Geograph Knowledgebase / FAQ
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· 8mb
· accessibility · account x 2 · accuracy x 2 · add credit · add link · advertising · aerial x 3 · annotated photo · anonymou x 2 · answer · api · archive picture x 2 · article x 3 · artist · auto-rotate
· bloat x 2 · blurred · bng · botanical name · british national grid x 2 · broken image · broken thumbnail · browse · browse page · bucket x 2 · bug
· cache · camera · camera phone · camera position · camera setting · categorie x 2 · category · cave · cc licence x 4 · centisquare x 3 · change credit · channel isle · citation · classification x 6 · clear search list · clone · close account · close look x 2 · close look. · collection x 3 · community showcase · complaint · contact a member · contact contributor · contact photographer · contribute · cookie · coordinate conversion · copyright x 6 · correct · coverage map · creative commons x 9 · credit x 7 · credit source · cross grid x 3 · cross-grid x 2 · cross-linking · crosslink · csv
· daily photo · date x 3 · delete x 4 · delete shared description · delete photo · delete sd · delete search x 2 · depth · description · detail x 4 · developer · discus x 2 · discussion x 3 · discussion topic · distribution · download x 2 · download image · downloading · drag-and-drop · draggable · draggable map x 2 · drop-down search list
· easting · edit x 3 · edit detail · edit image · edit photo · edit profile · edit submission · email x 2 · error · etiquette x 2 · excel · exif · export · external link · external website · extra x 2
· family · family archive · faq · favourite x 2 · featured · featured content · featured photo x 3 · featured photograph · fee · feedback · fewest photo · file size · find · find place on map · first geograph · font size · forget · forget location · forgotten · forgotten location · formatting text · forum x 9 · fourth · from bu · from car · from moving vehicle · from train · front page · front page picture x 2
· gallery x 3 · geograph x 2 · geograph point · geographical context x 2 · geographism x 3 · germany · google earth · google fusion table · google image search · google map · goty · gps x 2 · gr · grid reference x 2 · grid square x 2 · grid square discussion
· hamster · hectad · hi-res image · high resolution · higher resolution · hit counter · home page · home page image · home page photo x 2 · home page pic · hyperlink
· id x 2 · id number x 2 · identification · image id · image number · image quality · image search · image size x 2 · image type · image type tag x 3 · improve image · improve quality · index · inside x 2 · interior shot · ipad · iphone · irish grid · italic · itt x 4
· kml
· labelling · landscape · larger image · larger size x 2 · lat/lon · law · leaderboard x 3 · legal · licence x 12 · lighting condition x 2 · limited · link x 5 · link description · link photo · link style · linking · linking a photo · location map grid square · lost image · lost photo · lost picture
· map x 5 · map marker · marked list · media repository · media upload x 2 · mine · mislocated image · missing image · missing photo · missing thumbnail · mistake x 4 · mobile · mobile phone · moderation x 3 · more · more size · most photo · multi · multi submit · multi-submit · multi-upload · multiple account · my featured image · my image · my photo x 3 · my picture · my searche · my shared description · my square · my thumbed · myriad x 2
· national grid · new faq answer · new faq question · ngr · night · northing · not yet allocated · notification
· old photo x 2 · old photograph · old postcard · old submission · open source · ordnance survey · orientation · os · osgb36 · other countrie · out of copyright · out-of-copyright photo
· page · painting · partial date · password · pending · people x 2 · personal map x 2 · personal point x 3 · personalisation · photo editing · photo id x 4 · photo information · photo number · photo of the day x 3 · photo of the week x 3 · photo of the year x 3 · photo quality · photo-shop · photograph of the day · photographer name · photography x 2 · picture of the day x 2 · point x 8 · poor image · poor photo · popular · popular image · popular photo · popular picture · portrait · posed photo · post x 2 · postcard · potd · potw x 3 · poty x 3 · precision · prefix · print · privacy · private email · profile x 9 · profile extra · pseudonym · public acces · public domain
· question · quoting
· rating · re-use · recent · red/green map x 2 · reject · remove x 4 · remove larger size · remove photo x 2 · remove sd · remove search x 2 · repeat visitor point · replace image · result · retrieve image · retrieve photo · retrieve picture · reuse · right way up · rights of way · rotation · rss
· save change · save search x 2 · search x 8 · search history · second · select multiple file · selected image · selection · shadow x 2 · shared description x 3 · showcase · showcase gallery · sideway · sitemap · snippet · speculative upload x 2 · spreadsheet · squirrel · statistic x 2 · style · subject · subject tag · submission x 8 · submitting · suggestion x 2 · supplemental x 7 · support · supporting information
· t point · t-point · tag x 4 · tagging · team · text size · themed topic · third · this day in past year · this day in the past · thumb x 3 · thumbed · thumbed description · thumbed photo · thumbs up x 2 · thumbs-up x 2 · ticket x 2 · tile · time · time point · time serie · tinap · today · today's photo · top tag x 2 · tpoint x 5 · tunnel · turn around. 90 degree
· underground · unknown · unknown date · unsave search · update · url x 5 · use of my photos around the site · use of photo · user guide · user-generated map · using geograph material x 4
· v2 submit x 2 · vaulting · video · view direction · viewbag · viewpoint · visitor counter · visitor point x 2 · voting x 3
· walk-through · wgs84 · whats it all about · where · where is it? · who · wikimedia · wikipedia · window reflection · worldwide · wrong way up
(show all questions)
(show all questions)
- Who built this marvellous site? Close
- Please see the Credits Page for information on all the people who make this site possible.
http://www.geograph.org.uk/help/credits
http://www.geograph.org.uk/team.php· Edit this answer (Open for editing by anyone) · Provide an alternative answer! - what is a thumbed photo? Close
- In the line of links just below the credit line on the photo page are one or two yellow 'thumbs up' icons. Just one, which says [👍🏻 Like] if there is no description. Or one saying [👍🏻 Like Image] and another with [👍🏻 Like Description]. You can also find the 'Like' thumbs on the 'Full listing + Links' format of the photo search under 'Thumb'.
Click on one or both to show your appreciation.
When this happens to one of your photos, it is reported on the section of your profile 'Use of my photos around the site'. - What makes a good Geograph? Close
- The answers given by Barry have been on the site for a long time, and they form the basis of what the site is about. Yet many good Geographs do not fulfil any of those criteria, and two are almost contradictory (at close up and being useful in interpreting a map).
It is important to realise that the site has grown way beyond what was first envisaged, and so the site's definition of Geography is now very wide, incorporating a lot of social history, ecology, geology and other allied subjects. This is encouraged but it means that the definition of a Geograph has become broader.
So a Geograph is any photograph, accurately geoloacted, that depicts the Geography of a square, or any aspect of the Geography of the square, shown in some form of context. A description is useful and encouraged, especially for photographs in which the geography is not obvious, but it is not essential.
Some other photographs are still extremely welcome and contain useful geographical information but may not be classified as Geographs*, and listed below:
Firstly, it was felt that it was very important that every square should be actually visited and not just 'view-bagged' from a distance. So, Geographs must be taken within the square. Nevertheless, certain views can only be seen from outside a square. These cross-grid shots are classified as "Cross Grid".
Secondly, some photographs don't have much context. These are usually details of large objects, but they may just be very small objects or they could be large objects that are not shown completely. Most mods would agree that the smaller the object the more context that is needed to make it a Geograph. These close-ups are classified as "Close Look"*. The largest objects that tend to be classed as shown in close-up or incompletely are buildings. Most mods believe that to be a Geograph a building photograph should the whole building or some context, although some mods would prefer both.
Thirdly, indoor shots are classified as "Inside". They can add useful information, but indoors, being an entirely human environment, is on the fringe of the site's definition. Only public indoor areas are acceptable.
Fourthly, shots taken from the air are classified as "Aerial". They are often useful, but they approach the subject of Geography in a different way than was originally envisaged.
Finally some shots are classified as "Extra" these include:
Silhouettes
Sunsets and sunrises
Cloudscapes, sky, auroras, celestial bodies etc
Things in the sky such as birds, aircraft, balloons etc.
Things on the sea that are not permanently fixed to the sea bed for extended periods of time such as boats, windsurfers, inflatables
*(From 11 May 2016 the Supplemental Classification is replaced by Image Type Tags:
see http://www.geograph.org.uk/article/Image-Type-Tags-update ).· contributed by Mike Pennington, Jun 2011 · Edit this answer (Open for editing by anyone) · Provide an alternative answer! - Why are you introducing Geographical Context? Close
- Geograph publishes photos that illustrate the geography of Great Britain, Ireland and the Isle of Man.
For the first six years and 2 million images, Geograph contributors have been required to choose a primary geographical category for each of their images. They could either select one from a list or create a new one if what they wanted didn't exist. Some contributors limited themselves to a small number of very general categories (moorland, lake, buildings...) while others preferred to create much more detailed, often unique, categories (church (Roman Catholic) (former), artificial fish farming pool, bat hibernaculum...). The list grew to an unwieldy 9,000 categories, mostly of detailed photograph subjects. The primary geographical categories – which offered a broad-brush way of organising the archive – had got lost.
The system showed its limitations as the archive grew. For example, in this subject-rich photo http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/1579473 the short title and description and single category (Watercourse) mean that other features go unrecorded, so will not be picked up in a search. Similarly in http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/716196 the category selected was Lake. A search on Lake would return over 25,000 images – not very useful. The interesting detail in the description would only be found by a very specific search. In a third example http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/514710 the category Artificial fish farming pool is unique, although the image would be found by a search for Fish farm. All these images would of course be seen in browsing their respective gridsquares. Photos with the minimum information will tend to be invisible to searches because searches are text-based. The solution is to enable contributors to choose multiple categories – tags – and one or more primary geographical categories – geographical context - that describe the content of the photo.
Of course, submitter knows best. The new system asks submitters to choose at least one geographical context from a fixed list of 46 very general options. If several of them apply, all their boxes can be ticked. At the same time, detail is encouraged with free-form tags which would previously have cluttered up the category list, and which can now be put to good use in narrowing down searches. So, geographical context and tags together should do all that categories used to, but without their limitations. In the Askern example several context boxes could be ticked: Lake, Village, Open space, Leisure; possibly Mining. From these alone a picture forms in the mind. Tags would fill in details of the birds, the tree, and the vanished historical features. The more information that can be attached to a photo the greater its value to the archive.
[edited by Robin Stott]· More information on this topic... · Edit this answer (Open for editing by anyone) · Provide an alternative answer! - I disagree with the location or title of an image - what can I do? Close
- Our "Change Suggestions" allow any registered user to suggest a change of grid reference, title/comment or other information - simply view the full size image and click the "Suggest an update to this image" link.
http://www.geograph.org.uk/help/changes· More information on this topic... · Edit this answer (Open for editing by anyone) · Provide an alternative answer! - Counties, I'm confused, which do you display? Close
- We use county information to aid recognition of place names on photo pages and other areas of the site, like helping to disambiguate search terms (e.g. a search for "Gillingham")
For Ireland, it's simple; we just use the traditional counties. Great Britain isn't so easy, which has seen three major county structures;
Ceremonial counties (sometimes known as Geographic)
These were introduced in 1974 primarily as a way to define areas for county councils. Although these are possibly what most people recognize as counties, a suitable dataset to allow us to use these counties would be too costly for us to bear. So we must compromise a little...
Administrative counties (also known as district/unitary authorities)
These are the modern 'counties' in use by the current government (since 1997). This is the best dataset we have available, so we display it prominently in the gazetteer line on photo pages. It is also useful for identifying the council responsible for the area. However for large towns/cities, for example Sheffield, which are in their own authority (i.e. the 'county' of Sheffield), we attempt to be clever and display the historic county instead.
Historic counties
These are the counties that have evolved over many hundreds of years and were in active use until 1974. We use this data as a fallback - where we've opted to display the administrative country on a photo page, you can often find the historic county by hovering over this title.
For a more in depth explanation, see http://www.abcounties.co.uk/ . (However beware that the site doesn't use the exact same terms.)
To see lists of counties in each structure see the Explore Section.
http://www.geograph.org.uk/explore/#counties· Edit this answer (Open for editing by anyone) · Provide an alternative answer! - I've seen little thumbs-up symbols around the site, what are they? Close
- Simply click them if you like the image and/or description (separate entries in the thumb pop-up for each).
We don't know what use we will make of the data, but note that there are number of things we won't do. We won't disclose who is voting (all anonymous), we won't be using it to produce leaderboards, and we won't be disclosing which images that have few/no votes. The general idea is to simply find great content worth showcasing.
See this page for a bit more information, and the general principles behind voting on Geograph.
http://www.geograph.org.uk/help/voting - How do I view EXIF details for a photo on Geograph? Close
- Not all submissions have EXIF details attached, some image manipulation software strips the EXIF unless you ask it not too. Some contributors deliberately strip the EXIF as an easy fix to portrait images appearing sideways on the site.
Where it exists you can use a browser add-on to view the EXIF or download the photo (not the smallest version when larger ones are available - the next size up will have it). In Windows right-click on the photo in question and select 'Properties' then 'Details'. On macOS, open the photo in Preview, click on 'Tools' up in the menu bar at the top then select 'Show Inspector' and click on the 'Exif' tab. In Irfanview use the 'Image information' button.· contributed by Penny Mayes, Aug 2017 · Edit this answer (Open for editing by anyone) · Provide an alternative answer! - I've spotted a mistake. What should I do? Close
- [PERSONAL OPINION OF THE AUTHOR] Geograph takes pride in taking care about accuracy of location and information content. We like to think that this sets us apart from many other picture sites on the internet.
Whether it is one of your own pictures or someone else's, if you think something's wrong, please use the 'change image details' or 'suggest update' link under the main picture. This gives you access to a form where you can amend any of the details (subject and camera position, view direction, title, description etc). After making your changes, leave a short explanation in the box at the end of the form.
Changes to your own images will update immediately. The only exception are changes to the subject grid square, which are moderated; this will typically take a day or so.
If you suggest changes to someone else's pictures, they will be alerted and have an opportunity to reply. Ideally, you should work with the original contributor to come to a consensus. Moderators will try to assist with that. Generally, accuracy is taken very seriously, but if additional information is presented, it is the photo contributor's prerogative to decide whether to accept it.
When making a suggestion, please bear in mind that you are communicating with the original author, not primarily with Geograph. Explain your changes in a friendly and civil manner, and supply sources to verify your point. Avoid making many suggestions to the same contributor at the same time.
Suggestions which are mainly concerned with geograph/supplemental* classification or seek to move positions by small amounts within the stated precision (often 100m) are regarded as a waste of time by many and can cause aggravation out of proportion with their usefulness.
* (From 11 May 2016 the Supplemental Classification is replaced by Image Type Tags:
see http://www.geograph.org.uk/article/Image-Type-Tags ).· More information on this topic... · Edit this answer (Open for editing by anyone) · Provide an alternative answer! - Do you have an RSS feed? Close
- RSS, or Really Simple Syndication, allows you to obtain an up-to-date listing of the latest Geograph submissions for integration into another website or RSS reader. For more information, try this Wikipedia article on RSS.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RSS_(protocol)
We provide an GeoRSS (RSS1.0) feed at http://www.geograph.org.uk/feed/recent.rss which contains links to the latest 20 moderated images.
We have recently added RSS feeds to other parts of the site:
* You will find an RSS button at the bottom of search results, useful to keep updated on local images.
* Registered users can access an RSS feed of the latest topics in the Discussion Forum, and even subscribe to an individual topic, just look for the RSS button!
* the Grid Square Discussions even supports GeoRSS.
* Get an RSS feed of recently updated Articles.
* The newer Content section has an RSS feed.
* Find out about organized meets by following the RSS feed.
(They also accept the format parameter like the main feed.)
If you use the Firefox web browser, you should be able use our feeds as "live bookmarks" - simply click the orange button in the address bar (or in the status bar on older versions).
For more technical information, see
http://www.geograph.org.uk/help/api· Edit this answer (Open for editing by anyone) · Provide an alternative answer! - I'm an artist and would like to use a scene from a geograph in a painting. Is that acceptable? Close
- It depends on how closely your painting resembles the photograph. I can't see any problem with using the information gleaned from any Geograph picture to inspire your painting. On the other hand, if you were to trace the photo and paint it over, you should credit the photographer for their contribution.
If you are in any doubt, just email the contributor (there's a link under the main picture) and ask them; I'm sure most will answer in the same way. You could offer to take a photo of your finished painting and send it to them as a thank you - many would appreciate that.· Edit this answer (Open for editing by anyone) · Provide an alternative answer! - Can I create my own photo collection based on a theme of my choice - if so, how ? Close
- There are several ways to create a photo collection - http://www.geograph.org.uk/article/Content-on-Geograph
Marked list - see http://www.geograph.org.uk/article/The-Mark-facility
You can save this as a private list or use it to build a Themed Topic or Article.
Themed Topic - a discussion area where you can gather photos either alone (by locking the topic after each post) or collaboratively.
Article - see http://www.geograph.org.uk/article/Help_on_formatting_of_articles for help in creating articles which can also be a sole effort or opened up for collaborative editing.
Articles are indexed by google (and other search engines) and are visible to registered and non-registered users of the site.· contributed by Penny Mayes, Mar 2016 · Edit this answer (Open for editing by anyone) · Provide an alternative answer! - I entered the wrong date in the "date taken" field before submitting. Can I change it? Close
- Yes, as with any of the information you added when submitting, this can be edited using the 'Change image details' form which is linked to just below the photo on its main page.· contributed by Penny Mayes, Feb 2018 · Edit this answer (Open for editing by anyone) · Provide an alternative answer!
- How do you cite on geograph co uk Close
- Adding a link to the source of information, or showing details of an off-line publication within your description or article are the usual ways to add a citation.· contributed by Penny Mayes, Sep 2023 · Edit this answer (Open for editing by anyone) · Provide an alternative answer!
- I've got a photo of an unknown castle (harbour, sheepfold,...) - do you know where it is? Close
- Chances are that someone on Geograph will recognise it if you show it to them. We've got a special area for images of unidentified locations at http://www.nearby.org.uk/geograph/speculative/ . To use it, you need to sign up with Geograph first (free and painless) at http://www.geograph.org.uk/register.php . Members are alerted to these speculative uploads on a special forum thread http://www.geograph.org.uk/discuss/index.php?&action=vthread&forum=2&topic=12804&page=0 .
Quite a few uncertain images are located using this facility. Once they are, they are transferred to the Geograph collection, and you can add a description and further information from your own research if you like. Good luck!· More information on this topic... · Edit this answer (Open for editing by anyone) · Provide an alternative answer! - Does Geograph accept interior photographs? Close
- Interior shots are not the main purpose of the site, but we do include them, ideally cross-linked to an exterior shot for context. This generally only applies to publicly accessible places and to sites of a particular interest. Interior shots are always supplemental* images, but they can add valuable information and are generally welcome.
*(From 11 May 2016 the Supplemental Classification is replaced by Image Type Tags:
see http://www.geograph.org.uk/article/Image-Type-Tags-update ).· More information on this topic... · Edit this answer (Open for editing by anyone) · Provide an alternative answer! - How do I write a word in italics for the scientific name of an organism? Close
- I'm sorry, you can't.
We keep the formatting simple on descriptions so the text can be used in the widest possible number of places without causing problems.
You can, however, use italics in articles - see http://www.geograph.org.uk/article/Help_on_formatting_of_articles· contributed by Penny Mayes, Nov 2015 · Edit this answer (Open for editing by anyone) · Provide an alternative answer! - Can I use someone else's text in my description? Close
- It's usually best to paraphrase information from other sources and then add a reference (or hyperlink) to those sources. If you want to quote something verbatim, you need to ask the author for permission to use it and to re-licence it under the Creative Commons licence - which essentially means they not only allow you but the whole world to use their text, provided credit is given. If you have their permission to re-use their text, you should still acknowledge that it's theirs.
It doesn't matter if the text you wish to quote is from a commercial printed work, a website or just a handwritten note the original author wrote just for your information.
(Inspired by a question asked by Jon2 and answered by barryhunter on the forum http://www.geograph.org.uk/discuss/index.php?&action=vthread&forum=18&topic=13068&dontcount=1&page=0#6 .)· More information on this topic... · Edit this answer (Open for editing by anyone) · Provide an alternative answer! - How do I get a list of my photos as a CSV? Close
- On the bottom of your profile page, look for "Download: CSV , XML for Excel 2003 of all images".
This has links to download as Comma Separate Values (CSV) or Excel XML format.
These can be opened in spreadsheet software, eg LibreOffice or Micrsoft Excel.
The URL for these downloads looks like this:
For CSV: http://www.geograph.org.uk/export.csv.php?u=XXXX&supp=1&taken=1&submitted=1&hits=1&tags=1
For Excel: http://www.geograph.org.uk/export.excel.xml.php?u=XXXX&supp=1&taken=1&submitted=1&hits=1&tags=1
The parameters specify what is included. The contributor is u=XXXX, where XXXX is the user ID. If you use a link from your own profile, it will include your own ID.
Other options:
&supp=1 - include photos classed as supplemental
&taken=1 - include taken date
&submitted=1 - include submitted date
&hits=1 - include hit count
&tags=1 - include tags, in a list separated by question marks
&desc=1 - include description
&class=1 - include classification (geograph or supplemental)
&level=1 - include geograph points, eg 1st, 2nd, 3rd
&ll=1 - include latitude and longitude (in separate columns)
&en=1 - include numerical grid reference, in easting and northing, plus figures for precision
&ppos=1 - include photographer position, easting and northing
For more details, see the API help: http://www.geograph.org.uk/help/api#csv· contributed by Craig Wallace, Sep 2013 · Edit this answer (Open for editing by anyone) · Provide an alternative answer! - Do I need to resize my photos before upload? Are there size limits? Close
- You can upload images of any dimensions, portrait or landscape, but the file size needs to be under 8 megabytes. We do resize them so their longest dimension is 640 pixels on the main photo page. Optionally, you can also release larger versions of various sizes for downloading and re-use.
http://www.geograph.org.uk/article/Larger-Uploads-Information
We only accept JPEG encoded images. If you have any image in another format it will need to be converted.
Ideally images shouldn't have a longest dimension of fewer than 480 pixels. While we might accept such images if they hold particular interest, we would really prefer a larger image.
We do record the EXIF headers from your original image, so it is advantageous to upload your original camera image or use image editing software that maintains the EXIF data if you want this information to be kept (but we don't currently make use of the data). - There are too many steps in the submission process. Can I do it all in one go? Close
- You can switch to version 2 of the submission procedure http://www.geograph.org.uk/submit2.php , which has all four steps on one page in collapsible boxes. To open and close the boxes, click on their header bar. You can begin filling in the boxes while your picture is uploading, although a few options such as tags only become available once the upload is finished.
Version 2 becomes available once you're familiar with the kind of information needed for a submission to Geograph, having uploaded a few pictures using the standard method.
Instead of switching each time, you can set your preferred submission method in your profile http://www.geograph.org.uk/profile.php?edit=1 .· More information on this topic... · Edit this answer (Open for editing by anyone) · Provide an alternative answer! - How do I create links between my pics and between my pics and other pics Close
- In your description you can create a link to another picture on geograph in 2 ways:
1) By entering the ID surrounded by 2 or 3 square brackets e.g. [[12345]] This will display as a link to (e.g.) " NN2544 : Coire Toaig"
An easy way of getting ID's for your recent photo's is to click on "recent uploads", where the id's are listed in square brackets for you to copy. This can be helpful when creating links before pics are moderated.
2) You can enter the full URL of a pic e.g. http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/12345 and that will display as "link". Note that the set of numbers at the end of the url is the photo ID.
For more detail, and for editing pics that have already been moderated, we suggest taking a look at Rudi Winter's tutorial (click on "More information on this topic... " below)· More information on this topic... · contributed by Stephen Richards, Feb 2012 · Edit this answer (Open for editing by anyone) · Provide an alternative answer! - How do I put web links, URL's or links to geograph pictures into descriptions? Close
- You can put links (URL or URI) to web pages and geograph photos into your description, and this will display with the text "link" in the description. Always leave a space after the link to avoid punctuation marks being included in the link. A link to any web resource will work, including a link to a photo on geograph such as http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/12345. Note that the set of numbers at the end of the url is the photo ID.
You can also link directly to a pic on geograph by entering the ID surrounded by 2 or 3 square brackets e.g. [[12345]] This will display as a link to (e.g.) " NN2544 : Coire Toaig".
An easy way of getting ID's for your recent photo's is to click on "recent uploads", where the id's are listed in square brackets for you to copy. This can be helpful when creating links before pics are moderated.
For more detail, and for editing pics that have already been moderated, we suggest taking a look at Rudi Winter's tutorial (click on "More information on this topic... " below)· More information on this topic... · contributed by Roger Jones, Dec 2013 · Edit this answer (Open for editing by anyone) · Provide an alternative answer! - How can I take better photos? Close
- Geograph is primarily for documentary photographs, not works of art. If your photos clearly show the subject, are well-lit, straightened-up, in focus and if possible visually appealing, you're doing fine. In the Collections area of the site there are many examples: see any of the 'Stellar examples' in Themed topics and illustrations of Geographical context at http://www.geograph.org.uk/tags/primary.php
Light
Generally speaking, sunshine gives best results, but time of day and time of year impart their own qualities to a photo. In bright summer light in the middle of the day, subjects are unavoidably top-lit, often reflective, while shadows are short, intense and below the subject. In the early morning and from late afternoon the sun is lower in the sky, subjects may be side-lit, the light is less harsh and shadows may be attractively long, revealing the form of objects they lie across. Similar conditions prevail in the middle of the day in the winter months. Photographing into the light is not recommended. 'Contre-jour' effects are expressive but may not convey much geographical information. Sometimes, however, you should ignore advice such as this and just respond to the subject and the conditions. For very bright surroundings such as snow, beaches and expanses of rock or concrete, consult your user guide.
Shadow
Subjects and scenes in shadow may sometimes have to be photographed "ready or not". The sun goes in or clouds merge. Pointing the camera more towards the ground will make auto-exposure adjust for a darker subject. If you prefer more control you can change the camera settings: look in your user guide for topics such as 'ISO speed', 'Metering mode' and 'Exposure compensation'. There may be less control with a camera phone: photos taken in poor light are likely to be dark or dull. To salvage something from a disappointing photo, see the answer to the question 'How can I improve a photo?' On the other hand dull days provide opportunities for photographing other subjects, such as details. Exploit the 'flat' light with zoom shots of distant subjects.
Night photography
Photographs taken at night are often classified as supplementals. That is fine; they can reveal geographic and cultural realities not evident during the day. There may be multiple light sources. Again, consult your camera's user guide. Experiment — and stay safe.
edited by Robin Stott· More information on this topic... · contributed by Robin Stott, Jun 2011 · Edit this answer (Open for editing by anyone) · Provide an alternative answer! - Is there a way to enter latitude and longitude directly when submitting? Close
- Most GPS receivers allow you to change the datum and display format to OSGB36 and British National Grid, the convention used by the Ordnance Survey of Great Britain. If you're using a GPS built into a mobile phone, this may not be possible, and your coordinates will always be in WGS84 lat/lon format. If you also use your GPS phone to take your geographs, it should store the positions in the GeoExif header, which Geograph should interpret correctly as camera position (via the Geotagged Image option).
Otherwise, you can use the map part of the submission routine ('locate/find on map') and enter your lat/lon coordinates in the format the 'Search' function, in decimal degrees like 56.45657,-4.54675 . This will look up the grid reference for the location and insert it as _subject_ position into the submission dialogue. You may have to adjust this unless the subject was right in front of you.
Alternatively, there is a conversion tool here on Geograph Tools http://www.nearby.org.uk/coord.cgi?f=conv from which you can copy and paste. Or one built into geograph at https://www.geograph.org.uk/latlong.php
(Question asked by Roga and answered by barryhunter, oasthouse and DHL on the forum http://www.geograph.org.uk/discuss/index.php?&action=vthread&forum=18&topic=13483&dontcount=1&page=0#1
Later updated, as conversion tools have changed over time))· More information on this topic... · Edit this answer (Open for editing by anyone) · Provide an alternative answer! - Can I upload an annotated version of a photograph to point out particular features? Close
- The main picture on Geograph should be free from annotations because different people may want to use it in different contexts. However, annotated pictures demonstrating features such as geological or geographical details are very welcome. Please upload annotated versions to Geograph's media repository http://media.geograph.org.uk/ and link them from the description of the original image uploaded to Geograph's main archive. This article http://www.geograph.org.uk/article/Howto-Crosslinking-descriptions shows how to make such links.
The media repository can also be used for out-of-copyright images such as old postcards to compare with the same scene in a current geograph, or for user-generated maps of the area.
You can also annotate other people's images and link them as external images from an article you're writing. To get started with article writing, have a look at this overview: http://www.geograph.org.uk/article/Help_on_formatting_of_articles .· More information on this topic... · Edit this answer (Open for editing by anyone) · Provide an alternative answer! - What is a Supplemental image? Close
- (From 11 May 2016 the Supplemental Classification is replaced by Image Type Tags:
see http://www.geograph.org.uk/article/Image-Type-Tags-update ).
If an image doesn't quite fulfill the Geograph criteria above, but is still a good image, we'll accept it as "Supplemental image" - no Geograph points are awarded, but the image will still appear on the selected grid square. A square that just contains Supplemental images is still open to be claimed as a Geograph though!
Supplemental images are not inferior to Geographs, just different. For the interpretation of a square they are just as valuable as they add extra information (in the case of close-ups) or wider views (in the case of aerial shots or images taken from another square).· More information on this topic... · Edit this answer (Open for editing by anyone) · Provide an alternative answer! - Is there a table of how many new points I acquire per month? Close
- Yes, there is! And also for many other sorts of time series analysis you may be interested in: http://www.geograph.org.uk/statistics/overtime.php .
You've got the choice of analysing data for Geograph as a whole or just for yourself.
You can download the table in comma-separated value format for further analysis and plotting in external programs.
(Inspired by a question asked on the forum http://www.geograph.org.uk/discuss/index.php?&action=vthread&forum=18&topic=13062&dontcount=1&page=0#1 by Anthony V and answered by barryhunter.)· More information on this topic... · Edit this answer (Open for editing by anyone) · Provide an alternative answer! - How do I start a new discussion? Close
- First select the appropriate forum, either from the forum list page http://www.geograph.org.uk/discuss/index.php?forums=1 or by selecting the icon from the 'recent discussions' page http://www.geograph.org.uk/discuss/index.php?forums=0 (either at the top or beside an existing discussion thread).
Once on the correct forum, scroll to the foot of the page and in the box labelled 'Topic title' just below 'New topic' type your title.
In the large text box below 'Message' compose your post - help on formatting is available by clicking the link [Help - How to format posts including inserting images and links] (opens in a new tab).· More information on this topic... · contributed by Penny Mayes, Mar 2017 · Edit this answer (Open for editing by anyone) · Provide an alternative answer! - How do I hyperlink a word or words in a Geograph forum to a URL address. Close
- See the help on formatting forum posts, there is a link to the right above the text box.
[url=http://www.example.com]Some text[/url] shows as Some text
The shortcut for [url=][/url] is the globe with chain icon immediately above the box - your link goes after the = your text goes between the ][· More information on this topic... · contributed by Penny Mayes, Jan 2018 · Edit this answer (Open for editing by anyone) · Provide an alternative answer!See the help on formatting forum posts, there is a link to the right above the text box.
[url=http://www.example.com]Some text[/url] shows as Some text
The shortcut for [url=][/url] is the globe with chain icon immediately above the box - your link goes after the = your text goes between the ][· More information on this topic... · contributed by Penny Mayes, Jan 2018 · Edit this answer (Open for editing by anyone) · Provide an alternative answer! - I've got a picture of an insect (plant, pillbox, locomotive...). Can you help identify it for me? Close
- There are a number of forum threads where knowledgeable Geograph members help out identifying a variety of things. Just upload your picture (with the usual geographical information) and post it on the appropriate thread, then update your description when you get a satisfactory answer.
- insects: http://www.geograph.org.uk/discuss/index.php?&action=vthread&forum=18&topic=10511
- fish: http://www.geograph.org.uk/discuss/index.php?&action=vthread&forum=2&topic=12115
- birds: http://www.geograph.org.uk/discuss/index.php?&action=vthread&forum=2&topic=7307
- deer: http://www.geograph.org.uk/discuss/index.php?&action=vthread&forum=2&topic=13388
- livestock breeds: http://www.geograph.org.uk/discuss/index.php?&action=vthread&forum=2&topic=7733
- trees: http://www.geograph.org.uk/discuss/index.php?&action=vthread&forum=2&topic=12362
- orchids: http://www.geograph.org.uk/discuss/index.php?&action=vthread&forum=2&topic=11958
- crops: http://www.geograph.org.uk/discuss/index.php?&action=vthread&forum=2&topic=7530
- plants in general: http://www.geograph.org.uk/discuss/index.php?&action=vthread&forum=2&topic=4791
- fungi: http://www.geograph.org.uk/discuss/index.php?&action=vthread&forum=18&topic=12620
- geological curiosities: http://www.geograph.org.uk/discuss/index.php?&action=vthread&forum=6&topic=1910
- clouds: http://www.geograph.org.uk/discuss/index.php?&action=vthread&forum=6&topic=14038
- ships: http://www.geograph.org.uk/discuss/index.php?&action=vthread&forum=2&topic=12872
- phoneboxes: http://www.geograph.org.uk/discuss/index.php?&action=vthread&forum=6&topic=12931
- pillboxes: http://www.geograph.org.uk/discuss/index.php?&action=vthread&forum=18&topic=12600
- tractors: http://www.geograph.org.uk/discuss/index.php?&action=vthread&forum=2&topic=11962
- farm machinery: http://www.geograph.org.uk/discuss/index.php?&action=vthread&forum=2&topic=3366
- locomotives: http://www.geograph.org.uk/discuss/index.php?&action=vthread&forum=2&topic=11550
- railway paraphernalia: http://www.geograph.org.uk/discuss/index.php?&action=vthread&forum=2&topic=12095
- mystery objects: http://www.geograph.org.uk/discuss/index.php?&action=vthread&forum=2&topic=3736
If none of these fits your identification problem, try searching the forum (entry box top right on any forum page) or start a new thread, ideally using the word 'identification' in the title. And please edit this answer and include a link to it!· More information on this topic... · Edit this answer (Open for editing by anyone) · Provide an alternative answer! - Can I suggest a photo for the front page of Geograph? Close
- Members of Geograph can (if you aren't yet, sign up by clicking the 'register link' top right on any page). Go to the forum ('Discussions' in the sidebar menu) and add any pictures you'd like to see in all their glory on the front page for one day only to this thread: http://www.geograph.org.uk/discuss/index.php?&action=vthread&forum=2&topic=17652 . They will then be added to the list from which the daily picture is picked. If you'd like to suggest a picture for a specific day, please say so - there's no guarantee though, as the day may already have a picture assigned to it. You can post a small selection of your own pictures, but it is nice to highlight other peoples efforts as well where you come across them.
There is one technical limitation to bear in mind: The front page picture has to fit in a landscape frame due to the page layout. If it isn't landscape format, it'll be cropped and the central section used. Sometimes that can work, but generally it's best to pick landscape formats in the first place.· More information on this topic... · Edit this answer (Open for editing by anyone) · Provide an alternative answer! - How can I show a picture on the forum? Close
- If you want to show a thumbnail of a picture from the Geograph collection, just copy and paste its URL (web address) between a pair of square brackets: [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/1234567] or just its id number between a pair of triple square brackets: [[[1234567]]].
You can't generally show pictures from other websites, but you can link them so people can click the link to view the picture elsewhere by using this syntax: [url=http://www.example.com/pic.jpg]anchor text[/url] where 'anchor text' stands for the text people click to go to the picture.
If you've got a picture that adds value to the point you're making but it's not suitable to upload it to the Geograph collection, you can upload it to the Geograph media server http://media.geograph.org.uk/ . Once uploaded you can show it in a forum thread using the [img]http://media.geograph.org.uk/files/....[/img] syntax. Use the 'direct link' URL from the upload page for this. This works for png, gif and jpeg formats. If the image is wider than 640px, it'll automatically be shrunk to fit.
This technique is best used for supporting material such as out-of-copyright photos that you can't license under the Creative Commons licence, user-generated maps or graphs showing statistics etc. It should not be used to create signatures, smileys or avatars or other recurrent images, which aren't used on the Geograph forums.· More information on this topic... · Edit this answer (Open for editing by anyone) · Provide an alternative answer!
General
Viewing Images
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Photo Contributors :: Contributing
Points and Moderation
Finding way in the forum
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