There have been no major changes in the ActiveRainPhotoBlogger group guidelines except to streamline to make them easier to read and to follow by the group members. This photo blogger group does require a minimun number of words for a post to be included to this group. As a photoblogging group we are not just about photos. I have heard member's comment that they feel they are not that great at taking photos or that they use a point and shoot camera and didn't know if it was the right group for their photo story. YES, this is the right group, we are all about photo stories and not just about that fabulous ( or not) photo or your photography skills.
We welcome all ActiveRain members to this group. Remember, you could take an average quality photo and still be awarded our group's AWARD of MERIT because of the quality of the photo story and your presentation.
And for those that have not yet seen our awards, they are pretty cool looking. As moderators of the group, we add the award in your comment section and include instructions for you to add the ribbon award to the top of your post for all to see.
(these ribbon awards of merit appear smaller than they will appear in your post)
The new streamlined guidelines as they now appear:
Welcome to the ActiveRain Photo Blogger Group.
We have 2 rules that must be adhered to:
1. A minimum of 50 words used to describe the story within the photo. NOT to include the signature or personal information.
* ActiveRain has a requirement for it's posts that receive points toward a members standing,
that it contain no less than 50 words along with any photo, video or slide show.
We adhere to that Policy.
2. All photos used for post in this group must be your own unless it is photo of you.
Goals for this group would include:
1. To provide a home for a type of photo journalism ( photo story ) that would present your photos in its Best presentation form.
2. Present your own unique photos that inspire, images that inform, images that excite ,images that would
enhance our cities and communities by telling a story and in positive ways contribute to the
enjoyment and enlightenment of our respective readers.
3. You will be encouraged to use the resources we share in the group posts to add your brand, name or copyright markings to
all of your photos.
* Photos, videos, or slide show presentations with no minimum word description will regretfully
be deleted from the group. ☺
* The type of photos that are not suitable would include, obscene, offensive, or photos that would
depict personages in any manner deemed derogatory. We have full decision powers over what is
obscene, offensive or deemed derogatory and our decision as it pertains to this group shall prevail.
Those posts will be deleted from this group. ☺
Group Founder: William Johnson
Group Administrator: Debi Boucher
Group Adviser: Brad Andersohn
Group Moderator: Myrl Jeffcoat
Group Moderator: Andrea Swiedler
Group Moderator: Michael Thornton
Group Moderator: Michael Jones
Welcome experienced members and new and we actively invite your participation in the ActiveRain Photo Blogger Group.
Click On Photo Below If You Enjoy My Blog
Thank You !
William - Thanks for the update.. I know I will be contributing more to this group this year.... I look forward to everyones posts..... Have a great year everybody!
William
I am looking forward to your photo group; and have a Happy New Year.
You will have to forgive us if we occasionally make a mistake! :-)
Hi Robert, we are delighted to have you as a member and we will look for those new posts.:-)
Happy New Year Robert!
Hi Tom, Happy New Year to you as well and please do bring some of those great photo stories to the group.
Hi Debra, No worries about mistakes, we all make them. We are group that cares about the members and if we can ever help you, never hesitate to ask. Happy New Year Debra!
Thanks William-The same to you and your family!!
Hi Debra, boy do I love it when people read my response comments. Keep this group in your sights over the next couple weeks as we have some really exciting news coming up.
Excellent outline of the Group Rules, William. The group is growing and we have such a great bunch of members with so much to share - It's awesome going through these posts everyday, and seeing how much our members are supporting each other. This is such a great community within the overall community of Active Rain!
Debi
Hi William-I look forward in 2010 to contribute more to this terrific group. There is a lot of talented folks here on Active Rain and YOU my friend are at the TOP of the talent ladder. Everything you do is 1st class. May 2010 be your best year yet. <SMILE>
Thanks for the Update. Since I just joined a little over a month ago it is nice to know. Could not resist inserting a photo from one of my blogs. See ya in 2010!
H Debi,
Thank you so much for all your help. We do have a marvelous group and the talent in photography and writings are amazing.
Hi SHaron, We will await some of the great photo stories that I know you will post to the group. It is going to be an exciting year.
Hi Eric, I will bet that Photo has quite a story behind it to extract from it. All the best as we begin 2010
Great job of stream-lining the guidelines William! I'm certain it will help a great deal! I must also comment on Eric's photo of the pink New Orleans condos. . .I LOVE it!
William - glad to see that you did this. Of course I will take SOME of the credit for being a nag...
Jeff
Hi Mryl,
It's it just wonderful,I would love to read more about it. What a neat looking place to live. We think of all the great looking single family homes but being able to enjoy that architecture in a condo is just great!
H Jeff, YES YES YES, I hereby give you a great deal of the credit for nagging inspiring me to streamline these guidlines. When people have good suggestions, I am or at least try to be the first to embrace them. Good is good and I hate to waste a good demand suggestion, LOL
Thanks Jeff, I think these guidelines are much better and certainly easier to read and understand, which is the point of the change.
PS, Come back Jeff and share with us some of your great photo stories. You have always taken really excellent photos and have excellent material ( living in San Diego ) to work with. You and I are really blessed with the whole county, businesses, activities, museums, parks, waterfront and just an endless array of treasure.
This is a fun and exciting group. The challenge is to add interesting dialogue to the photos you post. It is not as simple as Wordless Wednesday, Speechless Sunday or other groups. Sometimes I have posted to those other groups and wished I could give more on the posts yet was not supposed to use words. This is the place to elaborate on the great shots you have taken. Some pictures need an explanation. Thanks for giving ua an outlet for Photo Blogging.
William, I have been reluctant to put my Speechless Sunday and Wordless Wednesday post in your group. I do have problems with that Wordless and Speechless part and almost always use more than 50 words to explain the picture. Would they be appropriate for this group?
Hi Randy, Thank you so much. I really do appreciate your your comments Randy. We are a photo journalism group ( photo blogging) and it is probably confusing but we recognized that every photo has a story and this is definitely the place to share that.
I am proudly displaying my newly awarded ribbon and thank you so much for establishing some really nice guidelines for the group! I have to admit I had not read them before I posted, as I have been a bit of a slug the past couple of months about posting. Happy to know I qualified! =o)
that's good information that sometimes I miss, I love ribbons and I hope to get a 200K soon ! :) LOL, !
Hi William ~ I'm glad you clarified the guidelines. I haven't posted too often here, mostly because I feel my photos don't stand up to the competition. I guess I'll be a little less hard on myself in the future...
Denise
Hi Cheryl,
Glad to have as a member of the group and Congratulations on your award.
Hi Ray, we give our ribbon awards for those who contribute great photo stories. So when it comes to points, we don't have any control over that. :-) But we wish good luck!
Hi Denise, Go for it. We love good photo stories and I am sure as well as you write , whatever weakness there might be your perception of the photo, you will more than make up for it with the great stroy.
Hi Marchel,
Happy New Year Marchel,
Speechless Sunday and Wordless Wednesday imply there is no story attached to describe the photo story. In the guidelines of these groups, it is my understanding that they suggest that you use the group name as part of the title and request no word description of the photo in writing. I, at one point even considered having our photo blogger group include the group name in the title. Glad I didn't.
It might have been good for the group but not necessarily beneficial to the member and the SEO that a member can earn using the Google recognition of photos that have the proper link and associations to them and to the content of the blog. As I understand it and "I am no expert in this" ( forgive me for stealing Lenn Harley's default disclosure) but the Google Algorithms search the title of the post and the content including well described and titled photos. When one supports the other correctly, the post earns a higher ranking.
Now I may have expressed this in less than stellar terms but that is the goal of photo blogger group. To have their combined work of Photos combined with photo stories to earn each member a better ranking and also at the same time to share their passion for photo journalism ( photo blogging)
To me, it matters little if Wordless Wednesday or Fhoto Friday or Speechless Sunday is in the post's title. If the photo and photo story follow the group Photo Blogging group guidelines, I can see no reason for any reluctance of including them in the group.
Marchel, on a more personal note, we are delighted that you are a member and we also very much appreciate what you bring to the group.
William--I have no problem with the 50 word guideline...My wordless and speechless posts never were wordless or speechless! :)
Hi Teri, I don't think mos people d actually. he reason I keep focusing on it is that very often, the Wordless posts are just that and when added to the group, they have to be deleted.