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  • Pushing new users away?

    Having been an avid airplane photographer for many years now, I was keen to move from my prior platform of Instagram onto JetPhotos.
    Over a couple of years I've achieved many likes on photos I've posted on the aforementioned social media network but when I decided to take several of them to JetPhotos, all were rejected for a variety of reasons including 'bad composition', 'too little/too much contrast' and the dreaded 'too soft'.
    I do not have Photoshop or Lightroom or any of the professional editing programs so I have no way of rectifying these issues. In the past, the unedited pictures I've taken have been enough for my followers and have allowed me to become an established Instagram presence, so the fact that I cannot get pictures onto your site since I lack these programs is surely a great shame especially since I am sure such photos are good enough, and I have the likes to prove it.
    The fact that you need to have these expensive programs to upload photos to this site means that any new users are unable to contribute photos which would be acceptable on any other site, and is forcing these new users elsewhere.
    Is there anyone else out there who agrees with me?

  • #2
    While it's true some editing is necessary, if you have a handle on your photography basics then it's hardly the most important part of the process. Unlike modern digital cameras, having the latest, greatest, or most expensive software will make little difference here. The program I use is 8 years old, and I see no need to update it anytime soon. There are plenty of free software options that would be more than adequate to edit an image for here, so using lack of software as an excuse, is well, just that - an excuse. As for the assertion that we are otherwise losing photographers because of the need for software a) anyone who shoots with anything other than their phone knows a little editing will be involved at some point (how many people do you know that own a decent camera do zero editing of their photos?), and b) the numbers simply don't back you up. Instead of there being a decrease in the number of photos being submitted over time, we are seeing more daily uploads than ever before.

    Unfortunately the process you are going through now is something most new uploaders go through when attempting their first uploads. The shock of being told no, actually your photos aren't (quite) good enough is not pleasant, certainly, but is to be expected any time you voluntarily submit your work to be judged on what are often subjective terms. Anyone who is truly passionate about it will take the advice given and try to learn from it and improve, while others will simply take offense at the perceived criticism, and give up. Hopefully you will fall into the former group, and if so, the Digital Photo Processing Forum is a good place to start if you honestly would like to learn. If your photos are 'good enough' as you claim, you probably only need a little nudge in the right direction to get them to point where they could be accepted. Please feel free to start a thread there so you can post some of your images, and we can let you know how much (or how little) work actually needs to be done!

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    • #3
      I staring taking photos last year Apr 2017. After 50 odd rejections I got my first photo uploaded in June 2017. Now I have 100+ , thanks to Dana and all the jetphotos crew whose guidance has helped me to understand how to improve on the rejection mistakes that I have made. it has made me a better photographer and editor. I used all free tools for editing. Nikon nx-d and gimp 2.0. Belive me perseverance pays off. You would learn thing like , clearing dust, adjusting contrast, sharpening your photos etc and above all feedback and constant learning from the jetphotos crew (A big thank you to them !!!) and the photo processing forum.

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      • #4
        I am sure such photos are good enough, and I have the likes to prove it

        Instagram pics are seen on a tiny phone screen, JP pictures are supposed to be seen on a large screen, that makes a whole world of difference.

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        • #5
          Also, there's a well known saying in the spotter community around here where I shoot:
          "Good enough for Instagram" or GEFIG for short ... basically when we go out to shoot and the light or weather is not that great but the plane is rare (to us) we still go out and shoot, knowing that it won't be uploaded to Jetphotos but GEFIG!
          Instagram (as a photographer that does much more than just spotting airplanes) is to me a "fun" tool to get some of my pictures out there, but it is riddled with people that are just looking for more "likes" and "followers" and they do anything to get more more more, follow to unfollow (FTU) or random posts and likes to get your attention, nothing else. Most of my photos on IG get about the same amount of likes, but a few stand out and get (a lot) more likes.
          Another thing to note is the style JP is looking for doesn't do that great on IG, and the style that does good on IG would most likely not get accepted here. I see IG as a place that benefits from "wow factor" pictures since people can see dozens or hundreds of pictures in a very short time frame, they only stop when they see something that catches their eye.
          On the other hand, I see JP as a database to show the airplane clearly, where I can see most general details of the aircraft as it looks today.
          I'd be curious to know your IG username, I'd give you a follow from my spotting account

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          • #6
            I also had at the beginning like all this. But after my first picture accepted it was a long time for the second and many rejected in the meantime.
            This was right because my English was very bad and I could not understand the guidelines.
            Today I have many photos (and many badges) thanks to some friends who made me understand the guidelines.
            You must insist and treasure the rejections. You'll see that soon your photos will be on the list.

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            • #7
              I have red with a high attention your post user Random. I also came from instagram, had established myself with a tiny account and had also likes. But those likes doesn't mean you are a good photographer, no offence to you as I have never seen a photo of you, I am just talking through my own experience. A day, I also decided to upload some to JP. All rejected, I went trough the same as you. So I decided to quit JP as I believed for a moment they only cared for the pictures and they don't get the point of the aviation hobby. I was really mad at them.
              In the past months, I managed to upload 68 pictures, and I don't have/use LR nor Photoshop. So it's possible! But, the big BUT comes now. I realised myself my pictures weren't good enough as the screeners and the community let me know previously. They were awful. Even now, I have some pictures online with ISO 400! That's insane. But instead of blaming the screeners, I tried to develop my photography skills (still learning). And now, I just 'try' to understand the picture, read the weather and adapt my camera settings trough. I still enjoy spotting as I did before but now I am even more satisfied as I know I am starting to produce more decent pictures. And I still don't use LR nor PS to be clear.
              LR nor PS won't always make your pictures better. When the settings aren't there and you take a bad shot, most of the time it stays bad. LR is more to adapt the histogram, change some errors etc. But a bad picture stays bad most of the time. It all starts with your settings; that's the point.
              The point is: instagram is all about likes. And it's not because you have a fair amount likes, your pictures are actually good. People like you because you liked them back or follow them back. Most of the time they don't even look properly at your pictures.
              And that's why I decided to come to JP, not only for uploading the pictures but also for enjoying them in a more effective way. More intense.
              I hope this was a useful read. What's your instagram?

              Kind regards

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              • #8
                Hey!
                Just like you, I started on IG and became a somewhat popular account. I uploaded my first photos at the end of last summer when I didn't know anything about photography and editing. I always just shot, and posted on IG without any editing. Obviously, my first bunch of photos were rejected, but like Dana said, the Digital Processing Forum is a great tool with many very talented photographers more than happy to help you! Without that forum, I definitely would not have the 78 photos that I have uploaded since last November.

                Good luck on your future uploads
                Ben
                Instagram: www.instagram.com/iadspotter

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                • #9
                  In addition to my fellow members of this website. I also started at zero. During the years I started to learn about editing and I'm still learning. Even started uploading to another website at first. But after feeling myself taken not that serious anymore on that site (received really weird rejects sometimes) left them and joined Jetphotos. My starts wasn't that great also (stil having bad flows sometimes.). But with more learning of good settings, good conditions when you go out for shooting and enough advices also into forum from crew and fellow members. I'm proud to have more than 200 photos getting accepted in less than a year. If it depends to me, A lot more to come. Feeling at home here.

                  Feel free to ask in the forum. You will get help with improving.

                  Good luck with everything.

                  Best Regards.

                  Wilko

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                  • #10
                    I started in July 2017 and still only have 5 photos in the database, I use a Canon 7D! The point im making is it's nothing to do with having 'flashy equipment' or 'pro software', a lot of it is skill and determination! Im not embaressed to say that im still learning and still not up to scratch after this long however since the start of 2018, 3 of those 5 photos have been accepted. Keep grinding, and learning and you will get there just like I hopefully will.

                    Oh yeah and the rejections didn't 'push me away', I'm more motivated than ever.

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                    • #11
                      Regarding equipment and software: I have even photos uploaded here taken with a point and shoot camera and I have photos edited with Apple Photos, the free and simple photo editing software, which comes with every mac.
                      My photos on Flickr www.flickr.com/photos/geridominguez

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                      • #12
                        Regarding learning. I’m 68 years old. I started photography at around age 12with a Box Brownie shooting 127 film and moved up to a cheap Russian twin lens reflex shooting 2.25 inch square format. Built my own dark room, joined a camera club and just learned through the years. Moved onto the digital age through a Kodak 5mpx and now shoot with a pair of Nikon D7000’s. Throughout all this I sucked up as much information as I could.
                        Last month I changed from my Photoshop CS3 and went to Photoshop CC which costs me £10 per month to use. Guess what ? .....Yes.....so starts another learning curve. So, there you go. A Jetphotos senior admin who has over 6,500 images in the the database and is quite happy to admit that he’s still learning.
                        If it 'ain't broken........ Don't try to mend it !

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