpillar. 



It doesn't take long to figure out that this is a Spotted Tussock Moth caterpillar (3rd row, 2cnd from the left).  

But wait... there's more!  

You can ALSO modify the query to include other search operators you know about.  

Here's a thumbnail image of a person that I couldn't identify off the top of my head--although I knew she had some kind of connection with the Rochester Institute of Technology (a college in Rochester, NY).  


When I just a simple SBI search, this is what I get (the top SERP), but if I modify the search to include site:rit.edu  (their domain), the result is much more precise.  


The result on the bottom of the page tells me exactly what I need to know.  

Search Lesson 

1.  Remember that you can modify the query in the Search-By-Image operation... including adding a site: restriction.  This is really handy for searching within sites that you know are affiliated with the object of your search.  

Search on! 




7 comments:

  1. thanks Dan, good to know… now if I'll remember…
    … she's newsworthy in India… recent:
    ⌘(command)F - Anne M. Mulcahy - selling Target shares
    post Mulcahy - notable on MLK day first black-American woman CEO of a Fortune 500 company.
    14 years takes a toll…
    (former)Xerox CEO Mulcahy
    less color
    meanwhile, in past Mexico…
    Search Lesson: don't search while hungry… (not far afield of the 'Plex… or it could be)
    ramen 1
    ramen 2
    edible clay and dirt

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  2. Replies
    1. What's the official name? I know what it's called internally, but that doesn't help. I'll have to ask around!

      (Great finds, BTW. Those are some amazing photos!)

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    2. I agree with Dr. Russell, amazing photos, Remmij. About the name, I thought it was also called carousel so I am looking forward to know the real name

      The site restriction is super helpful. Thanks for sharing. And talking about image search:
      How to Do a Reverse Image Search From Your Phone Maybe Dr. Russell, you Remmij or someone else knows another way to do it.

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    3. — what be the unofficial, internal, inside baseball, GooLingoSpeak™, (oxford) name - pray tell?

      … I was curious about the "mean and pinchy" photographer attribution/moniker for the saddleback moth caterpillar, Sibine stimuli…
      turned out to be fairly interesting…
      "Marzipaterkiller"
      the background – click read more - very nice photos/photostream
      "Princess Mean and Pinchy, enjoying the green plate special for breakfast."
      exceedingly rare pic of one with its saddle… riding may not be that uncommon… and unnatural for humans…
      believe it is 'western style'

      fwiw… and since you have probably spent a fair amount of time "riding" these - VIIx3 - mind blown… it would require a transcendental state…
      Wired profile
      site
      on YT
      flickr
      google drive pdf

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    4. Ramón, "carousel" would make some sense… I need to try/use it more…
      interesting article - you are correct – mobile osi (is that the plural?) like 's iOS do throw a wrench into some familiar search practices…
      jumping between operating systems/browsers (mobile&not) can be a… PITA…!?!
      this doesn't really address your question, but may be of interest if you haven't seen it already…
      ʜᴇɴᴋ ᴠᴀɴ ᴇss

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