Forum photo posting guidelines

[Matt Ottosen]

Can't you make this a sticky

Done!

[Dave S.]

Bumping this back to the front burner.  Also, I've copied and pasted Joe's first post - the one with the pertinent suggestions regarding the posting of pictures.

Being that AzAP is as much about the craft of photography and the development of our skills as photographers as it is about our shared passion for aviation, members should ensure that the images they post to the forums meet the basic criteria of a good photo prior to posting.  Since AzAP admins and moderators WILL NOT screen photos, it is the responsibility of members to "screen" their own photos prior to posting.  Here are a few questions (really basic, elementary stuff for veteran shooters, but worth listing for those of us who are newer to it) that one should ask prior to posting a photo to the forums:

    * Is the image too grainy, fuzzy, or blurry?
    * Is it oversharpened (jagged edges where straight lines should be)?
    * If the horizon or any vertical structures are in the photo, are they properly leveled?
    * Is the subject properly framed?
    * If it is a color image, are the colors an accurate representation of what was seen?  (Avoid over-saturation and false-color images unless it serves an obvious artistic purpose).
    * Is the image too bright or too dark?  (Keep in mind that blown-out whites, where no details can be made out, are typically not something that can be sufficiently corrected.  T-45s are notorious for this).
    * Is the image free from dust spots and scratches?
    * If it is a photo of a propeller-driven or rotary-winged aircraft in flight or under power, is there sufficient blurring of the moving parts to indicate movement?
    * Does the subject fill a good proportion of the image?  (If the aircraft takes up less than 1/4th of the frame, you might want to think twice about posting it).
    * Is the image relatively free of clutter, such as fences, ground equipment, people, vehicles, etc.?
    * Lastly, is the aircraft the main subject of the photo?  While a photo of a bikini-clad woman riding a grizzly bear and throwing a javelin at a robotic penguin with a 747 landing way off in the distance would certainly be a captivating image, it would not be appropriate for the forums since the 747 would not be the primary subject.  However, if you were to catch a 747 landing with a bikini-clad woman riding a grizzly bear and throwing a javelin at a robotic penguin in the background, please, for the love of all that is good and holy, POST IT!


If, after asking all of those questions, you feel that the image would make a valuable addition to the forums, please post it to the appropriate thread.  And keep in mind that we are only talking about GOOD photos here - not outstanding, amazing, mind-blowing, 100% publication-quality photos – just good photos that meet the basic standards outlined in the questions above. 

Beyond that, try to refrain from posting several shots of the same aircraft taken on the same day in the same series.  For instance, if a 747 lands at Willie, don't post eight or nine shots of it on approach, touching down, deploying thrust reversers, rolling out, taxiing by, and parking on the cargo ramp.  Pick one or two of the best photos from that series and post them, even if the entire series is publication-quality.  The logic here is that since a lot of us shoot together, we're not all flooding the threads with identical images of the same aircraft at the point in space at the same time. 

[Jay Beckman]

Tacking this on to the last thought in the post above...

We have the luxury of having threads for specific events, different airports and lots of different specific aircraft.  If you feel the aircraft specific thread is getting too busy, consider posting in the thread for the airport.  If there were multiple AzAP-ers there (like there were for FiFi's entire stay) consider starting a thread in the Photocall, Outing section.  Personally, I think the FiFi visit qualifies as an event all on its own.

I'd drop a note to Matt, Joe or Dave stating that you started a new thread and why.  If they agree, you've expanded the photo gene pool.  If they don't, they'll move it.

[Dave S.]

Hindsight being 20/20, I agree - Fifi's visit probably warranted a thread all its own.  Next time, we'll know better

[Hankmann]

I swear I posted this question here last night, maybe the lack of sleep is getting to me.

I have some photos from EDW AFB I would like to share, but noticed the EDW thread in the Bases section is dedicated rather than an open thread for EDW.

Was wondering if I can walk on the thread or if a general EDW thread can be created.

Thanks.

[Paul Dumm]

What the differants from a dedicated and open thread?

[Matt Ottosen]

I swear I posted this question here last night, maybe the lack of sleep is getting to me.

I have some photos from EDW AFB I would like to share, but noticed the EDW thread in the Bases section is dedicated rather than an open thread for EDW.

Was wondering if I can walk on the thread or if a general EDW thread can be created.

Thanks.

The thread isn't dedicated to anything specific, feel free to post your pics in the existing thread.

[Hankmann]

Great, thank you 

[trmphoto]

Bumping this back to the front burner.  Also, I've copied and pasted Joe's first post - the one with the pertinent suggestions regarding the posting of pictures.

Being that AzAP is as much about the craft of photography and the development of our skills as photographers as it is about our shared passion for aviation, members should ensure that the images they post to the forums meet the basic criteria of a good photo prior to posting.  Since AzAP admins and moderators WILL NOT screen photos, it is the responsibility of members to "screen" their own photos prior to posting.  Here are a few questions (really basic, elementary stuff for veteran shooters, but worth listing for those of us who are newer to it) that one should ask prior to posting a photo to the forums:

    * Is the image too grainy, fuzzy, or blurry?
    * Is it oversharpened (jagged edges where straight lines should be)?
    * If the horizon or any vertical structures are in the photo, are they properly leveled?
    * Is the subject properly framed?
    * If it is a color image, are the colors an accurate representation of what was seen?  (Avoid over-saturation and false-color images unless it serves an obvious artistic purpose).
    * Is the image too bright or too dark?  (Keep in mind that blown-out whites, where no details can be made out, are typically not something that can be sufficiently corrected.  T-45s are notorious for this).
    * Is the image free from dust spots and scratches?
    * If it is a photo of a propeller-driven or rotary-winged aircraft in flight or under power, is there sufficient blurring of the moving parts to indicate movement?
    * Does the subject fill a good proportion of the image?  (If the aircraft takes up less than 1/4th of the frame, you might want to think twice about posting it).
    * Is the image relatively free of clutter, such as fences, ground equipment, people, vehicles, etc.?
    * Lastly, is the aircraft the main subject of the photo?  While a photo of a bikini-clad woman riding a grizzly bear and throwing a javelin at a robotic penguin with a 747 landing way off in the distance would certainly be a captivating image, it would not be appropriate for the forums since the 747 would not be the primary subject.  However, if you were to catch a 747 landing with a bikini-clad woman riding a grizzly bear and throwing a javelin at a robotic penguin in the background, please, for the love of all that is good and holy, POST IT!


If, after asking all of those questions, you feel that the image would make a valuable addition to the forums, please post it to the appropriate thread.  And keep in mind that we are only talking about GOOD photos here - not outstanding, amazing, mind-blowing, 100% publication-quality photos – just good photos that meet the basic standards outlined in the questions above. 

Beyond that, try to refrain from posting several shots of the same aircraft taken on the same day in the same series.  For instance, if a 747 lands at Willie, don't post eight or nine shots of it on approach, touching down, deploying thrust reversers, rolling out, taxiing by, and parking on the cargo ramp.  Pick one or two of the best photos from that series and post them, even if the entire series is publication-quality.  The logic here is that since a lot of us shoot together, we're not all flooding the threads with identical images of the same aircraft at the point in space at the same time. 

I wanted to bump this thread since the last comment was made back in November of last year (I found these guidelines very helpful), but I also wanted to ask a question.  Is it acceptable to post photos that were taken a few years ago or should we stay with only posting photos that were recently taken?  Occasionally I come across an older image that may be a few years old (or older) that I feel meet the posting criteria and I would like to share.

[Joe Copalman]

Older photos are 100% alright.  And thanks for the bump.   

[Joe Copalman]

Bumpity-bump bump bump.

[Paul Dumm]

OK Peter-cotton-tail. 

[ENG395]

Any preferred image sizing and resolution to keep servers, forum heads and webmasters happy?

Also to keep right-click copy and paste bandits from making off with somebody's image...

Robert