Photography Forum Rules

This page outlines the rules that are to be followed in the Photography Forum.

The Groundrules

Updated 07/07/2005

The intention of these groundrules is to maintain this forum as a valuable resource for all OCAU photographers. We don't wish to discourage anyone from posting photos or discussion, but there are expectations for behaviour and content posted here, which these rules hopefully address.

Everyone should feel confident in being able to post their photos for comment/help/suggestions - this is how we all learn. Above all, this should be an enjoyable forum to be a part of!

Code of Conduct

I will provide a positive contribution to the Photography forum.
I will not attack, troll, or slander a person, nor will I be offensive or make derogatory comments about models.
I will respect that every member of this forum has the right to share their opinion and I will treat others with respect and courtesy, as I would also like to be treated with the same respect and courtesy.
I don't have to comment on a photo if I don't like it. If I do, I will not attack the poster, nor make offensive or derogatory comments, but will respectfully state my opinion.
I will not attempt to troll, nor actively spam these forums.
I will search the forums before posting another 'what tripod to buy', or 'what DSLR is for me' thread, or other similar threads.
The moderators decision/s are final.
I will respect the copyright of other members and will not reproduce the photo under any circumstances unless I have their express permission.
Most importantly, I will have fun!

Critiquing Photo's

What do you like about the image? What draws you in or makes the image interesting to you? Saying what worked in an image is just as important as saying what didn't work - it gives the photographer a chance to identify what techniques work for the future.
What parts of the image do you not like? Be specific - a response like "thats a shit photo" is not constructive, just insulting. If someone had said it to you, would you be impressed?
If you were there taking the photo, what would you do instead? Of course, not everyone can answer this, so don't feel too proud to say "I'm not sure what I would do". Humility stops people becoming defensive and stops threads becoming flame wars. Remember that the photographer has asked for critique, not off the cuff remarks. Being vague is not always helpful.

Remember that you are critiquing an artwork that someone has spent time and energy (and possibly some money) on. When offering your opinion, bare in mind that, even if you are only speaking of the image, people can still take your words personally. Nobody is forcing you to like an image - you can say that you don't, but be prepared to say why as well as offer some comments on how the photograph could be improved.

Brand vs Brand

Manufacturer discussion is healthy, as long as it's objective and doesn't turn into a slagging match. It's fine to discuss the merits of different technology - but discuss with fact, not baseless ranting. Everyone has a favorite, but don't try to force your opinion onto others.

Nudes

Nudes/fine art photography/figure study are valid forms of photography, and it's OK to discuss photos of nudes in this forum, as long as:

they're linked, not embedded in a thread (i.e., use [URL] tags instead of [IMG] tags)
there's a warning in the thread title that it's not work safe
they're not pornographic

The photos must be linked for their artistic merit, not simply because they're naked people. This is a fine line, and it's hoped that we can all show some common sense and maturity - there's no restriction on the age of forum members here, so assume that children will view anything you post. If you think it's borderline, don't post it.

Models

There will often be threads in this forum containing photos of models. Please keep the discussion related to the photography, not whether you think the model is hot or not. Don't be immature or derogatory.

Selling photographic equipment

We now have a Marketplace subforum for all your buying and selling of photographic equipment. Click here to visit it.

Quoting images

If you want to quote someone, remove any [IMG] tags from the quote, so any photos in the quote are linked, rather than embedded.

Copyright

All images posted in this forum are copyright to the author unless otherwise stated. It's your responsibility to ensure that any images you post don't infringe copyright. This means that you need to have copyright of the image yourself, or you must have permission from the copyright holder.

Please also be aware that there is a zero tolerance policy against silly, attention seeking, immature, abusive and insulting comments in this forum.

Administrators

f@rmboy, sir_bazz, mpot, Gibbon