Geograph - photograph every grid square

I realise that I can search the Coverage Map, but is there a way to show only the grid squares with no photographs?

I realise that I can search the Coverage Map, but is there a way to show only the grid squares with no photographs?

It's a geography project for the people
It's a national photography project
It's a good excuse to get out more!
It's a game - how many grid squares will you contribute?
It's a free and open online community project for all.

Keeping the Geograph website operational requires many people to donate their time or resources, and we want to be sure that the website is a resource free from commercial exploitation in future. To that end, the site software is available for re-use under the terms of the GNU Public Licence (GPL).

Also, we require all submitters to adopt a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike licence on their photographic submissions.
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/

Under this licence the photographer keeps the copyright on their images but grants the right to anyone to copy and/or distribute and/or modify the image and its attached metadata, provided they give credit. This right to reuse the image may include someone printing and selling the image on Ebay or elsewhere.

On submission, contributors licence their images at one or more specific sizes. Once a licence is granted it is irrevocable, as that image and licence may legally have been downloaded and used elsewhere.

In a nutshell, we wanted to build a true community project that won't leave a nasty taste in the mouth by getting sold for shedloads of cash and taken away from the people who contributed. These licence terms ensure that the site and content can never be "taken away" from you. See Freedom - The Geograph Manifesto http://www.geograph.org.uk/help/freedom



(Developer? http://www.geograph.org.uk/article/Geograph-for-Developers )

The photo ID number may be found at the end of the address (URL) of the photo page e.g. http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/1234567

Here's a quick link to the Ordnance Survey's beginner's guide to grid references: https://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/getoutside/guides/beginners-guide-to-grid-references/

Grid references locate places on the map. They consist of one (Ireland) or two (Great Britain) letters followed by an even number of digits. The letters define a (100x100)km^2 square (a 'myriad' in Geograph-speak) and are best looked up on an overview map. The numbers locate the position within that square. To find a location, split the block of numbers in two. The first block is the easting, i.e. the distance from the western edge of the myriad. The second is the northing - the distance from its southern edge.

Grid references always specify square areas, not points. The more digits there are, the smaller is the square referred to, and the higher is the precision of the grid reference. For each pair of digits, the precision increases by a factor of ten: SN58 defines a square of (10x10)km^2, 50km to the east and 80km to the north of the origin of myriad SN. SN5881 is a (1x1)km^2 square 58km east and 81km north of that origin. SN 58272 81324 is a (1x1)m^2 area. When stating a grid reference, the precision given should be in line with the accuracy of the position (how well do we actually know where we are?) and with the size of the object (a building doesn't fit on a 1m^2 footprint).

The system Geograph still uses in Ireland works in exactly the same way, although the Ordnance Surveys of Ireland and of Northern Ireland have recently introduced a different system for their maps. This article http://www.geograph.org.uk/article/Locating-photos---Republic-of-Ireland explains the differences.

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 ).

Most web browsers (such as internet explorer, or firefox) allow you to customise your individual settings so that you can specify options like text size, font and colour to make pages easier to read.

A helpful guide from the BBC can be found here:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/accessibility/guides/change_fonts/browser/

The most thoroughly photographed grid squares are listed and linked on http://www.geograph.org.uk/statistics/most_geographed_gridsquare.php .

(This question was asked on the forum http://www.geograph.org.uk/discuss/index.php?&action=vthread&forum=2&topic=15697 by Hugh Chevalier and answered by Oast House Archive.)

The Geograph search only shows you most recent 12 searches (unless you [save a search]). As you add more searches the oldest will drop off the list.
You can [save a search] by clicking the blue hollow star to the left of it on the list - the star fills in and the search becomes 'favourited'. To [stop saving] an individual search, click the star again and the search will drop off the list like any other unsaved search.

The Geograph search only retains you most recent 35 searches (unless you [save a search]). As you add more searches the oldest will drop off the list.
You can [save a search] by clicking the yellow hollow star to the left of it on the list - the star fills in and the search terms are then shown in bold. To [stop saving] an individual search, click the star again and the search will drop off the list like any other unsaved search.

Yes, currently (2016) there are similar sites for Germany and the Channel Islands. See http://www.geograph.org/ for links.

Every submitted image has an Ordnance Survey grid reference, which pins it down to a single 1km square in Britain (two letters) or Ireland (one letter). That generates a local map above the photo with a blue ring where the main feature is.

The viewer location can be any distance away but if not a cross grid will always be within the same square. Cross grids include views, longer telephoto shots and normal photos taken near a square border.

When adding your own decide where the primary location is in the view and then use the second black circle to show where you were when you took it.

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]

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

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

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

The link for the centisquare map for the square is labelled "See geographical distribution of pictures". There is also a link to a centisquare coverage map (with other options) for a wider area (10x10km) labelled "Open Interactive OS Map Overlay" below the map extract.

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.

The Hamsters! Each time the page loads 5 random images are selected, from the last 250 photos moderated.

(For the hamster reference see this http://www.nearby.org.uk/geograph/answers/faq.php?q=geographism )

The simplest method is just to put a place name in the search box on the top right, and then everywhere relevant comes up in distance order. If there are more than one place then add the county or other distinguishing element, it also asks you which one you want if not. The advanced search really needs a direct word search to work. Some are easier than others. Tags such as horse, cat or bridge should be the easiest, whereas user names can appear to confuse the system and more likely to raise place names again. These are for searching photos, the discussions are searched using their own search box when logged in, and besides the filtering process where you check the forums to search and dates, the word selection needs to be pretty specific to exclude lots of similar words you don't want to see.

These are the simple methods, there are many more complex but just for the basics these should suffice.

The 'This day in past years' index page is here http://www.geograph.org.uk/stuff/thisday.php
There is a link to it from the Explore page http://www.geograph.org.uk/explore/ which appears in the menu in the left side-bar.

Anyone can suggest images for inclusion in the Gallery. See link top right on any Gallery page. The gallery is also fed from 'thumbs up' clicks and from forum threads.
Please take the time to vote on images.

When you are at the main page for a square, you can click on the link named "See geographical distribution of pictures". This will enable you to see how many pictures are in each "Centisquare".

Each grid square has a hundred Centisquares which have an area of 100m X 100m.

The quickest way is with our interactive Coverage Maps, click 'Maps' in the sidebar. Can zoom in and will show coverage - including at centisquare (100m square) scale (use the toggle under the map).

Or use the new version: https://www.geograph.org.uk/mapper/combined.php which will change the scale automatically.

There are a number of other coverage maps will find linked around the site, which work slightly differently.


If just want a quick grid view, can use the "See geographical distribution of pictures" on gridsquare pages that provide a non map based view.

These are searches which have been done on your computer on other websites. They are stored in your browser and you can remove them by clearing the search history. Methods vary with browsers and operating systems - Google can probably help.

There is a setting in Chrome (and probably other browsers) to download multiple downloads.

Check that this setting hasn't been inadvertently been set to block for Geograph.

Look in 'Site Settings' for the 'Automatic downloads' option, and change back to 'Allow' (or 'Ask' if prefer!)

Find Site settings in the menu when click the icon at the far left of the Address bar. The icon is meant to represent two toggle switches. Might have option to change 'Automatic downloads' there directly, if not click the arrow beside 'Site Settings' and then scroll down to 'Automatic downloads'

[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 ).

Create a search that only find images in the given square, in reverse date submitted order using the search form http://www.geograph.org.uk/search.php?form=advanced . This one is an example for SN5881: http://www.geograph.org.uk/search.php?i=23416804 . Copy the GeoRSS link at the bottom of the search results page. You can either read the feed in an RSS reader such as Google Reader http://www.google.co.uk/reader by adding the link as a new subscription, or you can use an RSS2email service such as Feedmyinbox http://www.feedmyinbox.com/ to receive updates via email.

There is also a link at the bottom of your profile page giving access to a special search showing images uploaded in the last 30 days in any square that you've submitted to.

Finally, you can subscribe to the grid square discussion of a square you're interested in by going to the grid square discussion page and ticking 'notify me of new posts'.

(Inspired by a question asked on the forum by tuppence and answered by barryhunter http://www.geograph.org.uk/discuss/index.php?&action=vthread&forum=18&topic=13038 .)

(this is referring the 'at most one image from each [...]' option in the 'Advanced Search' function)

The software that drives our search can only at this time return one image from a particular 'group', such as grid square or month. So at this time, can't select multiple images per group.

Also note there is no control over which image is selected, at the moment it's pretty much chosen at random.


Can use the 'Image Browser' (just called 'Browser' in the links on the side) - in the 'Grouped' Mode, can now select multiple images per group. E.g. can get it to show say 4 images per square.
That has much more controls for configuring the sampling.

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

All images are licensed for re-use under a Creative Commons Licence, see licence details by viewing a full size image. Also look for the "Find out how to re-use this image?" link under each image on the main photo page, which outlines easy ways to re-use the image.
http://www.geograph.org.uk/faq.php#opensource

Are you a developer?

... maybe looking for ways to access images outside the website?
http://www.geograph.org.uk/article/Ways-to-view-Geograph-Images

and more info about our API: https://www.geograph.org.uk/article/Geograph-Image-APIs

Please get in contact if you have an idea for re-using images, beyond what's available via the feeds above. In all likelihood we can provide a feed to suit your requirements.
http://www.geograph.org.uk/contact.php

All photos are Creative Commons (CC) licensed. That means you can use them for free for any purpose as long as you credit the photographer individually and state the fact that the image is CC-licensed. You can find suggested wordings for both print and electronic publications if you click 'reuse this picture' under the photo description on each photo page.

If you need a higher-resolution version, there may be a CC-licensed version available by clicking the 'more sizes' link (if present) to the top right of the main photo. Alternatively, you can contact the photographer through their profile page (click their name on the photo page to get there) and ask if they are willing to give or sell you a copy under a separate licence.

Use the Browser search and add "larger:1024" (without quotes) to the end of your keyword query (works with 641, 800, 1024, 1600, 3000) - example https://www.geograph.org.uk/browser/#!/q=bridge+larger%3A1024

... restricts the results to images that have resolution at least 1024 pixels on the longest dimension.

If you are looking for squares to obtain a point, try the coverage maps, and look for green squares; also accessible from that page are various printable checksheets for easy reference in print form. More technical users might enjoy GPX, or Memory Map downloads.

Many of the squares have been captured but only have a few photos; check out the depth map, from which you can find under-represented squares. In the same vein we have a number of maps to show the distribution of photos within a square, usually on a centisquare grid, which divides a grid square into 100 squares, each 100m by 100m.

We have also recently introduced a new map, "Recent Only" this shows recent photos. Help us keep the coverage current by photographing squares without any recent photos (orange or green).

Also look out for Red pin icons around the site, click them to take you to the links page for the location. From that page you can access textual lists of squares in need of photos (as well as direct links to many of the maps on the site).)

Let's preface this by stating We Are Not Lawyers, and if you have any doubts about your right to take pictures, then you're probably better off not submitting it to us. However, there is a useful guide available which outlines your rights in the UK fairly concisely.

http://www.sirimo.co.uk/ukpr.php

Possibly useful reference: https://www.amateurphotographer.co.uk/latest/photo-news/uk-photographers-rights-print-them-out-and-keep-them-handy-19949 and http://www.openphotographicsociety.org/shop-and-tools/photographers-rights-uk/rights-card/858-photographers-rights-card-download (very similar)

It probably depends on the nature and tone of the complaint you've received, and on where you've taken the picture from. You've got three options: respond to the complainant, pass it on to Geograph, or ignore it. In any case, remember that there's nothing wrong with taking pictures from places with public access as long as it doesn't infringe someone's privacy in a very specific manner.

If the complaint is a reasonable request, you may wish to discuss the matter with the complainant directly - they may well be happy with your picture and text once they get to know you a little and realise you're a friendly if slightly excentric square bagger rather than a horse-rustling paedophile terrorist.

If the complaint is irate or makes unreasonable claims for privacy, you may prefer not to let the complainant have your email address. If you don't respond, they can always complain to Geograph. Alternatively, you can forward the complaint to [email protected] , who will deal with it on your behalf. It helps if you present your side of the story and say whether you've taken the picture from a public space, a Public Right of Way or from private property without statutory access. Please make sure that the email address of the complainant shows in the body of the forwarded message.

On the other hand, if you do want to deal with an irate complaint by replying directly, it is usually a good idea to wait a couple of days to diffuse the heat of the moment.

If the complaint is about the text rather than the image, it is often possible to find a wording which will pacify the complainant without distorting the meaning of your text.

(Based on a question asked on the forum by Roger Jones http://www.geograph.org.uk/discuss/index.php?&action=vthread&forum=14&topic=14020&dontcount=1&page=0#1 and answered by Evelyn Simak.)

Use the 'Upload a larger size' link on the photo (or edit) page and submit the size you want (or select the preferred option on the page). This will overwrite the original selection although there may be a brief period when the originally selected size will be available due to caching and the wait before approval.
Be aware that if the very large version has been on the site for a while it may already have been downloaded from the site as a CC licensed image.
Note: if you did not want to license a larger size at all you will need to go through the same process but using an image marginally larger than 640 pixels wide (641 is enough) in order to remove the larger size options.

Image Type Tags (ITTs) were introduced in May 2016 to further define different types of supplemental image. Originally there were 5 (including Geograph) but in November 2016 this was changed to 6 after complaints about the words used. Whether this has helped or not is still a matter for debate.
Generally they can be helpful in refining a search.

It is not possible to replace the image on the photo page but you can upload a larger size version of the same image with different/better processing and note the fact it exists in your description.
We are reluctant to remove images which have been on the site for a while (no telling where they have been linked from) so this is the preferred method of adding a better quality version.

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!

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 ).

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

All submitted images have a unique identity number. It forms the last part of the URL (web address) of the main photo page.
example: http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/4 is the first 'live' image on the site and has the ID number 4 (we don't use leading zeroes) while http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/4018397 was the four millionth to go 'live' on the site (we do get a few rejects or failures) and has the ID number 4018397.

This will depend upon how many moderators are active and the rate at which images are being submitted. It can vary between a few minutes and a couple of days.
Occasionally technical problems can lead to the suspension of moderation for brief periods. This may be announced in the forum.
You can view your recent uploads, moderated or not, via your Recent uploads page http://www.geograph.org.uk/submissions.php (link in the side bar) or from links on your profile page http://www.geograph.org.uk/profile.php (link top right of most pages).

You can submit all your photos under a pseudonym by changing the name on your Profile http://www.geograph.org.uk/profile.php (link top write on most pages). Note that by doing this, the name will be changed on all photos you have previously submitted from the account. These may already have been used elsewhere, crediting the name originally shown.
You can change the credit on an individual image, for instance if you asked someone else to take it for you, but the name on your profile will still be shown on the photo page and the photographer name will still link back to your profile.
You can open another account under a pseudonym but this will need to be done from a different email address and you will have to take care which account you are signed in with before submitting, making changes or posting in the forums.

Short answer - please don't!
Editing out what is there by stamping another part of the image over in order to produce a 'prettier' picture is not what Geograph is about. We aim to record what is there, not a prettified version of it.
If people happen to be in your photo and you think they may object to the image appearing on the internet, consider if you are prepared to deal with any objections they may raise. If not, best not to submit. That said, I can only recall 2-3 images being removed from view because of objections raised by people (known to the photographer) who appeared in them - in the 11 years since the site started.
Some submitters do blur out legible vehicle registration plates. Opinions vary as to whether this is necessary or desirable but it is not a reason for rejection if subtly done.

Using this form https://www.geograph.org.uk/snippets.php tick the 'Only show my descriptions' box and add a keyword then click [Find] - there is a delete button beside each result.
If you find more than one description with your search ensure you pick the right one.

The depth map
http://www.geograph.org.uk/map/?depth=1
displays this graphically. You can zoom in on your area of interest by clicking on the map and the colours show the number of images in each square.

Please see the article http://www.geograph.org.uk/article/Shared-Descriptions

The easiest place from which to add shared descriptions to a few recently submitted images (or check if you have attached it to all you intended) is your Recent Uploads page http://www.geograph.org.uk/submissions.php (link in side bar).
The Shared Descriptions tab below the description box shows how many shared descriptions are attached to an image. Click it to check which they are, create a new shared description or attach one already created.
There is a bulk attach tool available to facilitate the adding of a shared description to up to 50 images at a time (see article).
Note you can only add shared descriptions to your own images but are free to contact other contributors to alert them to the existence of a shared description relevant to their photo which they may wish to add.

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 .)

By uploading an image to Geograph, you agree to license it under a Creative Commons licence. This allows anybody to use your image for any purpose, including commercial use, as long as they give credit to you. They don't have to ask your permission before doing so.

The standard 640x640 pixel size is too low resolution for the vast majority of commercial uses, and it is not uncommon that Geograph-ers are approached by publishers or the media for a higher-resolution version for printing. If you agree to supply one, you can ask for a fee if you like. Basically, you're granting them a separate licence to use another (higher resolution) image. It is up to you to negotiate the licence terms and remuneration you want.

Of course if you choose to license a higher-resolution version under the CC licence alongside the standard size picture, then people are free to use that as well.

Many Geograph-ers are happy to give high-resolution versions for free for charity or community publications while charging a commercial fee from other organisations. Commercial providers of education (materials) seem to be a borderline case for many.

All photo's that have been moderated and accepted are eligible for Photo of the Week (PotW), so long as they are uploaded by the due date for each week as follows:

The PotW weeks run from Saturday to Friday, and you need to upload by midnight the following Tuesday. So e.g. If Saturday was the 1st of the month, you would need to upload anything taken between the 1st and 7th (inclusive) by Tue 11th. NB the important thing is not the dates but the days.

If you wish to avoid your pics being in the PotW, the easiest way is to wait until the due date has passed and then upload.

The photo of the year is selected from those pics already awarded PotW.

Short answer: you can't. But please read on...

You can't revoke the Creative Commons licence you have given The World when submitting your photos, and we would like to ensure as best as we can that you continue to get credit for your images wherever they are used. If you stop submitting, your existing photos remain visible and credited to yourself for this reason.

If you would prefer no longer to be identified as the photographer of the photos you have uploaded, you can change your real name in your profile http://www.geograph.org.uk/profile.php?edit=1 to show a pseudonym, or you can ask us http://www.geograph.org.uk/contact.php to anonymise your account. In either case, your decision is reversible should you change your mind - which of course we do hope!

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

You will only see this against images submitted before Image Type Tags were introduced. Previously it said 'supplemental' and then 'unknown'. So it just means a supplemental image which has not yet had an image type assigned.

It depends on which kind of points you're chasing. If it's good old first-geograph points you're after, the answer is probably 'Ireland', although a handful are still left on the big island too. Many of them are mudflats and military installations, though, so good planning and potentially letter writing for permission may be involved. First-geograph points are available in squares shown in green or orange on this map http://www.geograph.org.uk/mapbrowse.php - zoom into your region of interest. Occasionally, squares that have become 'green' again because a mislocated photo was moved are announced on the forum at http://www.geograph.org.uk/discuss/index.php?&action=vthread&forum=2&topic=8428&page=0 . Expect an imminent mass pilgrimage of Geograph-ers to these, though!

There are also other points that you might like to collect. Personal points are awarded for _your_ first geograph for a square. This map http://www.geograph.org.uk/mapbrowse.php?mine helps you find your personal green squares.

If you are the 2nd, 3rd or 4th visitor to a square and submit a geograph for it, you also get a repeat-visitor point for that. The best way to find which squares have had few visitors is the draggable map http://www.geograph.org.uk/mapper/ . You need to change the data overlaid on the Ordnance Survey map by clicking the blue '+' sign top right. Then select 'contributor depth'. This shows the number of different contributors to each square, so if it shows a '2', then you can get a 3rd-visitor point if you upload a picture for that square.

Finally, there are TPoints. They are awarded for geographs which were taken at least five years earlier and later than any existing ones, so you can get a TPoint for a current geograph if nobody has uploaded one taken in the last five years before you. If you enable the TPoint layer in the draggable map (again, via the blue '+'), you can see to which squares this currently applies. You can also get a TPoint for an archive shot which falls outside the periods five years either side of any previously uploaded geographs, but the map doesn't show this.

Geograph itself hasn't got any data on re-use of images downloaded from here. It wouldn't even be possible to determine who downloaded it in most cases. Google image search https://www.google.co.uk/imghp?hl=en&tab=wi is quite good at finding copies of an image elsewhere on the web. Just drag and drop the image onto the search bar. But of course there's no guarantee that it'll find all other instances of each photo.

If you find an interesting website re-using your or other Geograph photos, consider posting it on the forum thread http://www.geograph.org.uk/discuss/index.php?&action=vthread&forum=2&topic=3179

(from a support request sent to http://www.geograph.org.uk/contact.php )

The statistics section offers limitless opportunities to generate leaderboards that suit every possible feti^H^H^H^Hspecial interest. You can generate one by filling in this form http://www.geograph.org.uk/statistics/groupby.php - best of all, you can refine the criteria until it is just specific enough, but no more! The 'keywords' box understands the same syntax as the general site search (for details see the link next to the box).

Copy the URL (address bar) after filling in the form and paste it into your profile ('about yourself' box in http://www.geograph.org.uk/profile.php?edit=1 ), so anyone can see how well you're doing in your speciality.

For example, a pubs etc. leaderboard could be generated like this: http://www.geograph.org.uk/statistics/groupby.php?groupby=auser_id&distinct=&q=%22public+house%22+%7C+inn+%7C+pub&ri=0

(inspired by a question asked by galgo23 and answered by barryhunter on the forum http://www.geograph.org.uk/discuss/index.php?&action=vthread&forum=2&topic=13608&dontcount=1&page=0#1 )

If your friend asks you to and for some reason cannot create their own account then that's fine provided they understand the Creative Commons licence. You should credit them as the photographer when submitting.
See related article: Photos not taken by submitter

There are three simple ways to link two (or more) photos.
To produce a link which simply shows as Link, add the full URL of the photo to be linked to in the description eg
"See http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/5966333 for a wider view."
To produce a link which shows the grid square and title, enclose the photo ID number (found at the end of the photo page URL) in double square brackets [[5966333]] so the link (in this example) will show as "See SO1189 : The Berwyns under snow for a wider view."
Either way it is a good idea to describe the other photo a bit, rather than just give the link.
For linking several photos a shared description - which may only be a title - can work well. Create your shared description in the Shared Description tab and then add it to each of the relevant images. This will produce an automatic link "see other photos of [title of shared description]"
For recent uploads such linkings are most easily done using the Recent Uploads page https://www.geograph.org.uk/submissions.php where the ID numbers are provided below the thumbnails and you won't need to visit individual edit pages to add the links.

Geograph aims to document geographical features and locations across the British Isles. While we appreciate good photographic quality, our focus is more on documentary value rather than artistic masterpieces. We look for images that are in focus and well-exposed.

Our "mainstream" images show geographical features and the location of a grid square from within that square, at a reasonable range. However, we also welcome:

Close-up and detailed images: These can add extra interest and context.

Indoor or underground images: While not our primary focus, they can help in understanding a square.

Long-range images: Photos taken from mountaintops, drones, planes, or other high-altitude cameras are very welcome.

A "Geograph" is a specific type of photograph on our site. It's a picture taken from within a particular grid square where the main subject of the picture also appears to lie. The subject must be a geographical feature of that square, and the picture should show all of it (within reason) along with enough of its surroundings to provide context. For example, a photo of a building should show all or a significant part of it, plus some of its surroundings.

We ask you to select an approximate subject location on the map, which is the location of the primary subject of your photo (if there is one!). This could be a small feature like a building, or a large one like a lake or mountain (in which case you'd select its approximate center).

If your photo is very wide-angle and you can't pinpoint a specific subject, you can select something in the foreground.

For truly wide-angle photos (like 360-degree views), it's generally best to leave the subject location blank (just using a 4-figure grid square reference) and focus on accurately specifying the camera location.

The "range" between the subject and the camera somewhat defines the field of view, though it doesn't need to explicitly match the technical field.

This is straightforward: it's simply where the camera was located when the photo was taken. Usually, this is where you were standing. If you used a remote camera, like a drone, you should still provide the drone's location. Many cameras include GPS, so this information might be recorded automatically for you.

While it's fun to get out, take pictures, upload them, and track your progress, Geograph also has a serious side. Our archive is increasingly recognized as a valuable research resource for both now and the future. Therefore, carefully choosing an appropriate title and adding detailed information in the description will significantly increase the value of your picture to others and help them locate it in searches. Descriptions can include links to other pictures on Geograph or to outside sources.

Although we don't insist on a detailed description, it's fine to leave it blank if don't have anything to write about

Very few images are rejected, but some of the main reasons for rejection include:

Digital Manipulation: Images that have been digitally manipulated in a way that significantly devalues the geographical information.

Subject Focus: "Family snap" type pictures where family or friends are the main subject. While people can be present in a photo, they should not be the primary focus.

Technical Quality: While we don't demand technically perfect pictures, images that are: Too small (fewer than 480 pixels along the longest side), Excessively blurred, So underexposed that details cannot be properly seen, or Pictures with distracting reflections (e.g., taken from inside a building or vehicle). Often, some judicious editing can improve these pictures for successful resubmission.

Date Stamps: Images with date stamps automatically added by the camera are strongly discouraged, even if not too obvious. If possible, please turn off this feature on your camera when taking pictures for Geograph (the date the image was taken is stored separately).

There are a few other reasons a picture may not be accepted, which are detailed in the main Geograph Guide, linked below

In general, there's no need to blur out such features.

If a vehicle is particularly prominent in the photo, you might consider blurring its registration.

We don't encourage close-up photos of people, so there's no need to blur faces if identifiable people are visible, as long as the photo was taken in a public place.

All images shown on the general photo pages fit within a 1024pixel-square area. If they are bigger than that when uploaded, the site software will reduce them to fit into that frame. If they are smaller than 640px, the moderator is likely to request a larger version.

Optionally, you can upload a larger version of the same photo and license that larger version with the same Creative Commons licence (unlimited free re-use by anyone for any purpose as long as credit is given) as the main image. To do this, select the largest image size that you are happy to contribute when prompted by the submission dialogue after uploading your photo in step 1. Geograph will produce the standard 1024px image as well as this higher-resolution one according to your request.

Site users can access these larger images by clicking on 'more sizes' above the main photo on the photo page.

One of our contributors and moderator, Peter Facey, recorded the following video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L4SQ_cRlwjw

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).

This page http://www.geograph.org.uk/submit-example.php shows the four stages of the submission process (locate - upload - describe - license) on one page. If you'd rather watch a video showing how it works, look at http://www.geograph.org.uk/faq3.php#49 .

The simplest method is to overwrite the large version with a smaller one.
This only needs to be one pixel larger than the displayed image (641 pixels on longest side) but can be whatever size you are comfortable to licence for reuse.
Just click on the link [Upload another large version] and follow the steps on the page.

This process works best on unmoderated images as these will not yet have been picked up by others (wikimedia, British library, site visitors etc). We cannot guarantee that images overwritten after moderation will not have been copied elsewhere before being replaced.

They probably look fine on your computer where they are auto-rotated but Geograph just takes the picture as stored. You will be shown a preview of the image during submission, if it looks wrong please use the buttons on the preview to rotate it before completing the submission process and clicking [I agree] as the rotation cannot be done afterwards.

(From 11 May 2016 the Supplemental Classification is replaced by Image Type Tags:
see http://www.geograph.org.uk/article/Image-Type-Tags ).

A. Click on your image to open it.
B. Look for the yellow framed exclamation mark under the photo frame (right side)
- "Change image details" and click on here
C. Scroll down until you come to the last blank text box. It has the words "Please describe what's
wrong..." above it.
D. write your thoughts in the box, the more detail the better
E. select the second tick box underneath "Bring the issue to the ..."
F. Click on Submit Changes.

This will raise what is known as a ticket which other moderators in addition to the original moderator who gave the classification you are unsure of, can read. They are likely to comment (some with more detail than others) and you will receive email notification of this. A decision is usually reached within a week. The time frame is to allow as many moderators as possible to read your comments and add their own. Some moderators only volunteer their time at weekends or may just be away.

Open the folder containing the images you want to upload but resize it so it doesn't cover the whole of your screen, you need to be able to see the box on the page below you are going to drag-and-drop into. Select* the images you wish to upload then click on one of them and, keeping the mouse button pressed, drag it to the box on the webpage. Then click ["Start Upload"].
* If you want to upload all images in the folder Ctrl+a will select them all. To select a group of adjacent images click the first and, while holding down the Shift key, click the last. To select by individual image highlight each by clicking on it while holding down the Ctrl key.
NOTE: there is a limit of 100 files in any one upload and each file must be smaller than 8MB.

[the beginnings of an answer]

Put simply, photographs are made of light. In good light, today's digital cameras make it difficult to take a technically poor photo. Sometimes, though, photos unavoidably come out dark or grey because the subject was in shadow, or it was getting late; worst of all, a cloud appeared overhead and followed you round while the distant landscape was bathed in sunshine. There are ways of making these photos reveal their subjects better.

This isn't a highly technical answer. It refers to features of commonly-used image editing or image enhancement software.

[to be continued]

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)

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)

The idea is that you specify at least one 'top' (or 'geographical context') tag. These are about 40 broad classes describing the main aspect of the subject at the time the image was taken. You can add additional top tags if you like, depending on what surrounds your main subject. The top tags are shown in the tagging box if the radiobutton "context list" is selected.

In addition to the top tags, you can highlight detail that you feel is important. For that purpose, free-form tags are also available as an option. You can pick the most salient words from your description or any others that you would like your image to be found by if someone uses the word as a search term.

In addition you can use prefixed tags for collections of special interest: A railway enthusiast might create a prefix 'locomotive:' and use it to tag the different engines in their pictures. Or someone interested in churches could use a 'denomination:' tag to indicate which particular community uses the place of worship shown. You can also use existing prefixes, e.g. 'place:' or 'near:' to indicate which town something is in or near to. Have a look at what prefixes and tags others have already created: http://www.geograph.org.uk/tags/ . However, there is no need to restrict yourself in any way to that list. Prefixes are best used wherever it is likely that there will be other examples of your subject (church, locomotive...) with a slightly different attribute (Methodist, Diesel...).

As far as tags are concerned, chaotic growth is encouraged - the top tags are meant to counterbalance that!

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

If you know the year and/or month for certain please add these in the date field. Any fields you are not sure of, please leave them blank.
If you have a rough idea, such as 'late 1970s', it would be helpful if you mentioned this in your description.

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))

Certainly - the points system is there to encourage people to make that extra effort to capture squares we don't have photos for yet, but we welcome additional images, perhaps showing a different subject, or a different time of year. You could be gaining yourself a personal point too.

Everyone sees things differently - feel free to give us your take on any square. Some squares have been done in considerable detail, helping to more fully document and add depth to a square. In particular, watch out for things others may have missed - the coverage maps can help with this.

Long term, multiple images taken at different times, even of the same subject, help to document change or the lack thereof.

(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).

If you're the first to submit a "Geograph" for the grid square you'll get a "First Geograph" point added to your profile and the warm glow that comes with it.

We welcome many Geograph images per square, so even if you don't get the point, you are still making a valuable contribution to the project.

In addition we now award "Second Visitor" points (and Third and Fourth!) - which are given to the first Geograph the second contributor adds to a square. The third contributor similarly gets a "Third" point for their first Geograph to the square.

So a single square can have a First, Second, Third and Fourth Visitor point, but a contributor can only get one of those per square.

You can earn yourself a "Personal" point by submitting a "Geograph" for a square that is new to you, regardless of how many contributors have been there before.

TPoint or 'Time-gap Point' is a new kind of point. A contributor can gain a TPoint by submitting a contemporary photo to a square that hasn't had a photo for 5 years. The aim is to increase the date range of available photos per square.

Squares available for a recent photo are shown in orange on the Recent Only coverage map,
http://www.geograph.org.uk/map/?recent=1

or purple dots on the 'TPoint Availability' layer on the Draggable OS map.
http://www.geograph.org.uk/mapper/?lat=650000&lon=350000&zoom=0&layers=BFFTFF&recent=1

Also can get listings of squares via this page
http://www.geograph.org.uk/squares.php?distance=5&gridref=SH5050&type=norecent
(change the grid-reference in the box to your area of interest)

· Read more about the various points on the Statistics FAQ
http://www.geograph.org.uk/help/stats_faq

The image type tags were introduced in May 2016, previously it would have been classified as Supplemental. Perhaps you have not previously submitted an image where the subject is not in the same grid square as the camera position, or maybe you just have not noticed the tag.

No, T-points are only awarded to Geographs. However, if an image which qualified for a T-point is later reclassified as 'cross grid' (e.g. photographer position added or moved) it is likely to retain its T-point for some time. Up-dating of T-points (an infrequent process) is long over-due.

In general you will only get a point the first time you visit a grid square, and your photo is moderated as a "geograph". You may also get extra points if you are one of the first 4 people to visit the square. Subsequent photos in the same square will not get you any points, photos classified as "supplemental" will not get you any points.

(From 11 May 2016 the Supplemental Classification is replaced by Image Type Tags:
see http://www.geograph.org.uk/article/Image-Type-Tags ).

Tpoints work slightly differently to the above: you get a Tpoint if you submit a geograph which has a time difference of 5 years (before or after) compared to other geographs in the grid square: So with Tpoints it may be possible to get subsequent points for the same grid square.

Yes provided they are accurately located and meet the usual criteria.

If the underground space is artificial such as a mine or railway tunnel, they can only be classed as "accepted", i.e. tagged as "inside" or "close look", rather than qualifying as a "Geograph".

If the underground space is natural such as a sea-cave, limestone cave etc., then if there is a large enough space in view a Geograph status is possible, but in a small space it would still be accepted as a "close look".

With the exception of straight tunnels, getting an accurate position underground in the absence of a GPS signal and without a detailed map of a cave system is tricky. In many cases it may be best just to give 4-figure grid reference (i.e. not try to locate the photo within the square).

(From 11 May 2016 the Supplemental Classification is replaced by Image Type Tags:
see http://www.geograph.org.uk/article/Image-Type-Tags-update ).

The short answer is "Yes": Whilst in the past there was some degree of discretion if the camera position was close to a grid-line, current guidance (2016) is quite strict.

One of the aims of Geograph is to encourage people to visit all possible land squares. If there was not a general rule requiring the camera to be in the same grid square as the subject a photographer could go to the top of a mountain or tall building and use a telephoto lens to "bag" a number of grid-squares without having to visit them.

I am guessing this is a question as to the suitability of family snaps. The general rule is the people should be the secondary element of the photo rather than the main feature, and posed shots (it can be worked out in most cases) are more suitable to other photo sites as not related to the area they are in. Having said that a discussion thread has refined this recently, and the general conclusion was if there are local events or occupations which are taken spontaneously then a person featuring as the main subject can be included although without a reasonable amount of background would normally be added as a supplemental*. But for straightforward posed family snaps then the only circumstance they would be suitable is if they were a small part of the whole scene, and as with most the older the photo the more flexible the criteria.

*From 11 May 2016 the Supplemental classification will be replaced by Image Type Tags: see http://www.geograph.org.uk/article/Image-Type-Tags-update

(From 11 May 2016 the Supplemental Classification is replaced by Image Type Tags:
see http://www.geograph.org.uk/article/Image-Type-Tags-update ).

see also http://www.nearby.org.uk/geograph/answers/view.php?id=16

Supplementals are all photos that are not Geographs.

Any photographs that show close up details without sufficient surrounding context to be deemed geographs are classed as supplemental as are photographs of the insides of buildings. Also photographs taken from outside the grid square are commonly referred to as cross-grid supplemantals.

Aerial and underground shots are always classed as supplementals as are "all-at-sea" photographs with no land or permanent structure (such as a fixed navigational aid) in the square.

The distinction may be "borderline" in some instances and different moderaters' decisions might fall another side of the border but such decisions are initially based on their interpretation of the guidelines and generally without reference to other similar images.

The "aesthetic quality" of the image is irrelevant.

Sometimes pictures get relocated if they have been uploaded to the wrong grid square by mistake. This is often the case with images from the very early days of Geograph, when there was no or only scanned out-of-copyright mapping available.

Very occasionally, a (first) Geograph gets reclassified as a supplemental image* if there had been a clear error in the original classification.

Also rarely, images are withdrawn or vaulted for a long period because they weren't taken from a place with public access and the land owner has complained.

In all these cases, the next uploaded geograph (if any) will take the point, and if that was yours, then you'll find a miraculous extra point on your profile.

*From 11 May 2016 the Supplemental Classification is replaced by Image Type Tags:
see http://www.geograph.org.uk/article/Image-Type-Tags

Go to the Advanced Search page http://www.geograph.org.uk/search.php?form=text . In the limits section, click the 'you!' button and tick 'geograph only'. In the 'finally' section, select 'at most one image from each grid square' and hit Search. This will show all your images holding persoanl points.

As a by-product, you can see in the search results how many geographs you have in each square ('')n images in group').

Asked on the forum by Adrian Cable and answered by Barry Hunter.

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).

It isn't a matter of scoring, and there are no hard and fast rules, except that the photographs must be taken within the qualifying week, and submitted by midnight on the Tuesday after the end of the qualifying week.

There is a rota of volunteer selectors, who look through all the eligible images, and whittle down to a shortlist of about 50. Individual selectors select according to whatever criteria they decide, and post the short list to the discussion forum.

They also notify the previous week's winner, whose privilege it is to pick the winner the next week.

The weekly winners eventually go forward to a selector who picks the image of the year from among the weekly winners.

Any member can volunteer to pick a week's selection. To volunteer, send a message to the Photo of the Year Co-ordinator.

The Photo of the Week competition is an informal competition intended to showcase some of the best images submitted during the week.

The only criterion for an image to be considered is that it must have been taken during the qualifying week, which runs from Saturday to Friday, and submitted by midnight on the following Tuesday.

Some people like to make sure that their images are submitted within the qualifying period, and other like to delay their submissions to make sure they are not considered.

What constitutes 'best' is very much subjective, because the selections of both shortlist and winner are done by different contributors each week.

As with all subjective selections, there is often disagreement with some of the selections, but that usually manifests itself by people saying which image they would have picked if it had been up to them to do so.

It all takes place in the Discussion Forum "Photograph of the Year (date)".

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!

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.

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.