NPN Posting Guidelines
Updated 12 April 2008
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Important Copyright Notice! All content, including photography and text on this site is copyright the respective photographers/authors. Any use or reproduction of the content without the written permission of the photographer and/or author is strictly forbidden. Please read our Terms of Use before using this site.
Attention photographers! Advice on protecting your work.
Note - You must register to post photos, topics and comments in these galleries and forums. Select "Log In" in the green bar and then the "register" button to do so.
Rules of Conduct
NPN is strictly dedicated to the art and technique of nature photography and all conversation should pertain directly to it. While on-topic spirited debate is welcome, please keep all conversation congenial, professional and non-combative. Discussion of religion, politics/political activism or any other controversial subject that has little or nothing to do with ther art and technique of nature photography is subject to deletion without notice. If you have any issues or concerns with any aspect of forum activity, please contact the forum moderator(s) using their email contacts at the top of the forum page. You may also contact NPN administration directly at editor@naturephotographers.net.
We suggest that you review the basic rules of Netiquette for additional information on effectively communicating with others over the Internet.
The use of these forums for unauthorized commercial promotion or advertisement is strictly forbidden!
It is also suggested that all nature photographers review the Nature Photographers Code of Conduct and make it a practice to observe the suggested guidelines when in the field.
Role of Moderators
The primary role of moderators is to oversee forum activity to ensure smooth operation. They enforce the NPN Posting Guidelines and answer member questions on the use of the forums. Though they often post comments on member photos, they are not required to provide expert critique on every photo posted.
We invite you to post your comments on photos! Even if you do not feel "qualified" to critique an image, telling the photographer what it is that you like (or dislike) about an image in your own words is helpful and an important part of the image critique process! Learn more about The Art of Image Critique.
We recommend that you contact other image critique gallery participants using their email link to request comments on your photos.
NPN Staff Suggestion - For every photo you post, comment on at least five!
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How to Post Photos
We invite all nature photographers to post their work in our image critique galleries! No membership or fee is required to do so.
Photos can be posted in the NPN image critique galleries by linking to a photo on another website or by uploading a photo direct from your computer's hard drive to the NPN server.
To link to a photo on another website (such as a personal website or hosting service), enter the URL of the photo (not the page) in the "Enter URL address of .jpg photo" field on the Post a Photo screen.
NPN members may use our image hosting service and upload photos direct from their computer's hard drive. Once you become a member, the "browse" button will be activated on the Post a Photo screen for you to locate the file on your computer and upload it directly to our server.
All photos posted in the NPN photo critique galleries are automatically deleted after 35 days, with the exception of the Editor's Picks gallery.
The NPN Image Critique Galleries
There are 9 photo galleries to choose from. Please review the following gallery theme descriptions and place your image in the appropriate gallery. Additionally, all images must conform to the Image Posting Guidelines below -
- Avian Gallery - All images with birds as the main subject. Images of captive birds must be stated as such.
- Earth, Sea and Sky Gallery - Landscapes, seascapes and celestial images with no recognizable "hand of man."
- Fauna Gallery - Wildlife other than birds. Images of captive animals must be stated as such. Images that include domesticated animals should be posted in the Man & Nature Gallery.
- Flora Gallery - Plants and flowers. Staged, set-up, or studio shots must be stated as such.
- Macro/Close-up Gallery - Macro and close-up images of nature. Generally, the actual physical size of the area depicted by the image should be about 4-inches across or less.
- Man & Nature Gallery - Landscapes, seascapes, or rural scenes that contain limited evidence of hand-of-man (HOM) such as a path, fence, crops, domesticated animals or people within an overall nature theme.
- Photo Art and Series - Digitally manipulated or multiple exposure images that are intended as obvious artistic renditions of nature. Also a series of photos taken in succession - example.
- Weekly Challenge Gallery - Images for the Weekly Challenge.
- Off Topic Photo - A gallery for NPN members to display their non-nature photography. "G-rated" photos only!
Photo Posting Guidelines
- The person posting the image must hold the copyrights to the image. The posting of pirated material is strictly prohibited!
- Images must be of wildlife or nature for all galleries except the Off Topic Photo member-only gallery. Whenever possible, identify the subject using either the common name (ie, white-tailed deer) and optionally, the scientific name (Odocoileus virginianus).
- Select the single most appropriate gallery for your image. Do not post the same image in multiple galleries.
- We recommend that a descriptive title be used - whenever possible, include the common name of the species that is the subject of the photo.
- If the image is from a game farm, zoo or any other controlled (non-wild) situation, you must state so in your post!
- If the image has been digitally altered beyond simple adjustments to color, contrast and sharpening, etc., please state so in your post!
- Image size must be limited to 720 pixels on its longest side, including any borders or "frames" applied to the photo.
- Maximum file size for images hosted by NPN is 200KB (sRGB JPEG files recommended). The 200KB limit does not apply for posts that link to images on other servers. However, bear in mind that larger files will take longer to load, particularly for those on dial-up connections.
- The posting limit is one image every 48 hours per gallery for Nature Photographers Network members; one image per week (per gallery) for non-members.
- NPN members may post photos in replies as per the following strictly enforced guidelines;
- The posting of any other photo as part of a critique or comment is prohibited
- A member may repost their original photo, with adjustments per viewer comments, in a reply in their own thread
- Any member may post a non-photo illustration or photo editing software screenshot (JPEGs only) as part of their critique
- All photos must comply with the sizing guidelines listed above
- Photos may be posted in replies without regard to the 48 hour limit
- NPN administration and gallery/forum moderators reserve the right to delete any reply that includes a photo (Note - NPN regional group forums set their own guidelines for the posting of photos in replies)
If you wish to rework a fellow member's photo, here is the procedure we suggest;
- Contact the member who posted the photo and ask them to email the photo to you. This will absolutely prove that the member voluntarily sent the photo to you, and that it was not copied without their permission.
- After you have reworked the photo, email it back to member who posted it with detailed notes on what you did to adjust the photo. They will then have the right to determine if they want the modified photo appearing as a repost.
- Do not delete a photo after comments have been posted. Please contact us at editor@naturephotographers.net for authorization to delete a thread.
Photo Posting Tips
The process of photo critique is a two-way street. It all starts with you, the person posting the photo.
In order to get the most out of this process, providing information about your photo is crucial. For every photo you post, consider including the following information;
- Tell us what the image is about, what it means to you, and what motivated you to make it.
- Equipment information. By telling us what kind of equipment was used we will have a better feel for what we can suggest. Try to include information about the camera and lens used, if a speedlight (flash) and/or tripod was used or any filters.
- Camera settings, including shutter speed, aperture setting and exposure compensation can also be useful to those offering their comments.
- Tell us where was the photo was taken. If it is a photo of a captive animal (zoo, game farm, etc.), be sure to include that information.
- Last but not least, be sure to ask for any specific feedback that you wish to receive on your photo!
A good example of how to post (and critique) a photo can be found here.
Additional reading - The Art of Image Critique.
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Important Notice - These forums and galleries are intended solely for the promotion of the art and technique of nature photography. The use of these forums for any other purpose is strictly forbidden. The NPN administration reserves the right to edit, delete or close any thread or post deemed inappropriate and/or outside the intended scope of this site.
All images appearing in these galleries are the property of the respective photographers. All images are protected by U.S. copyright laws and are not to be downloaded or reproduced in any way without the written permission of the photographer.
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