Usefilm.com Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
General Information
- (1.1) What is Usefilm?
(1.2) Who can become a member?
(1.3) What does it cost to become a member? - (1.4) What are donor benefits?
(1.5) What images can be uploaded here?
(1.6) Who owns the images?
Photo Critique
- (2.1) How can I view and comment on images?
(2.2) What are Photo Projects?
(2.3) What are Photo Categories?
(2.4) Commenting on images
(2.5) I don't feel I have enough experience to critique other people's images
(2.6) Where does my comment appear?
(2.7) Adding attachments to comments
(2.8) Replying to comments
(2.9) Language
(2.10) Rating images
(2.11) What if I don't want to receive ratings?
(2.12) Rating comments
(2.13) Usefilm etiquette
(2.14) What are the awards on the main page?
Photo Forums
- (3.1) Using the Photo Forums
(3.2) Searching the Forums
(3.3) Suggestions - special forum
(3.4) Donor Only Forum
My Usefilm
- (4.1) Managing photos
(4.2) Setting user preferences
(4.3) What is the Friends list?
(4.4) What are the numbers by my name?
(4.5) What are Favourite images?
(4.6) Comments to/from me, My forum messages
(4.7) Uploading images
(4.8) In what format can I upload photos?
(4.9) What information has to be filled in?
(4.10) Why do I have to provide so much information about my photos?
(4.11) Why is my photo removed?
Contact Information
Adult Section
- (6.1) Why is there an Adult section on
Usefilm?
(6.2) What photos qualify for the Nude Male or Nude Female category?
(6.3) Why can't I view any Nude Male or Nude Female photos?
(6.4) Why are my Nude photos removed?
General Questions
1.1) What is Usefilm?
Usefilm is an international online community of photographers designed to help members improve their photographic skills by uploading their work and receiving feedback, participating in projects, viewing and critiquing other people’s images, and discussing any and all photography-related issues in the forums.
1.2) Who can become a member?
Anyone with an interest in photography can become a member of Usefilm. Amateurs and professionals, beginners and advanced photographers, film and digital users are all welcome here.
1.3) What does it cost to become a member?
Membership at Usefilm is free of charge. Members with free accounts have access to most functionalities of the site. Some of Usefilm's functionalities are only available to Donors.
Naturally running a site like this is expensive, therefore if you enjoy your presence here, you are encouraged to help by becoming a donor. A list of donor benefits and information on how you can donate can be found here.1.4) What are the Donor benefits?
The donor benefits can be found on the main page, by clicking on the Donation link
1.5) What images can be uploaded here?
Images of all kinds of subjects can be uploaded to Usefilm, as long as the copyrights are owned by the photographer who uploaded the photo or with prior consent of the copyright owner. However, to make sure that others’ viewing experience is not compromised, several restrictions apply:
- Images containing nudity must always be uploaded to either the Nude Female or the Nude Male category (see also in the Adult section for more information)
- Images that have been obtained illegally
- Images that may be considered offensive (racist, etc.)
1.6) Who owns the images?
The copyrights of each photograph remain with the photographer. You
may not remove or use images on this site without the expressed written
consent of the photographer. Photographers however are required to
grant Usefilm.com the right to reproduce the work to display and
promote Usefilm.com in any manner necessary. (This grants Usefilm.com
the right to display your work on this website.)
Photo Critique
2.1) How can I view and comment on images?
In the Photo Critique section, you can browse recent photos, search for photos according to various criteria, and read recent comments.
You can view any photo full size by clicking on the thumbnail. Once the photo loads, you can also write a critique, respond to previous comments, attach an image and/or leave a rating.2.2) What are Photo Projects?
Usefilm's Photo Projects are tasks designed to challenge and motivate members to try out new techniques, photograph new subjects, and look at the world in new ways. The projects are voluntary, and can be completed in any order and at any time (the only exception are contest projects which have a fixed deadline for submissions).
Please note that the point of the projects is to go out and do them, not to search for older photographs that fit into the project. A project is considered successful whenever you learn something new in the course of doing it.
If you need inspiration or need to know what a specific project is about, you can click on the “Photo Projects” tab in the Photo Critique section.2.3) What are Photo Categories?
Categories can be regarded as the keywords that best describe your photo. You can assign up to three categories to your photo, and a minimum of one is required. When you upload or edit a photo, you can select or change the categories in the pull-down menu. If you would like to know what a specific category is about, you can click on the “Photo Categories” tab in the Photo Critique section. There, you can look at and draw inspiration from photos that have previously been uploaded to a specific category.
2.4) Commenting on images
Just like uploading photos, commenting on images is a vital part of
Usefilm. It gives you the opportunity to express your opinion about a
photo. Writing constructive comments on other photographers’ work not
only helps them to improve their work, but also gives you the
opportunity to consciously address the quality of a photo, which will
also help to improve your own work.
Abusive or offensive language is automatically filtered, and your comment will not appear.
2.5) I don't feel I have enough experience to critique other people's images
Everyone is encouraged to write comments. Regardless of your level of experience, your opinion is welcome and desired. If you don’t have a lot of knowledge to address technical issues, you can always mention the things you like and/or dislike in a photograph. You are also encouraged to ask the photographer questions and discuss any aspect of the photo as well as the techniques involved in its creation.
2.6) Where does my comment appear?
After pressing the “Add comment and/or rating” button, your comment will immediately be displayed at the end of the list under the image along with your name. If your comment is rather long, you might also find the comment listed in the “Recent comments” section.
2.7) Adding attachments to comments
You can also add an attachment with a caption to your comment. This function allows you to illustrate your point in a comment more clearly by attaching an altered version of the original photo. (You can also attach sketches, lighting diagrams, or other photos in which the subject matter discussed in the comment is illustrated.) Such an attachment should not exceed 500 x 500 pixels and be no larger than 120 Kb in size. Attaching a photo without leaving a comment is not possible.
The attachment function is not intended to promote your own photos. In case of misuse, the site administrators have the right to remove your comment and attachment.
2.8) Replying to comments
By clicking on the “Reply to …” link next to the name of the person
who has left a comment on a photo, you can reply to that person. The
purpose of this option is to enable members to ask and answer questions
and respond to other peoples’ comments. Once you have submitted a
reply, both the photographer and the original commenter will be
notified of your reply by email. The reply will also be shown
underneath the image.
You can also click the “Preview” button, next to the “Add comment and/or rating” button. With this option, you can read trough your comment before submitting it. If there’s an error while uploading, for example if the size of the file you are trying to attach exceeds the maximum allowed file size, you will automatically be redirected to the preview page, so you can correct the problem.
2.9) Language
Just above the comment area, there is a pull-down menu in which you can select the language of your comment. The default value is the language you specified in the ”My Usefilm” option page. If this language is any other than English, a “Translate” button will appear with your comment, enabling you to type your comment in your mother tongue, and allowing the reader to see a translated version of your comment when clicking on the “Translate” button.
2.10) Rating images
When you leave a comment on a photo, you can also express your
overall opinion of that photo by selecting one of the radio buttons,
ranging from 1 (average) to 7 (excellent). The rating should reflect
your comment. In order to prevent misuse and make sure the rating is
done fairly, you cannot rate a photo with a 7 or a 1 without leaving a
comment. In any case, leaving a comment every time you rate an image is
strongly recommended. If a photo has received three or more ratings,
the average rating and the total number of ratings is shown. If a photo
has received fewer than three ratings, no average is shown.
Ratings are cast anonymously, but we monitor any abuse of the system
and accounts will be banned for attempting to harm other users.
2.11) What if I don't want to receive ratings?
Members who don’t want to receive ratings can turn them off in the
image upload / edit screen. At the bottom of the page there is an
‘Allow ratings’ checkbox. Unchecking this checkbox will disable
ratings on the image. The caption under the photo in the “Recent
Upload” page will show a Comments Only or CO notification.
2.12) Rating comments
If you think a particular comment is very helpful or well written,
you can rate this comment as “Excellent”. Site administrators are
notified of Excellent comments, and a selection of these are then
featured on the Home page.
Similarly, if you find a comment offensive, spam or otherwise inappropriate, you can click the “Abuse” link next to the name of the commenter. Site administrators will then take appropriate action.
If you accidentally clicked either “Excellent” or “Abuse” you can correct that by clicking “Average”.2.13) Usefilm etiquette
Usefilm is an international online community where people from many nationalities and cultures are active. In order to prevent misunderstandings, a few guidelines need to be taken into account:
- Remember that Usefilm is an international, multi-cultural community
- Be clear in your comments. The use of slang may not be understood by everybody
- Be polite
- If you like a specific photo, do say so, but also include why you like that photo
- If you don't like a specific photo, do say so, but also include why you don't like that photo
- Don't be an idiot. Follow your common sense!
- No Spamming Allowed
- No Soliciting our Members to buy whatever it is your are
selling.
2.14) What are the awards on the main page?
- Featured critique: The person who has left the most useful and constructive comment on a photo in the last 24 hours. The photo on which the featured critique has commented is shown next to the comment. Two rotating photos of the commenter are shown below the featured critique.
- Photo of the Day: The photo of the day is the best entry of the previous few days. The Usefilm administrators award this nomination with the aid of the user rating database..
- Photographer of the Day: Any photographer who displays a consistent high quality of work on Usefilm may be selected to be the Photographer of the Day. The photo that is shown on the main page on Usefilm is thought to be representative of the photographer's portfolio.
- Featured Donor: this award is selected randomly amongst the donors of Usefilm. If you want to be eligible for this title, you must become a donor.
- Editor’s Choice: This particular photo was selected by the
Editor of Usefilm to help showcase a wide range of diverse work which
he found to be outstanding.
- Staff Choice: This award is chosen on a daily basis by the Staff of Usefilm.
- Best In Project. If one of your photos have been awarded a "BIP" it means that your photo qualifies as one of the best photos entered in a specific photo project. Note that there can be several Best In Project awards in any photo project.
Which photos are awarded is up to the Usefilm staff and administrators. In order to let them do their work, their names will not be disclosed.
Photo Forums
3.1) Using the Photo Forums
Whenever you have a photography related problem you need help with, Usefilm’s forums are the place to go. The Photo Forums section contains a number of forums, each of which covers a specific area of photography.
To start a new thread with your question, select the appropriate forum that fits your problem and click ‘Ask a new question’ in the menu bar. You will then be able to type in your question. Note that you will also be required to select a sub forum to which the question will be posted. This will allow other users to quickly find threads related to a specific topic.3.2) Searching the Forums
Usefilm’s forums have been around for quite a long time and contain a wealth of information. Chances are that questions similar to yours have already been asked and answered in the past. The Search functionality (the textbox and button near the upper right corner of the screen) will allow you to search the forums for threads containing the keywords you specify. Once the search is carried out, you will be offered a list of relevant threads and posts, with the keywords highlighted to allow you to easily browse through the search results.
Even though members are encouraged to use the search functionality, they are always welcome to ask questions by starting a new thread.
When you click on the “Photo Forums” tab, you’ll notice the “Overview” link on top of the list. Clicking on this link will bring you directly to the most recent threads.3.3) Suggestions - special forum
Members are encouraged to regularly visit the Suggestions forum, which has several special functions. In this forum, you can
- read messages from Usefilm’s administrators
- offer feedback about the site and suggest improvements
- report bugs and errors
- address questions to the administrators.
3.4) Donor Only Forum
One of the privileges of becoming a donor is that you have access to the Donor Only Forum. In this section, you can help decide on the future features of Usefilm and recommend photographers for specific awards.
My Usefilm
4.1) Managing photos
There are three basic image management screens. The first one is ‘My Portfolio / My Photos’ Here you can categorize your images into custom-created portfolios (each image can be assigned to a maximum of three portfolios), edit image information (‘Edit’), or delete images from your Usefilm portfolio (‘Remove from site’ - please note that images cannot be undeleted).
The second screen is ‘My Public Profile’. This screen shows how your Usefilm profile appears to other users. Apart from your photographs, your biography and picture (if you have uploaded one) are also shown here.
Finally, you can access image statistics through the ‘Image Summary’ link. This will give you a tabulated list of all your images along with the corresponding number of views, comments, ratings, etc. You can sort the list by a number of criteria to see how well your images are doing.4.2) Setting user preferences
In this section you can set a number of preferences to optimize your viewing experience. You can enable and disable comment and forum notification e-mails, set the number of images and comments displayed per page, and choose between text and HTML e-mail message format.
You can also choose whether you wish to view nude images. In the ‘Show adult images’ menu, select ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ according to your preference.4.3) What is the Friends list?
The Friends list allows you to have easy access to photographs and comments from people whose work you admire or whose critiques you enjoy reading. When viewing somebody’s photo or portfolio, you will see an ‘Add to friends list’ link next to their name. When you add somebody to your Friends list, you will be able to quickly view their recent photographs (‘Recent images by friends’ link in the left panel) and read their comments (‘Comments by friends’).
Non-donors are allowed to add three people to their Friends list. Donors can have an unlimited number of Friends.
For a list of members who are on your Friends list and who added you to their Friends list, click ‘My Friends’ on your My Usefilm page. On the "My Friends" page you can remove friends from your list, and add others that have you on their "My friends" list.4.4) What are the numbers by my name?
Next to each member’s name there are two numbers. Karma (K) is a measure of each user’s site activity. Leaving helpful comments, answering forum questions, etc. will increase your Karma score. Charisma (C) reflects the popularity of the user’s work. It is based on the ratings that the user received on their images.
4.5) What are Favorite images?
By clicking the “Add to favorite” link when you view a full sized photo, you can add that photo to your list of Favourite images. These images are saved to your profile, and can be reviewed at any time.
4.6) Comments to/from me, My forum messages
In the My Usefilm section, you have easy access to the comments you have written and the comments that have been written on your photos. You can also review the questions you have asked in the forum and the replies you have posted to other questions in the forum. These options all have hyperlinks that bring you directly to the appropriate post.
4.7) Uploading images
When you log in to Usefilm, you are taken directly to the upload page. If you are already logged in, you can upload a photo by clicking the “Add Photo” tab. This tab is available on the Home, Photo Critique and My Usefilm pages.
Donors are allowed to upload 3 images within 24 hours. Non-donors can upload 1 image within 24 hours.
4.8) In what format can I upload photos?
You can only upload photos as a JPG image and must use the extension ".jpg". The file size must not exceed 360k, and be at least 400 pixels wide and 400 pixels tall. Images with pixel dimensions larger than 800x800 will be resized, and some quality loss may occur.
Please be patient when you click the “Upload Photo” button, and do not hit the stop button, as uploading a photo will take some time, depending on your connection speed.4.9) What information needs to be filled in?
Once your photo has been completely uploaded, it will appear on screen. Below the photo, there are a number of fields that must be filled in and some fields with optional information. Your photo will not be visible on the Photo Critique page until all required fields have been filled in.
o Title: The title of your photo is required. Choose a short, appealing and captivating title, as the title will be displayed under the thumbnail in the Photo Critique section.
o Additional information: Here you can describe your photo more thoroughly, add information about the subject or address a specific topic about your photo you would like people to comment on.
o My Portfolios: You can place the uploaded photo into any customized portfolio which you can create in the “My Portfolio” page in the “My Usefilm” section. Your images will always be available in My Images, but if you'd like to add them to other personal portfolios, please select them in this section. You can also create a new portfolio in the upload page.
o Photo project: You can also submit the photo you are uploading to a specific Photo project. You can choose a photo project from the pull down list.
o Categories: At least one category, selected from the pull down list, is required. If you think your photo fits in more than one Category, you can select up to three categories.
o Camera: Because Usefilm is a photography site, viewers will want to know what camera you used for taking the image. Filling in a camera brand and make is therefore required. You can select your camera from the pull down list, or fill in the required information manually.
o Lens: If applicable, you can fill in the lens you used. You can fill in the Lens information by either selecting your lens from the drop down menu or type the make and model of your lens in the blank space just below the drop down list. Filling in a lens is required.
o
Film: In this required field, you need to select
the film you used, or, if photographing with a digital camera, the type
of memory the file was stored on. Please make sure you type in the ISO
value, this will help users evaluate your images.
o Colour / B&W: In this field you need to specify whether the image is a colour or a black and white photo. This information is needed to search the photos in the Photo Critique section of Usefilm.
o Exposure information: In the two drop down lists you can select your aperture setting as well as the shutter speed.
o Options: There are three options you can select:
o Adult content: Mark this option if you are uploading a Nude Male or Nude Female photo.
o Allow ratings: Selecting this option will allow other users to rate your image.
o Allow comments: Selecting this option will allow other users to leave comments to your photo.
o Where was this image taken?: In the three fields in this section you can enter the country, state and city where you took the photo.
4.10) Why do I need to provide so much information about my photos?
By filling in the data on your photos as precisely as possible, you allow users to comment not only on the image, but also to help improve your technical skills, as well as enable viewers to learn from your photos. The more complete the information is, the better the photo will be understood, and the more people - including yourself - can learn from it.
The required information you need to fill in enables Usefilm users to search the enormous amount of photos, and make sure your photos are also included in the list of search results.
4.11) Why is my photo removed?
Site administrators have the right to remove photos that are deemed inappropriate, or filed into the wrong category, without prior notice. Nude male or nude female photos that are not categorized as Adult Content will be always removed. The removal of a photo is non negotiable.
Contact Information
5.1) How can I contact the site administrators?
You can contact the site administrators by leaving a message in the Suggestions Forum or by emailing suggest@usefilm.com.
5.2) How can I contact other users?
Within Usefilm, you can contact your fellow members via the Reply function, or in the Chat room (go to My Usefilm and click Chat; your browser will do the rest).
Many users also put their e-mail and/or website addresses in their bio, and can thus be contacted outside of Usefilm as well.
Adult Section
6.1) Why is there an Adult section on Usefilm?
Usefilm is an international photo community open to photographers of
all ages. Members are given the opportunity to decide for
themselves if they want to see nude images or not. You can enable nudes
by clicking the MyUsefilm Tab of the main menu and then clicking edit "Change my
preference"s, scroll down to "Show adult images:" and set that
option to YES.
6.2) What photos qualify for the Nude Male or Nude Female category?
Any photo that shows the Male or Female anatomy explicitly SHOULD NOT BE UPLOADED TO USEFILM. You can upload tasteful nudes; do this by selecting the Adult content checkbox in the "describe your photo" section when you upload a photo. The Option Adult Content is marked in red. You can't miss it. Selecting this option is compulsory if you upload a Nude Male or Nude Female photo.
6.3) Why can't I view any Nude Male or Nude Female photos?
If you cannot access the Nude Male or Nude Female sections of Usefilm, you need to change your preferences. In the Change my preference page in the My Usefilm section, you can enable the Adult content on Usefilm by setting the option "Show adult images" to Yes.
6.4) Why are my Nude photos removed?
If you fail to select the Adult content checkbox when uploading a Nude Male or Nude Female photo, your image will be removed by the Usefilm Staff without prior notice. The removal of a photo is non negotiable.
*This FAQ was written by two generous Usefilm.com members (Hugo DeWolf & Matej Maceas)