Official Rules and Guidelines

Submission and Technical Standards

All photographs submitted to the Online Photo Club for competition must strictly adhere to our technical standards to ensure fairness and gallery quality. We accept images only in the popular **.jpg**, **.png**, and **.webp** formats. Submissions in RAW or TIFF format will be automatically rejected. Furthermore, the file size of any single submission must not exceed **5MB**, and the minimum resolution required is 1920 pixels on the longest edge; images smaller than this may be automatically disqualified as they do not display well in the voting gallery. Each member is permitted to submit a maximum of three photographs per monthly contest theme, though only one photo may be chosen as a finalist for voting. Submissions must be entirely the work of the entrant, and while minor post-processing adjustments such as cropping, color correction, and levels adjustments are permitted, composite images or those using extensive generative AI tools are generally disallowed unless the contest theme explicitly permits it. Please verify that your chosen category aligns with your photograph's subject matter before submission to avoid reclassification.

Ethical conduct and the spirit of fair play are paramount to maintaining the integrity of our club. All photographs must be captured by the member who submits them; submitting another person's work is grounds for immediate and permanent removal from the club. For submissions involving identifiable people, especially in street or portrait photography, the entrant is responsible for obtaining any necessary model releases, although these do not need to be submitted to us unless specifically requested. We prohibit the submission of any content that is deemed harmful, defamatory, or violates community standards regarding decency and respect. This includes, but is not limited to, images depicting illegal activities or extreme violence. Finally, all images must be correctly titled and include accurate, descriptive metadata within the submission form, as this information is used to properly credit the photographer and categorize the entry. By submitting your work, you grant the Online Photo Club a non-exclusive license to display the image for judging, voting, and archive purposes in our Past Winners Gallery.

Specific Rules for Themed Contests

Our monthly contests follow specific thematic guidelines, which are detailed on the Categories page. It is the entrant's responsibility to ensure their submitted image aligns with the current month's theme. Failure to follow the theme will result in disqualification. Themes can range from broad concepts like "Urban Geometry" or "Abstract Nature" to more focused topics. Keep an eye on the official contest announcement section for details on deadlines and upcoming themes. The judging process involves two phases: an initial screening by administrators to ensure technical compliance, followed by the community-wide public voting process on the Voting Page. The photograph with the highest number of community votes at the end of the voting period is declared the winner for that category.