Submit for FPI, Photographer Skill or Model Looks?

I was granted my second FPI yesterday.  Although I personally thought there were a few better shots that I'd posted from that particular shoot, I'm still very grateful some people thought the image was worthy.  Just goes to show how different everyone's interpretations of value, worthiness or pleasing aesthetics can be. 

Orson Carter said

If a picture grabs my attention and if I think it would be a good advert for the site, I suggest it.  

'Fraid I'm one of those 'I know what I like, like' people, so I've never tried to analyse why a picture grabs my attention. If it does, it just does. 

Sorry - I'm not much help, am I?  

I  agree with Mr C. I tend to have an emotional connection with an image. It speaks to me. Im not a technical photographer but I know what I like LOL.

Bigfish3311 said

Orson Carter said

If a picture grabs my attention and if I think it would be a good advert for the site, I suggest it.  

'Fraid I'm one of those 'I know what I like, like' people, so I've never tried to analyse why a picture grabs my attention. If it does, it just does. 

Sorry - I'm not much help, am I?  

I  agree with Mr C. I tend to have an emotional connection with an image. It speaks to me. Im not a technical photographer but I know what I like LOL.

Nor me.  I haven't a clue about technical stuff.    

Don't know.

It's rarely a models looks for me I guess. Well styled and a bit of character?

Stuff I nominate rarely gets picked. Personally I feel that means I'm doing something right.

It’s about neither looks nor skill - it’s about the result.

More usefully.. for me an image needs to feel genuine and effortless, no matter how polished. If I can see the working then I’m going to be less interested.

tandi said

When I view an image, what makes me like a photograph enough to submit it for an FPI?

TBH for me to grab my attention on a thumbnail it is colour, contrast, how well composed the image is, whether it just stands our from the rest (I'm afraid this includes model looks), how well lit it is and photographed it is, then technical editing aspects once I view the picture. If all these tick the box I like it and submit it for an FPI.

How About You, what makes you like and submit a photo for an FPI?

Edited by tandi

People can and do suggest anything for the elves to look at and if you look at the FPIs page and the Suggestions pages it's plain that some suggestions come from people who have no idea what gets selected and what doesn't

It needs "thumbnail appeal" - if people aren't likely to click it's chances of getting a rosette are poor.  Then it needs a whole bunch of things, if it is not technically proficient, if it's boring, again it's probably not worth troubling elves with it. If it's adult (not just NSFW) it needs to be very good to make the cut.  But sometimes a picture is sufficiently interesting that we don't care about technical failings. And there are shots that follow composition rules, are well lit, correctly focused, and exposed, thoughtfully processed but fall flat. It's that bit of magic that defies definition that I'm looking for. 

On this particular laptop my PP homepage currently shows 24 FPI's. 10 of these were submitted (to the wider elf vote) by me. It therefore follows that I might have some possibly-vaguely useful advice to offer. That said, much if not all of which has I suspect been offered in some form or other before...

1) Will the thumbnail 'attract' a click-view?... Some elves seem to view this particular factor as especially important. I somewhat disagree. The thumb' should convey the full image as best it can, but the image is the (FPI) key. That said - Thumbnail is still a (relatively lesser) factor.

2) Watermarks... I have seen numerous profiles with copious FPI goodness, but cannot vote-in a single image because they're smoshing great big ugly 'water'marks all over these/their lovely photos.

3) OK, now we're getting 'real'... Originality. I'll say it again - BE ORIGINAL. If you can't, be brilliant. At this stage in the photographic game, lush lips, ample bewbs, Rembrandt light, and fingers on retouched cheeks with glossy parted lips rarely cuts the mustard... copies of copies of copies. What its it YOU could say with your photography/modelling? A fresh take on the human condition, whether it's naturally lit on location, or multi-gel lit in-studio.

4) Finally, but so importantly, this site - what we do - is photography. WTF are you doing turning skin to plastic? How that hell is that sky darker than the (reflective) landscape? Retouched skin = Cosmetics advertising in magazines. Deep burned-in sky I don't even know... Camera clubs maybe? It's not Ansell, he kept it withing the realms of real at least. Colours are - should be - there for a reason. Contrast pumping has its place too, but be mindful; Photography is not CGI.

So in summary... Express your vision (aka unique ideas). Keep your photo's photo's. Don't play games with your thumbs. Don't make copies of copies... 'Say' something YOU want to say, and that will mean NOT trying to create for FPI's. If you're not awarded FPI's here, but you know that you're creating the work you want to make, it means nothing... PP's audience is a wee-tiny slice of the photo/art appreciating World.

Stanmore While I agree with almost everything you’ve said here, I do have a few points to raise.

On point 4: While this is true in essence, technically digital photography belongs to the same family as CGI. The only difference is that the image is created by what the digital sensor captures, rather than by someone’s artistic creation. However, using various tools, a photographer can incorporate those creative factors as well.

As for the statement that “PP is a photography site and the idea that retouching is bad”:

I believe PP is more accurately described as a networking or social site for artists. It caters to multiple types of artists, not just photographers, which is often overlooked. These include photographers, models, designers, hair stylists, traditional artists (such as sketchers and painters), retouchers, digital artists, studios, videographers and many more, we’ve even had modellers on here in the past.

The idea that PP is solely a photography site in 2024 isn’t an accurate description. If anything, it’s more of a modeling site, as models are the one resource needed by almost all artist types.

And a lot of FPIs—current, future, and past—are heavily retouched using software like Photoshop and Lightroom. Just as in media and advertising, many images are extensively edited. With the emergence of AI technology, this trend is unlikely to disappear; in fact, it’s likely to increase and become further integrated into the tools used by creatives across the site.

Photographers using smartphones can already employ AI software to remove unwanted elements from an image before even capturing it. Drones are being used to take photos from previously impossible angles, and advanced lighting technology enables shooting in conditions that would have been unthinkable a decade ago.

Photography and art never stop evolving, constantly merging with advancements in technology.

Originality lies in using new technology in innovative and insightful ways to create something that inspires. At its core, this is part of what makes a good FPI and FPI thumbnail.

It’s about innovation, art, inspiration, beauty, shock value, creativity, and even advertising. In short, if you want a thumbnail of an FPI to inspire people, it should embody those qualities. It should encourage people to get creative and believe that this is an inspirational space designed for that purpose.

Anyway, I honestly don’t mean this in an argumentative way—these are merely my opinions and perceptions of how things are.

Art is about creativity, using anything at your disposal. MUAs have received FPIs for their incredible creativity in makeup (I’m one of them), and retouchers have earned FPIs for their digital creations (I’m one of them too).

For me, the key words are creativity, inspiration, and originality—just my humble opinion.

CalmNudes said

tandi said

When I view an image, what makes me like a photograph enough to submit it for an FPI?

TBH for me to grab my attention on a thumbnail it is colour, contrast, how well composed the image is, whether it just stands our from the rest (I'm afraid this includes model looks), how well lit it is and photographed it is, then technical editing aspects once I view the picture. If all these tick the box I like it and submit it for an FPI.

How About You, what makes you like and submit a photo for an FPI?

Edited by tandi

People can and do suggest anything for the elves to look at and if you look at the FPIs page and the Suggestions pages it's plain that some suggestions come from people who have no idea what gets selected and what doesn't

It needs "thumbnail appeal" - if people aren't likely to click it's chances of getting a rosette are poor.  Then it needs a whole bunch of things, if it is not technically proficient, if it's boring, again it's probably not worth troubling elves with it. If it's adult (not just NSFW) it needs to be very good to make the cut.  But sometimes a picture is sufficiently interesting that we don't care about technical failings. And there are shots that follow composition rules, are well lit, correctly focused, and exposed, thoughtfully processed but fall flat. It's that bit of magic that defies definition that I'm looking for. 

Personally I can only submit things that I like, if I consider what a 100+ Elves may like then I wouldn't bother submitting anything for an FPI.

Correct me if I am wrong, but as I understand it if x number of elves vote off an image in the FPI queue, that image is dropped, so the likelihood of not being voted off is very low, unless 100% of the elves don't login. Also members submitted images, the images don't automatically go into the FPI queue, I have no idea how they find there way there though.

I have had a number of images which members have generously submitted for me, 1 must have entered the queue because my husband gave me a second edit to replace it and I couldn't. I didn't see that image getting all the way to an FPI, but I know what it takes to get to the FPI queue now for me anyway, low key, rim lighting with no face or body on show :-(

Edited by tandi

tandi said

CalmNudes said

tandi said

When I view an image, what makes me like a photograph enough to submit it for an FPI?

TBH for me to grab my attention on a thumbnail it is colour, contrast, how well composed the image is, whether it just stands our from the rest (I'm afraid this includes model looks), how well lit it is and photographed it is, then technical editing aspects once I view the picture. If all these tick the box I like it and submit it for an FPI.

How About You, what makes you like and submit a photo for an FPI?

Edited by tandi

People can and do suggest anything for the elves to look at and if you look at the FPIs page and the Suggestions pages it's plain that some suggestions come from people who have no idea what gets selected and what doesn't

It needs "thumbnail appeal" - if people aren't likely to click it's chances of getting a rosette are poor.  Then it needs a whole bunch of things, if it is not technically proficient, if it's boring, again it's probably not worth troubling elves with it. If it's adult (not just NSFW) it needs to be very good to make the cut.  But sometimes a picture is sufficiently interesting that we don't care about technical failings. And there are shots that follow composition rules, are well lit, correctly focused, and exposed, thoughtfully processed but fall flat. It's that bit of magic that defies definition that I'm looking for. 

Personally I can only submit things that I like, if I consider what a 100+ Elves may like then I wouldn't bother submitting anything for an FPI.

Correct me if I am wrong, but as I understand it if x number of elves vote off an image in the FPI queue, that image is dropped, so the likelihood of not being voted off is very low, unless 100% of the elves don't login. Also members submitted images, the images don't automatically go into the FPI queue, I have no idea how they find there way there though.

I have had a number of images which members have generously submitted for me, 1 must have entered the queue because my husband gave me a second edit to replace it and I couldn't. I didn't see that image getting all the way to an FPI, but I know what it takes to get to the FPI queue now for me anyway, low key, rim lighting with no face or body on show :-(

Edited by tandi

1.  You don't submit it.  You get it to this page https://purpleport.com/images/suggested/  Some of the Elves look at that page, some don't bother. Really old pictures are eventually removed from that pile

2. As they go around the site, if elves see a possible FPI they put in in the queue. AIUI elves follow people and get the same "so-and-so posted" so if you're followed by one or more elves you have a much better chance of being seen, they look at the same recent and popular widgets as anyone else. 

3. A picture gets a minimum time in the queue, it needs to be seen by some elves, and can't get too many down votes, and the exact details aren't clear, but AIUI it's a proportion of elves voting not an absolute number. I've obviously offended sufficient elves that my name on a picture gets it kicked out of the queue because the last 7 to show the "you can't edit this because is in the FPI queue" message  have all been booted off. Even if the chances are only 50/50 the chance of getting 7 evictions in a row is 128 to 1 against.   

4. Take a look at the page and the FPIs page and do a "which of these might belong with those" exercise.  I'd say it's under half right now. Quite a lot don't have an interesting enough thumbnail to get clicked. Several are just the 10-a-penny bare breasts or bare bottom, competently shot lacking something special. A couple were interesting enough thumbnails, but just too meh when opened. 

5. "I know what it takes now" probably not. If you submit another which seems to share all the characteristics of the one that got awarded it may not even make the queue. And I've got more than one where I think "Why did they pick that one". Ineffable, those elves. 

CalmNudes said

1.  You don't submit it.  You get it to this page https://purpleport.com/images/suggested/  Some of the Elves look at that page, some don't bother. Really old pictures are eventually removed from that pile

2. As they go around the site, if elves see a possible FPI they put in in the queue. AIUI elves follow people and get the same "so-and-so posted" so if you're followed by one or more elves you have a much better chance of being seen, they look at the same recent and popular widgets as anyone else. 

3. A picture gets a minimum time in the queue, it needs to be seen by some elves, and can't get too many down votes, and the exact details aren't clear, but AIUI it's a proportion of elves voting not an absolute number. I've obviously offended sufficient elves that my name on a picture gets it kicked out of the queue because the last 7 to show the "you can't edit this because is in the FPI queue" message  have all been booted off. Even if the chances are only 50/50 the chance of getting 7 evictions in a row is 128 to 1 against.   

4. Take a look at the page and the FPIs page and do a "which of these might belong with those" exercise.  I'd say it's under half right now. Quite a lot don't have an interesting enough thumbnail to get clicked. Several are just the 10-a-penny bare breasts or bare bottom, competently shot lacking something special. A couple were interesting enough thumbnails, but just too meh when opened. 

5. "I know what it takes now" probably not. If you submit another which seems to share all the characteristics of the one that got awarded it may not even make the queue. And I've got more than one where I think "Why did they pick that one". Ineffable, those elves. 

  

Interesting information thanks for sharing. The "I know what it takes" to be chosen for the FPI queue now was just a joke, the meaning was "not with my face and body in the frame" :-) 

As CalmNudes suggests, regular site members can vote images onto the “Suggested” list, which elves look at to find images for the FPI queue.

Elves vote images straight to the FPI queue, from any page they’re viewing including the Suggested list pages.

AIUI images must linger in the queue for at least 7 days. In this time elves vote to either keep or remove each image. If any image receives 75% or more remove votes and 40 votes have been cast, it is removed from the queue.

I would guess that more than half the images added to the queue are removed this way.

Images not removed await their turn to hit the front page. I believe there is an algorithm in place to delay images by those members who’ve had recent FPI’s awarded.

Edited by Stanmore

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