Google image search: how to find similar images. Unique Tineye Image Search

Example: we have a photograph of a landscape, but we do not know what this beautiful place is:

As in the previous versions, we press the button in the form of a camera in the search bar, upload a photo and get the result:

I warn you - this does not always work. For a correct result, this photo or a very similar one should already be in the Google image search database, i.e. be on the Internet, there should also be a description next to the picture on the page. If the sights can be easily recognized (since a well-known place is "known" on the Internet), then with objects the chance of finding a description is almost zero.

If there is no information about the place, we will see a page with similar photos by analogy with the following example.

Previously, the TinEye search engine was strong in this, as I mentioned earlier. But Google Pictures is also not a bastard.

As before, open the Google image search, click the camera icon in the search bar and load (for example) a photo of a ginger kitten:

And click the link “ Similar Images". Let me remind you: you can not upload a photo, but indicate its address on the Internet, or simply enter the query “ginger kitten” into the search, move the mouse over the photo and click “ Similar«.

In any case, these actions will lead to a search for similar photos:

Pay attention to the inscription "Similar" above the pictures. This means that this mode is working now. Clicking on the cross on the right will turn it off. Clicking on the picture will open, as it should, an enlarged copy in the background of the site where this picture is located.

Output

Google image searches always work the same way. Depending on what was found, the search page changes. If the result is very successful, when it is possible to accurately identify the name of the photo and find information on it, we are redirected to the text search page (as in the case of searching for a sightseeing).

In fact, the search site tries to predict what we really need. Sometimes successful, sometimes not. There is virtually no difference between the above examples. The search always happens the same way, we just look at different places in the search and click on the links we need. I just gave the most "contrasting" examples, so you shouldn't look for the button "Find similar photos" or "Find a person by photo". They are not here. The search is always one. It all depends only on what we are looking for.

Hello, friends! In this article I will tell you about how image search in Google and Yandex search engines works. Searching for images in search engines has always been, but it worked using words that could occur in the text next to the desired image on those web pages where the picture we are interested in is present, or words specified in the image attributes. In other words, such a search was not always accurate, since the image we were interested in was not visible for the search engine, and only the words we entered in the search line were determined.

In this regard, before the appearance of the image search option, it was not possible to find the original of any picture, having only a copy in poor quality and low resolution, or, for example, you saw an image of a person in the news feed on a social network , and you would like to know who he is. And this is where the image search function, which is the most convenient for such purposes, comes to our aid. This function exists in Google and Yandex search engines, the two most popular search engines in Russia (Yandex accounts for a little more than 50%, and Google about 40%).

In order to visually consider the principle of operation of this function, we will consider it using examples of both search engines.

How does Google photo search work?

In order to start a picture search, go to the pictures section of the search engine website.

We will be presented with two options for further actions: pasting a URL link to an image from the Internet, or downloading an image from a computer.

In the first case, you need to select the image of interest to us and copy its address. To do this, right-click on the picture and select the option "Copy the URL of the picture", and then paste it into the search bar using the link to the image.

If you upload your image, click on the appropriate tab and select the file we need in the explorer.

There is an even easier way to search through images, it is available for those using the Google Chrome browser. To search for an image, just right-click on the image and select the option "Find a picture (Google)" or "Find this image in Google".

Since we used a picture for search, having found images on sites, Google automatically gave a name to the subject of our interest. The search results were similar images of various quality and resolution, links to various sites, where a description of the painting is given. Everything is the same as when searching with words, only in this case you used an image, for example, if you need the same picture, but in a higher resolution, you just need to click on the link "Large" or "Similar images" and in front of you what you are looking for will appear.

Search by image files in Yandex

Yandex launched the image search function relatively recently. Their way of searching for images differs mechanically from the way Google uses them mechanically, but outwardly they are very similar. The search mechanism consists in the fact that the search engine "breaks" the desired image into visual words, i.e. areas in the image where color, brightness, contrast and others change, and then uses these visual words to search the image database.

And only then from them are selected those in which these visual words are in the same order as in the original uploaded picture. Using this system in practice, you will not notice any special differences from the actions that we did using Google.

Go to pictures in Yandex and click on the camera with a magnifying glass.

In the same way as in the instructions for searching on Google, copy the URL of the image.

Paste it into the input field and click "Find".

Ready! Before us is what we were looking for, as you can see from the screenshot, the output of results in Yandex is somewhat different from the one that Google uses. Yandex allows us to immediately select the resolution of the picture in pixels, but this is where the difference ends and then the search results are presented in the same form as when using Google - Other picture sizes - Similar pictures - Sites where the desired image is found. A small addition to Google is that the first link before similar images, if possible, will be a link to Wikipedia, and only then other sites.

Dear readers, this is the end of our acquaintance with image search in Google and Yandex. Having an understanding of the possibilities of search engines, I hope working and searching the Internet will become much easier for you.

Do you know how to do a google image search? Or are you still going through gigabytes of photos to find the image you need? Stop doing it: we will teach you quickly search for any images that match your request, find similar pictures in a few seconds, and easily check the required photo for uniqueness.

In this section, we will teach you how to find a picture on the Internet using a picture. The answer to such a rather confusing question literally lies on the surface. For example, you found an image of an object or person on the Internet. And you urgently need to find a similar or similar picture. For this there are several ways.

If you are using Google Chrome browser, hover the mouse over the picture and right-click the command Find this image on Google.
When using a browser Firefoxsearch by image is possible after installing the application Google Search by Image. In this case, also right-click and select the option Search Image on Google.

Google image search: instant solution to the problem

Let's start one of the most common search methods. So, you have an image of a certain product or person, and you need to find out more information about it. Again, we have 2 paths in front of us, along which we will move towards our goal.

For the first search option we will use a link to a photo or picture... We offer step-by-step instructions for searching in Google by image.

We open the search engine.
Find the word "Pictures" in the upper right corner and click on it with the mouse.
We have moved to google pictures.
Right on the address bar to the right is an icon with a camera image. Click on it.
Before us opens 2 search options: by link or by the photo itself, uploaded from a computer.
As we remember, for the first option we will carry out a google image search using a link. Open the required image in the browser, click the option Copy link to image or Copy image url and we transfer the link to the address bar of the search engine under the option Specify link... Push Search by image and we get the result.
Before us open all the options where you can find this picture, and similar images appear.

The second option for searching on Google assumes that you need upload a photo that is already on your computer.

You follow all the same steps to enter google pictures, but choose the option Upload file, click on it and select the required photo from your computer.
Thus, you can find all similar images by sample, view similar photos or check your picture for uniqueness.

We will use similar search tools in Yandex. How it works in practice, you can see in detail in the video.

Everything looks even easier if you start learning how to search in Google by a picture from your phone. Suppose you need to find a photo that is the same or similar to the one you already have in the search results in your browser. By the way, we will be using the Chrome app (for Android, iPhone and iPad).

Sometimes we need to find the name of a movie from one image, and this is also very easy. For example, you saw a beautiful picture from VK and with your heart you feel that this is a frame from some painfully familiar film. And you can't remember the name. And you also don't know how to find this movie to watch.

We hasten to reassure you: you are already familiar with the search methods. Use all of the above methods to search in Google or in Yandex by an image. They are ideal for find out the name of the movie you are interested in and go to watch it.

Suppose you have some kind of image (drawing, picture, photograph), and you want to find the same (duplicate) or similar on the Internet. This can be done using the special tools of the Google and Yandex search engines, the TinEye service, as well as the amazing PhotoTracker Lite browser extension, which combines all these methods. Let's consider each of them.

Search by photo in Google

We provide a link to the image on the Internet
Uploading a file from your computer

As a result, we get a complete list of similar pictures from the image that was chosen as a sample:

There is another good way that works in the Chrome browser. While on the page with the picture you are interested in, move the mouse cursor to it, right-click and in the prompt that opens, select the item "Find picture (Google)":

You will be taken directly to the search results page!

Search by images in Yandex

Everything at Yandex is no less simple than that of Google :) Follow the link https://yandex.by/images/ and click the camera icon in the upper right corner:

Specify the address of the picture on the Internet or upload it from your computer (you can simply drag it to the special area at the top of the browser window):

The search result looks like this:

You instantly have access to the following information:

What are the dimensions of the image that you uploaded as a sample for search on the web?
List of sites on which it is found
Similar pictures (modified on the basis of the original one or by which the algorithm made a decision about their semantic similarity)

Many have probably already heard about the online service TinEye, which Russian-speaking users often call Tinai. It is developed by experts in machine learning and object recognition. As a consequence of all this, tinai is great not only for finding similar pictures and photographs, but their components.

TinEye's indexed database of images contains over 10 billion positions, and is the largest on the entire Internet. “Everything will be found here” - this phrase characterizes the service in the best possible way.

There is another one-click search method. By default, the "Show quick search icon" item is activated in the application settings. When you hover over a photo or picture, a round green icon pops up, clicking on which starts a search for similar images - search results on Google, Yandex, Tinai and Bing will automatically open in new tabs.

The extension was created by our compatriot, who, by the nature of his hobbies, is closely related to photography. He originally created this tool to quickly find his photos on other people's sites.

When you may need it

You are a photographer, post your photos on the Internet and want to see what sites they are used on and where your copyright is violated.
You are a blogger or copywriter, write articles and want to choose an "unfinished" image for your material.
What if someone uses your photo from your Vkontakte or Facebook profile as an avatar on a forum or a fake account on some social network? But this is more than possible!
You have found a photo of an actor you know and want to remember his name.

In fact, there are a lot of cases when a photo search can come in handy. You can also give such an example ...

How to find the original of a given image

For example, you have some kind of photograph, possibly cropped or photoshopped, and you want to find its original, or a better quality version. How to do it? Search in Yandex and Google, as described above, or using PhotoTracker Lite and get a list of all the images found. Further, be guided by the following:

The original image is usually larger and better quality than the modified cropped copy. Of course, you can set the picture in any size in Photoshop, but when it is increased relative to the original, artifacts will always be observed. They can be easily spotted even with a cursory visual inspection.
Original photographs often have watermarks indicating the authorship of the photograph (surname, website address, company name, etc.). Of course, anyone can add a watermark to absolutely any image, but in this case, you can search for a sample photo on the site or by the author's last name, for sure he puts his portfolio online somewhere.
And finally, a very simple sign. If your sample photo is black-and-white (sepia, etc.), and you found the same, but full-color photo, then you are clearly not the original. much more difficult than converting a color photo to black and white :)