Hello everyone,



I am very happy to announce that an idea we've had in the back of our minds for a good while has finally been brought to life! Today we're officially unveiling the PentaxForums Exclusive Gallery, which is conceptually similar to Pentax's PPG. At first, we wanted this gallery to also appear fancy and have cool effects, but we found that other solutions wouldn't offer the level of integration that this one did. So, let's jump right in to what we're looking at here.

Our Exclusive Gallery will become a collection of only the best photos taken by our users. Only PentaxForums.com users will be able to submit to this gallery. We will also be imposing certain quality standards to make sure the photos are at their very best.

To submit a photo to the gallery, simply click the 'upload' link in the upper gallery toolbar, or click here. The submission form is the same as that in our other gallery categories, so you should already be familiar with the controls. The following will be required of each photo:

• JPEG format and compression at 90%-100% (9-12).
• A resolution of at least 1024x700 (WxH or HxW) pixels; preferably around 1500 or 2000px on one edge
  
• Full EXIF left intact in the file, if digital
• Manual addition of EXIF metadata, if film
  
• A photo description and complete camera/lens fields
• If you choose to place copyright text in your photo, please do so in the lower-right or lower-left corner only
• No added frames, borders, or drawings
  
• Taken with a Pentax camera (no exceptions)
• Limit 2 submissions per user day (to be fair to our judges)
  

If your photo conforms to these regulations, it will then be evaluated by the site staff. If the photo is good enough, it'll be approved into the gallery; if not, we'll simply move it to a regular category. You will be able to submit as many photos as you'd like until 10 have been approved in the gallery. This limit is currently going to be in place so that every photographer gets about equal exposure, but may increase in the future.

Why this is going to be better than the PPG:

• Not a slow flash-based gallery
• Large resolutions will be available for your viewing pleasure
  
• Comments can be made
• More great photos will be posted!
• Feedback on your photo will be e-mailed to you once a decision has been made
• The approval decision will be made within 1 week at most (apply to be a judge)
  
• Status tracking at https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/galleryapprove.php?do=status and updates on status via e-mail
• It's integrated with your favorite photo forum
  

And, best of all:

• If 5 or your photos get approved into the gallery, you will be invited to become an Exclusive Gallery judge

So, why wait? Upload your best now!

A note to newbies: the gallery is accessible through the 'photos' button in the navbar. Simply click it and then select 'User Photo Gallery' from the menu.

Enjoy, guys! I'm very excited to be bringing you this.

Photos accepted into the gallery will also be tagged as "exclusive" in gallery searches and listings, and within the exclusive category, supersized thumbnails will be shown!

[Adam]

What's USP? User-submitted photos?

Adam
PentaxForums.com Webmaster (Site Usage Guide | Site Help | My Photography)



PentaxForums.com server and development costs are user-supported. You can help cover these costs by donating or purchasing one of our Pentax eBooks. Or, buy your photo gear from our affiliates, Adorama, B&H Photo, KEH, or Topaz Labs, and get FREE Marketplace access - click here to see how! Trusted Pentax retailers:

[atupdate]

Originally posted by rustynail925
Why not decline the photos that has lower than 5star ratings.
Just to be exclusive

That's pretty much the criteria right now

There seems to be a ton of 3 stars in there now and even a few 2 stars. Not very exclusive in my eyes.

Tim

[rustynail925]

There are some 5 stars which were not accepted but there are 3 stars w/c were accepted.
Adam sorry for bringing this up. Just trying to help out for a better PEG.

[falconeye]

What's USP?

Unique Selling Point.

Something which would make the PEG unique. The PPG's USP is to be the best gallery of photos by Pentaxians.

I don't think PEG is meant to beat PPG on its own ground. It wouldn't make sense either as it would split our effort.

IMHO, PPG should stay the best gallery of photos by Pentaxians. That's their purpose and they are doing a good job.


As I see it, the most obvious possible USP for PEG would be to become the community showroom where all PF members showcase their "best of" work. It should be a lot easier to get into PEG and motivate more users to try. It may even be a reason to join PF after purchase of a Pentax to become part of this showroom. IMHO, any successful submission to PPG must be autoaccepted at PEG (up to the limit of 10 images/user).

So, IMHO, the PEG's USP could be to sit in between Flickr/PF User gallery and PPG. Broader and less selective than PPG, but still hand-selected by a jury.


I'll say that to try to be superior be being even more selective than PPG is an extremely obvious idea. But possibly not a very good one.

[rparmar]

There are some 5 stars which were not accepted but there are 3 stars w/c were accepted.
Adam sorry for bringing this up. Just trying to help out for a better PEG.

Nope, that would be horrific. Adam should keep putting in shots that he likes, judged by his own criteria. That at least means something. Five star photos mean nothing to me except the tyranny of the majority.

[builttospill]

...So, IMHO, the PEG's USP could be to sit in between Flickr/PF User gallery and PPG. Broader and less selective than PPG, but still hand-selected by a jury.

I'll say that to try to be superior be being even more selective than PPG is an extremely obvious idea. But possibly not a very good one.

While your idea is also a good one and has its merits, I don't see the point except maybe to make average photographers feel good about their photos. It's not any different from their mom telling them they are the best photographer.

In my opinion the PEG needs to be strict. That's what makes it shine and motivates photographers to take better pictures, instead of complaining here about rejections. If the PEG were somewhere in between PPG and Flickr, etc. I wouldn't have submitted anything. I wouldn't browse the gallery either. The way it stands now is a place to showcase the best work of our forum members. By avoiding less than perfect images it draws viewers in and should make everyone want to take better pictures to get in this "exclusive" gallery.

[Adam]

I'm not selling anything here, so I won't be praising our gallery for things that it isn't, and won't be forcing the gallery upon users if they don't like it. Seems the majority does, however! The selling point is that it's integrated with the forum, which is a big plus for many.

And yes, our exclusive gallery is supposed to be more selective- consider it to be like PPG's premiere (should read 'premier') collection, with the photos with imperfections filtered out. We're not perfect, though, and mistakes might be made, but that's human nature.

I see that there is already a bit over overlap between the photos in PPG's premier collection, and in our PEG.

There's one fantastic photo in there named "Sundew", but Join from Finland. It's both in our PEG and in the PPG- but if you look closely, they're different. Which is better, and why? You guessed it- it should have been a vertical

Adam
PentaxForums.com Webmaster (Site Usage Guide | Site Help | My Photography)



PentaxForums.com server and development costs are user-supported. You can help cover these costs by donating or purchasing one of our Pentax eBooks. Or, buy your photo gear from our affiliates, Adorama, B&H Photo, KEH, or Topaz Labs, and get FREE Marketplace access - click here to see how! Trusted Pentax retailers:

[Class A]

By avoiding less than perfect images it draws viewers in and should make everyone want to take better pictures to get in this "exclusive" gallery.

Are you saying that all the images that are currently in the gallery are "perfect"? I don't want to single out any particular ones but I'd be surprised if you couldn't spot a couple where one would develop doubts as to whether they would make it into the PPG.

The way it stands now is a place to showcase the best work of our forum members.

No, its a place to show the images that some (unknown) staff with unknown photographic credentials chose to include.

Please consider:

While there are a high number of obviously excellent images there are also some that I'd call average at best. I hope, no I know, that these do not belong to the best this forum could produce.

We don't know what images are rejected and whether or not they are "better" than the ones already in the gallery. Whether an image is better than another is always a subjective judgement. There is no way one could appeal to a global notion of "best".

I'm pretty certain that there are many forum members that don't submit their work for one reason or the other (e.g., maybe they don't like to offer such high-resolution versions of their work, maybe they disagree with the selection process, etc.).

So all the above combined make it pretty obvious that the gallery is not showing the "best of the best of all forum members".

I'm fine with a gallery curated by Adam and staff but it shouldn't be confused with "the best work of forum members".

[falconeye]

And yes, our exclusive gallery is supposed to be more selective- consider it to be like PPG's premiere (should read 'premier') collection, with the photos with imperfections filtered out.

I appreciate this clear mission statement.

I think it was missing in the first place or is the result of an evolution while this thread existed.

Considering this mission: Why not making acceptance in the PPG a prerequisite then?

My question is serious really. I don't know why. But really I am no friend of all the duplicate, interchangeable work being done in this world.

[Ash]

Class A, you make a good point (+1 rep...)
There's no 'perfect' method to manage PEG just as there is no 'perfect' photo.

With one person judging entries, there's going to be a significant bias and personal agenda in the distinction of a PEG-worthy image. This, as far as it is from 'fair' and impartial, is OK - it is, after all, PF's gallery, which Adam runs... Now he could decide to have a board of judgers to agree or score entries for acceptance to make things more equal, but this is not necessary for what it is.

Accepting its imperfections the way it is will have to do, because there will always be a 'better' way to do things - and there is bound to be disagreement on those methods from forum members. This does mean the gallery is not necessarily 'the best of the best'.

[Adam]

I appreciate this clear mission statement.

I think it was missing in the first place or is the result of an evolution while this thread existed.

Considering this mission: Why not making acceptance in the PPG a prerequisite then?

My question is serious really. I don't know why. But really I am no friend of all the duplicate, interchangeable work being done in this world.

Sounds like a good idea at first, but man, that sure would even more time to the approval process and likely exclude out some otherwise-worthy photos. It's hard enough to throw all the current photos up for voting as-is...

[rparmar]

But really I am no friend of all the duplicate, interchangeable work being done in this world.

But that's what makes us human.

[falconeye]

Sounds like a good idea at first, but man, that sure would even more time to the approval process and likely exclude out some otherwise-worthy photos. It's hard enough to throw all the current photos up for voting as-is...

That's largely offset by the benefits.

I assume you haven't realized yet what it means if you alone try to duplicate the work of the entire PPG approval process and jury? Because one thing is for sure: you are going to see each and every (rejected) photo submitted to PPG!

At least, if PEG isn't a complete failure. Agreed, only those by PF members which is ... 90%?


You say you want to be more exclusive than PPG. So why deal with images already being rejected there? Agreed, some would be worth it. But the overwhelming majority of submissions was rejected for a reason...

[rparmar]

You say you want to be more exclusive than PPG. So why deal with images already being rejected there? Agreed, some would be worth it. But the overwhelming majority of submissions was rejected for a reason...

Why do people keep looking for objectivity where there is none? Maybe someone rejected a PPG photo because it wasn't their day, wasn't their interest, wasn't their style or simply didn't fit the criteria (too much PP).

[falconeye]

Why do people keep looking for objectivity where there is none?

There's no objectivity which is why it doesn't hurt too badly if a great photo rejected at PPG cannot make it into the PEG.

PEG is just starting off. People are still watching how things develop. But if PEG succeeds, with the current mission, then I see Adam sink in a flood of resubmitted PPG work.

So, I did my post to emphasize a real problem. BTW, Adam's reply was a clear indication that the work level caused by PEG is an issue already. But he's seen nothing but the tip of an iceberg yet.

All of this has nothing to do with looking for objectivity.