Submission Rules
We encourage our members to submit high quality professional level photos, which have
high potential to interest photo buyers. Our reputation is important to us, and we
would like to maintain the level of exceptional quality KeenImages is known for.
We compiled these rules to help you ensure your submissions possess the expected
degree of standards.
Remember, all submissions are screened and we reserve the right to remove any
photo that in our discretion, does not hold the required degree of standards, or violates any
of the restrictions. If a photo you submit is removed, please accept the decisions of the
administrators - they have to go through hundreds of photos each day and their decisions
are final. Thank you for your help!
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| Subject of Images |
General
If you are submitting photos with the similar subject as subject already found at the website in large quantity,
you are therefore reducing the visibility of your photo among other photos. Even though your photo may be more
unique or more artistic than other photos, the likelihood of your photo being purchased may be low - the more
similar photos exist, the less likely your photo will sell.
Keeping the above in mind, choose those subjects that are rare or lacking at the site. In general, if anyone
with a digital camera can relatively easily make a certain photo, we most likely already have tons of photos of
that kind, so your chances of making yours truly stand out are not very high.
Desired Subjects
- Business-related photos of people conducting business, business environment, equipment or attributes;
- Photos of people getting involved in various activities (eating, dancing, building, smoking, fishing, driving, arguing, the list goes on);
- Photos strongly conveying a certain message, theme, concept, action or state (buy it online, don't drink and drive, quit smoking, reach the goal, stay healthy, etc.);
- Photos sensitive to issues of gender, race, and other social groups;
- Health and medical related photos (in the operating room, ambulance, X-ray department, doctor's office, etc);
- Technology photos (chips, various equipment, fiber optics, lasers, etc.);
- Specific or exaggerated characters, particularly those representative of different occupations, such as a nurse, a judge, a salesperson, a teacher, a driver, etc.;
- People showing emotions or state (happy, angry, sad, tired, energetic, etc.);
Possibly Accepted Subjects
- Various objects on plain (ideally white or grayscale) backgrounds;
- Close-ups and macros of unusual subjects, the closer the better;
- Religious subjects (all faiths);
- Professional underwater photography;
- Exotic animals in natural habitat;
Subjects with Lower Probability of Acceptance
- Series of similar images with nearly identical compositions;
- Cats, dogs, and other house pets;
- Flowers;
- Sunsets and landscapes;
- Fine art;
- Posed portraits;
- Abstract presentation;
- Plain street scenes;
- Snapshots of your immediate surroundings.
Subjects Always Rejected
- Photos spreading hate or violence;
- Pornographic images or revealing nudes;
- Vacation or immediate family snapshots;
- Photos more suitable for family albums;
- Photos presenting copyright issues.
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| Technical Aspects |
Image Dimensions
It is very important that you submit high resolution image files. We will automatically resize them for web viewing or to deliver to buyers the size/resolution of their choice. The minimum accepted size is 4.6 million pixels, however the images should not exceed 32 million pixels. We recommend submitting images of approximately 8 million pixels.
File Format
You can submit images in either TIFF or JPEG format. JPEG images usually offer high quality compression and lower file size, while TIFF images are much larger, though the quality is superior, as the TIFF format usually implies no compression. There are several newer compression methods that can be applied to TIFF images: LZH, ZIP and JPEG. KeenImages supports the LZH and ZIP compression methods of TIFF files.
If you submit JPEG images, be sure that compression quality is 75%-85% (setting 10 or 11 in PhotoShop) - these are the recommended settings.
To speed up uploading, you can choose to compress file(s) using ZIP compression utilities.
DPI
The actual resolution of a digital image is measured in pixels. This is the only true measure of the amount of data contained in the image. The dpi/ppi is not important by itself, so if you are scanning prints or film, use the dpi/ppi setting which gives you the desired image size. However, be sure not to exceed the maximum optical resolution of your scanner to avoid an unnecessary interpolation that can get your image rejected.
If you still would like to set your images to a specific resolution, go Image/Image Size in Photoshop and enter
300 pixels/inch - it is the most commonly used resolution for high quality printing. Be sure the
"Resample Image" checkbox is not checked when you click OK.
Color Space, Image Mode and Bit Depth
When your images are shown online, the color space settings (color profile) are ignored. We suggest that you use the color space that fits your own workflow best, however simply be aware of the fact above.
We accpet only RGB images. All JPEG images are of 8 bits per channel. If you submit TIFF, convert them to 8 bits per channel as well.
Interpolation and Upsizing
Do not upsize your images higher than their native sizes, unless you are using professional interpolation
software such as Genuine Fractals. Upsizing more than 15-20% is not advised.
Sharpening
Do not sharpen your images. If a designer chooses to sharpen, it can always be done during the final phase of production. Images with noticeable and excessive sharpening will be rejected.
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| Presentational Aspects |
Borders, Frames and Vignetting
We do not accept images with borders, frames or vignetting. Be sure to crop any white space that may
result from scanning a print.
Artistic Effects and Filters
We do not accept images with excessive artistic effects and any sort of artistic filters applied to them. There
are only a few things that say "amateur" louder than that.
Rotation and Tilt
Rotate images as necessary prior to submission. If there is a horizon line in your photos, use
image editing software to ensure it's not tilted. We highly recommend verifying all vertical elements
in the composition (poles, buildings, etc) to ensure they are straight and not tilted. Be sure to apply
perspective correction whenever appropriate.
Other
We reject images with any text on them (watermarks, date/time stapms, e-mails, etc).
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| Image Quality |
Noise and Grain
We do not accept images exhibiting problems with noise or excessive grain. Noise is the common problem with digital capture and it becomes quite noticeable with higher ISO settings. Avoid noise by shooting with lower ISO settings in bright light or use special noise reducing software or image editing techniques to correct noise.
Scanner/Sensor/Flim Dust and Scratches
There are many ways your digital image may pick up sensor dust, scanner or film scratches, or other defects related to small particles or mechanical damage. Always evaluate your images at the 100% magnification and look for any signs of the problems mentioned above. Correct them with image editing tools before submitting to avoid images being rejected.
Focus
Sharp focus is extremely essential to all high quality images. You may choose to have shallow depth of field and internally blur parts of the image to emphasize its main subject or convey feeling of motion, however you should always have the main subject in good focus.
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| Artistic Quality |
Compostion
As a photographer, you have endless choices of how to compose your images best. Be sure to avoid cluttered composition or composition with no focal point. We recommend formal training or education if your images are rejected because of problems with composition.
Lighting and Exposure
Good lighting and exposure are very important to create eye-catching images. Ensure that your photos do not have flat, dull color appearance, or lighting is not too harsh and details in the highlights and shadows are not lost. We expect to see a black near level 0 and a white point near level 255. Review the histogram to check exposure. Photoshop offers plenty of tools to correct some of problems with lighting and exposure.
Dramatic Effect
Try to capture images that have certain dramatic effect. Lifeless, pointless and plain uninteresting images will not be accepted.
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| Additional Restrictions Based on the License Types |
Understanding License Types
There are two types of licenses photo buyers can get when buying photos, which depend on whether a photo will
be used commercially or in the editorial context. Both types are royalty-free, which means that a price is
paid for a photo, not the number of times it can be used.
Commercial use license allows photo buyers to use photos on the commercial basis, and the type of photos
usually sold under the terms of the commercial use license is generally called "stock photos". Stock photos
represent majority of photos on this website, and can be used on the book cover, as a postcard, in the ad, as
part of the web site design, in the magazine, etc. Commercial use license does not explicitly prohibit any
use of photos for the editorial content, and you should assign your images for sale under terms of the
commercial use license whenever possible. Please remember that there are some restrictions to the subject of
photos that may prevent you from using this license type. For example, photos containing recognizable and
uniquely identifiable models or property cannot be sold for commercial use without release forms.
Additionally photos displaying brand names, logos, product names, and other copyrighted or trademarked
imagery cannot be sold for commercial use.
Editorial use license relaxes the restrictions mentioned above, but it also narrows the actual use of the
photos to editorial articles or similar material that can only be used in the editorial context.
Editorial use images are usually different from commercial stock images, they can be photos of celebrities,
politicians, newsworthy events, and many more, however please keep in mind that a photo offered for
editorial use should, first of all, make editors interested - it should be newsworthy.
Finally, marketing photos for editorial use can be quite different. Unlike traditional stock photos
that can be purchased any time and used as needed, a photo of a today's event may be valued by a newspaper
today, but not tomorrow (it is the most extreme case, and some news photos can be just as valuable for
many years after they were taken). When it comes to editorial content, it may be beneficial to make a
contact with your local news publications and use KeenImages to process payments and image delivery
for you.
Commercial Use Restrictions
- Do not submit photos displaying copyrighted logos or trademarks, product names, company names, product brands or trademarked and patented designs;
- Do not submit photos of modern maps, documents where names are mentioned, computer screenshots, branded toys, watches, computers and other licensed products;
- Do not submit photos of artworks (including publicly displayed), advertisements, posters, or photos of other photos
Editorial Use Restrictions
Do not submit photos for editorial use if they do not display truly newsworthy content. If you submit a photo that requires
a model or property release form, send us a form within 3 days to get the image listed for commercial use (does not apply to truly editorial content such
as images of celebrities or newsworthy events). Images without real editorial value listed for editorial use will be rejected.
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| General |
Pre-Submission Checklist
- Ensure there are no visible logos, trademarks, or other attributes that could render your images unusable for commercial use (does not apply to newsworthy and true editorial content images);
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- Obtain and be ready to submit release forms for images showing recognizable and uniquely identifiable models or property (does not apply to newsworthy and true editorial content images);
- Check your images at 100% zoom with image editing software. Look for blemishes, signs or dust and scratches, noise or grain. Correct problems as necessary;
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- Verify alignment of horizontal or vertical elements in images and correct any tilt-related problems;
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- Ensure your images do not contain any decorations such as frames or borders, and they are free of any white space around the sides;
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- Check Levels and correct any exposure problems as may be necessary;
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- Check for color cast and make necessary adjustments to achieve good white balance;
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- Confirm that file format and image dimensions are within our guidelines.
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Post-Submission Checklist
- Within a day after submission, send us release forms for images showing recognizable and uniquely identifiable models or property (does not apply to newsworthy and true editorial content images);
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- Ensure you provided all keywords and captions that define your images;
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- Confirm that you placed your images in the most appropriate categories.
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Understanding Reasons for Rejections
- Artifacts - Interpolation (upsizing) or JPEG compression artifacts have been noticed. Please submit images in their native resolution or use higher quality compression settings.
- Noise or Dust/Scratches - Signs of sensor/scanner/film dust or scratches have been noticed, or level of noise/grain was found excessive. Please correct with an image editor.
- Excessive Sharpening - Image suffers loss of quality and harsh edges due to over-sharpening. Please submit unsharpened images.
- Border or Frame - Image contains a frame, border or another decoration element. Please remove or crop before submitting.
- Text Over Image - Image contains a date/time stamp or other text over image. Please remove or crop before submitting.
- Watermark - Image contains a watermark. Please remove before submitting.
- Poor Lighting or Exposure - Image suffers from poor lighting or improper exposure. This may have resulted in a flat image with dull colors or image having too much contrast with details in the shadows or highlights having been lost.
- Incorrect Orientation - Image has not been properly rotated. Please turn the image around before submitting.
- Horizontal or Vertical Tilt - Horizontal or vertical elements in the image are tilted, or perspective correction is suggested. Please use an image editor to correct.
- Color Cast - Shift of colors or poor white balance have been noted. Please correct the color cast problems before submitting.
- Soft focus - Image is too "soft" or out of focus. Please ensure that the main subject of composition is in good focus.
- Noticeable Editing - If you are retouching or editing images, please verify that the changes are either subtle or not noticeable.
- Overmanipulation or Excessive Effects - If you are retouching or editing images, please verify that the changes are either subtle or not noticeable.
- No Commercial Use - Image contains elements not allowed under the commercial use license, while editorial use is not applicable due to lack of newsworthy subjects.
- No Release - Image contains subjects requiring a model or property release. If you have the release form, please submit it ASAP to have the image approved.
- No Keywords - Image lacking keywords. Please edit the image and assign keywords and other metadata as needed to get it approved.
- Unsuitable Material - While we may not have observed any technical problems, we felt that this image was not suitable to be presented on our site due to its subject or its presentation. Unfortunately due to very large number of submissions we review every day, we will not be able to provide you with further details or point out a way to alter the image.
- Insufficient Marketability - While we may not have observed any technical problems, we felt that this image could be challenging for us to sell. We either have sufficient number of similar images or we currently do not seek images of this kind. Unfortunately due to very large number of submissions we review every day, we will not be able to provide you with further details or point out a way to alter the image.
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