Club Rules and Guidelines
At Shutterbugs, our rules are designed to create a supportive, inclusive environment for all members. Submissions must adhere to specific technical standards to ensure smooth processing: accepted file formats include JPEG, PNG, and GIF only, with a maximum size of 5MB per image to prevent upload issues. Photos should be original work, taken within the last 12 months, and fit one of our three categories—wildlife, portrait, or landscape—without heavy editing beyond basic adjustments like cropping or color correction. AI-generated images are not permitted, as we value authentic creativity. Themes rotate monthly (e.g., "Urban Wilds" for wildlife), announced on the homepage, to keep challenges fresh and encourage diverse perspectives. Violations, such as plagiarism or off-theme entries, result in disqualification, but we focus on education over punishment, offering feedback for resubmissions.
Community conduct is paramount; all interactions in chats, votes, and comments must be respectful and constructive—no harassment, spam, or negative language tolerated. Voters are limited to one vote per contest to maintain fairness, and anonymous submissions are allowed but require email verification. Prizes for winners include digital badges, feature spots in the gallery, and shoutouts on social media. We prioritize privacy: personal data from forms is used solely for club purposes and never shared. Updates to rules are posted here and via email newsletter; members agree to these by participating. By following these guidelines, Shutterbugs remains a haven for inspiration, where every member contributes to a gallery of global stories. Questions? Reach out via the contact link below.