I had a conversation with John Carlson a while back regards the Pentax Photo Gallery submission voting process because I had/have misgivings about it and am very uncomfortable. This is an excerpt from his reply:
--- > "We are using the voting process to help limit the number of images > we have to review. Even without promotion of the site, we are > receiving more images than we can review with our current > manpower. Once this site is openly promoted and advertised, the > number of images submitted will only increase. We have no > intention of making this an "exclusive" site with a limited number > of photographers, but we also want the best images. > > Some images are declined automatically once they meet a certain > criteria determined by Pentax. Currently, the thresholds are set > extremely low. An image must have at least 20 votes, with less > than 25% of those favorable, to be automatically declined. > Unfortunately, this may lead to some good images being declined, > but for the first two weeks we have had this system in place, the > voters have been relatively accurate in their opinions. As we > receive more images, and more voters, we can adjust the thresholds > up or down to make sure we are looking at the best images. I > imagine as the site is promoted and more artists are added, we will > have to increase the thresholds. > > Ultimately, Pentax makes the final decision on images accepted to > the gallery. It is still a matter of the judging committee looking > at a large number of images, and selecting pictures that show the > best of what Pentax equipment and photographers can do. There have > been images that have received a large number of positive votes > that we have declined, just as there has been images with few > positive votes that we have accepted." --- I continue to be uncomfortable with voting on other people's submissions, and do not. I batch up 10-30 photos at a time, as mood and time permits, and upload them for review. The majority are declined, a few get in. They've accepted 23 of what must now be 140-180 submitted photos. How they select them, ultimately, is their business ... as with any other exhibition judging and curating. My business is to submit work that I am happy with and let them do their thing. I'm happy with the opportunity to have some of my work presented on their web gallery. Godfrey -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List [email protected] http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net
