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Fark Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ): Farktography Contests

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Farktography Contests

How do I enter Farktography contests?

These guidelines and rules apply to all Farktography contests unless otherwise stated. Read the Posting Rules before submitting entries.

Here's what you need:

1. A FARK account.

2. A camera:

It doesn't matter if you're using a disposable film camera, a cell phone camera, a point and shoot digicam, a Holga, or the latest and greatest digital or film Single Lens Reflex (SLR) camera. Digital or film, medium format or 35mm, RAW or jpg, are all acceptable.

3. An image editor:

Image editing for Farktography is meant to be used sparingly, however, you will still need at least a basic image editor to handle things like cropping, resizing, etc. Even if you are scanning from film, there will still be basic adjustments you will need to make to your image before you can submit it to Farktography. You can use any image editor you want: Photoshop, Aperture, Paint Shop Pro, Picassa, etc. For you Linux/FreeBSD users (or Windows users that want a no-cost image editing solution), feel free to bring out The GIMP. Those folks looking to work across multiple platforms might want to check into Bibble, which works on Mac, Linux, and Windows. Fark.com does not endorse any specific product. These are just examples.

4. An understanding of Fark's Posting Rules.

5. An understanding of the Farktography Rules for Acceptable Modifications:

A more detailed explanation of the Acceptable Modifications is handled later in this document, however the overarching ideal behind Farktography is that you present your photographs with as little alteration and modification as possible either digitally in-camera or in post-processing. With few exceptions (e.g. red-eye removal, sensor or scanner dust/scratch removal), modifications made to an image should be applied evenly; spot treatments, selective color, cloning, etc are otherwise not allowed. Image elements should not be removed or added to your photo, and you should not combine multiple exposures in post-processing. Occasionally there will be Farktography contests that allow more latitude with post-processing techniques; any exceptions to the usual Farktography rules will be listed in the theme description for that contest. Absent any specific exceptions for individual contests, you should always follow the standard Farktography rules for your submissions. Entries which do not conform to the rules of the contest are subject to deletion by Moderators.

6. A reliable image host:

Many ISPs, broadband and dial-up alike, provide web storage space for their customers. While there is usually a storage limit on this space, there is often no bandwidth limit. This should be the first place you check. It's probably going to be the most reliable option, and you may as well get your money's worth. If that's not an option, or you need more space than your ISP's hosting offers, check out Image Host Advisory. This Farker-run resource has lots of information and links about finding a reliable image host to fit your budget.

NOTE:

Your image will be loaded thousands of times, so we don't recommend using your own server. If you wish to host your own images and you're trying to gauge how many GB/month you might need, count on at least two days of very heavy traffic.

Make sure to test your ability to link images BEFORE you try it on FARK. (Try new hosts out in the scratchpad test thread.) Images that that fail to load will be deleted.

Here are some things you don't necessarily need, but possessing them can be an advantage:

1. An eye for composition:

You don't have to be Diane Arbus, and you don't have to use the most expensive photography equipment available in order to participate and do well in Farktography. However, a good eye for composition goes a long way. If you are not already familiar with the Rule of Thirds and other ideals behind good composition, spend some time reading up on these concepts. There are lots of free online tutorials available. None of this is to say that every photo should rigidly conform to some academic formula for a "good photograph," however, learning some basics about composition can only make you a better photographer and will likely increase your votes.

2. A basic understanding of photography concepts:

Not all cameras give you unfettered control over your aperture or shutter speed. However, many of today's most basic digicams do give you some level of creative control over exposure variables. If any of these terms are completely foreign to you, there are many photography 101 tutorials available online that can help clarify things. If you have a camera that allows for manual controls, learning the way shutter speed and aperture relate to exposure and depth of field can take you from merely snapping a grab shot to intentionally photographing your subjects.

3. A sense of humor:

This is FARK, after all. Sometimes the most stunningly artistic photograph wins the contest, but other times a photograph that is quirky, funny, or in some other way stands out from the rest of the entries gets the big votes. Pay attention to the theme and its description, and stretch yourself to find an angle that might be outside of the expected. You can submit up to three photographs, so feel free to experiment with your photography. Themes are posted to the Farktography forums well in advance, so you have plenty of time to prepare. Above all, have fun with Farktography. It isn't a pretentious art competition, though there is plenty of excellent art submitted. The vagaries of Fark voting are well known, so if an entry of yours doesn't do well, it isn't necessarily a judgement on the artistic merits of your photograph.

Now that you're ready to begin, here's the 11 Step list:

1. Check Farktography.net's list of upcoming themes for any that interest you.

2. Get out there and take some pictures! Alternatively, you can dig through the files on your hard drive or your shoebox of prints and negatives for something that would fit the theme.

3. Download your photograph from your camera's memory card or scan it in from film.

4. Edit the picture with your image editor.

5. Upload your work of art to your image host.

6. On Wednesday evening at 8pm EST/EDT (US), the Farktography thread will be posted to TotalFark. Non-subscribed users will need to wait until the thread is posted. Click on the comments link of the Farktography thread to post your pictures.

7. Scroll to the very bottom and enter your FARK User ID and password.

8. Now here's the tricky part. It involves the use of basic HTML and it separates those who have read this page from those who haven't.

  • Type this into the comment box: <img src="URLfilename.extension"> , replacing the (URLfilename.extension) with the URL to your picture. Or just enter the URL, highlight it, and click the Image button in the row of HTML helper buttons above the comment box. See Basic Farking HTML if you need help with this.
  • Note that some image hosts require linking back to their site in order to comply with their Terms Of Service. You should familiarize yourself with the requirements of your individual image host.

9. If you want others to be able to vote for your entry, select the "Enable voting for this entry?" checkbox.

10. If you want to preview your post before submitting your entry, select the "Preview before post" checkbox. You will then see your submission and be given the chance to edit it, or submit it as is. Otherwise, click "Add Comment" and you're done!

11. You are allowed to enter up to 3 photographs per contest, and no photograph may be used for more than one contest unless a specific theme allows repeats from prior contests. Entries that violate these limits are subject to deletion.

If you followed the directions correctly, your photograph is standing proud with the rest of them. If you'd like to track your overall performance in Farktography, be sure to check out the Farker-run Farktography Statistics Manager

NOTE:

  • FARK's Posting Rules apply to all Farktography entries.
  • Entries that could be considered Not Safe For Work (NSFW) should be linked - not posted inline. If you're ever in doubt, it's always safer to link. Moderators can and will delete NSFW entries that are displayed inline. Do it like this <a href="URLfilename.extension"> link text here</a> - replacing the (URLfilename.extension) with the URL to your picture.

Example: <a href="URLfilename.extension"> Warning, boobies ahead! Click to see NSFW picture! </a>

  • You'll notice that "Taste" is not listed above as a prerequisite for participation. For example: The use of images depicting well-known tragedies such as 9/11 is not forbidden, it is usually frowned upon.
  • The first post in a Farktography thread contains the week's theme and description. You should wait to post in the thread until after the theme/description has been posted. Entries which are submitted before the theme/description post will be postdated by Moderators or Admins so that the theme/description post will fall properly at the beginning of the thread.
  • Not all internet connection speeds are created equal. While you might have access to an OC48, there still many users stuck with 56k dial-up. Be kind and compress your images. For example: Newer versions of Photoshop offer the "Save For Web" option. This feature also prevents the embedded XML which causes failures in the Internet Explorer browser. Most of the images you post will be between 40-60KB. There are a lot of photographs entered into Farktography threads, so consider linking rather than displaying an image if it is larger than 70KB. Entries larger than 200KB will be automatically rejected. Entries larger than 640 pixels wide or 1100 pixels tall will be scaled proportionally (via width and height img tag attributes) to a maximum of 640x1100.
  • You can't vote for a single picture more than once, but you can vote for as many pictures as you like. You are allowed and encouraged to vote for any photograph that you thought was particularly artistic, that made you laugh, or that you thought took a lot of effort, etc.
  • And finally ... Have fun!

What are acceptable and unacceptable modifications?

These are the submission guidelines for all Farktography contests, unless otherwise stated in a theme description.

  • Submissions must be photographs. Screen captures do not count as photographs.
  • You must be the original photographer of your entry. Do not submit anyone else's photography as your own.
  • You are only allowed to enter a photograph once. Do not submit the same photo to another contest later.
  • Up to 3 photos can be entered into each contest, as long as each photo is of a different composition. Please post each photo separately so they can be voted for individually.

Ideally, your photograph should be presented as taken, with as little alteration as possible either digitally in-camera or in your image editor during post-processing. No selectively applied digital effects! Please refer to the following list for acceptable and unacceptable modifications:

Acceptable Modifications:

  • Cropping
  • Sizing
  • Rotating
  • Copyright text is acceptable, but please make it non-distracting and as small as possible.
  • Correction for pincushion or barrel distortion (Within reason. You're on your honor here.)
  • A small 2 pixel wide border may be used to enhance an obscure background if necessary but nothing larger.
  • Spot treatment for red-eye removal, film scratches, and sensor or scan dust is acceptable, but these are the only spot treatments allowed!

The following modifications and filters (or their non-Photoshop equivalents), when applied evenly to the entire image, are also allowed:

  • Adjustment layers
  • Levels
  • Curves
  • Brightness/Contrast
  • Greyscale
  • Sepia (or adding a similar monochrome tone to an image)
  • Hue/Saturation/Lightness
  • Color balance
  • Sharpen
  • Unsharp Mask
  • Jpeg artifact removal
  • Moire pattern removal
  • Median Cut
  • Noise reduction
  • Gaussian blur

NOTE:

While the above modifications are allowed for Farktography, you should strive to keep your results in the realm of the realistic. For example, the contrast and saturation tools can yield cartoonish results when cranked up to their maximum strength. Such use of these otherwise acceptable tools is discouraged and may subject your photograph to disqualification.

Unacceptable Modifications:

  • Use of Layers Blending in anything other than normal mode.
  • HDR (High Dynamic Range) images or use of similar techniques that blend either separate exposures or differently exposed single RAW images unless the individual contest specifically states that HDR is allowed. Multiple exposures produced in-camera are always acceptable, however.
  • Selective application of any digital filters, correction tools, distortion or other special effects is prohibited both in-camera and in post-processing unless otherwise allowed for a specific contest. No clone brush, no healing brush, no airbrush, etc except when used for red-eye removal, sensor/scan dust, or film scratches. Yes, we know dodging and burning are legitimate dark room techniques; we want to see your camera skills, not your post-processing skills.


If you have any questions about the acceptable modifications, or if you'd just like to chat and learn more about photography, feel free to drop by the forums at Farktography.net or email questions@farktography.net.