Photography searching system

A computer implemented method for providing a subset of images to a user from a collection of images to match a user-inputted query, in which the images are of athletes in a race or athletic event, comprising:

• (i) storing a plurality at images in a database;
• (ii) analyzing, via a computing device, all images stored in the database individually, using one or more machine learning models, wherein the models use support vector machines for pattern recognition on said image, to scan and detect color and hue values, as well as any athlete numbers within the image;
• (iii) saving the detected color and hue values and athlete number information found in said image in a database;
• (iv) collecting a query from a user using a graphical user interface, wherein the query includes at least the parameter of an athlete number which is two or more digits in length;
• (v) identifying and retrieving a first set of images that match the user query;
• (vi) presenting, via a computing device, said first set of images on the graphical user interface;
• (vii) identifying and retrieving a second set of images in which the athlete number may have been obscured, unrecognized, or missing in the image by querying the database
• (viii) analyzing, via a computing device, said second set of images and filtering images within said second set which have a partial match or permutation to the athletic number query to produce a subset of images, sorting and categorizing by those images most similar to a high confidence match of the athletic number query as well as color and hue values;
• and
• (ix) presenting, via a computing device, said subset of the second set of images alongside said first set of images on the graphical user interface.