Print this, or keep it open beside your export dialog. Every item is a reason we have had to reject or delay an image, and every one is avoidable in under a minute.
Technical
- Sharp where it should be, at 100%. Motion blur is fine if it is deliberate.
- Exposure and white balance corrected; no clipped skies or blocked shadows unless intended.
- Sensor dust, hot pixels and chromatic aberration removed.
- Straight horizons and verticals unless the tilt is the point.
- JPEG, sRGB, quality 10–12, long edge at least 3,000 px (we prefer full resolution).
- No borders, watermarks, frames or signatures.
Legal
- Model releases for every recognisable person, or the image is marked editorial-only.
- Property releases where a private property is the subject, or editorial-only.
- No visible logos, trademarks, artwork or copyrighted designs unless incidental and cleared.
- You own the copyright. No composites using other people’s images.
Metadata
- Title: one factual sentence.
- Caption: what, where, when, released or not.
- 15–40 accurate keywords, including location and technical descriptors.
- Creator and copyright fields completed in IPTC.
Commercial
- Would a designer pay £6 for this? If you hesitate, cut it.
- Is there a version with copy space? Shoot one next time.
- Both orientations where the subject allows.
- Is it a duplicate of something already in your portfolio? Upload the best frame, not all ten.
Then upload
Via the contributor dashboard. We review within a few working days and tell you why if we decline anything. Read what sells before your next shoot.