Hi everyone!  Now that we have amassed together our Gallery Folders, I thought it might be an idea to write a blog explaining a little about each one.  I have commented on them in the order in which the galleries are shown on our Home Page, so I'm sorry if the order of the galleries mentioned in the Submission Guidelines is not the same, but I haven't got round to changing those round yet.  That will come sometime soon.

IN ALL CASES

Please ensure you read the Submission Guidelines (linked above) thoroughly before submitting to any of the gallery folders, and please only submit your BEST work!  If you have stated in your artist's comments that you're not sure about this one, or you're not happy about it for whatever reason, then please do not submit it to the group!

N.B. The standards will be high and we require all submissions to display a reasonably good artistic ability and a good knowledge of that which is aesthetically pleasing.




Traditional Art

This is probably self-explanatory!  If the artwork has been executed by traditional methods off the computer, then it should be submitted to this folder (so long as it isn't more appropriate in one of the other folders, such as Artisan Crafts).  However, if the traditional piece has been subtly cleaned up or enhanced digitally, this will also be considered for this folder.

Please ensure that your submissions comply with both our General and Specific Guidelines, and that the work is a completed work, well executed with a good level of expertise and a display of artistic knowledge.

Photomanipulations

This is the place for all photomanipulations, so long as they don't include other elements such as tubes, fractals and the like.  If they do, these become Mixed Media and should be placed in the Digital Creations 2D folder.

To qualify as a photomanipulation it must be an image that consists of elements from two or more photos that have been skilfully blended together.

A photo that has only been altered by the use of a filter does not qualify for this folder. There should be significant changes to the original scene beyond that which is attainable by using a simple filter.

Digital Creations 2D

This folder is for the following:

Digital mixed media
Digital painting and airbrushing
Photomanipulation plus use of non-photographic elements, such as fractals or other graphic elements


Digital Creations 3D

This is where all digital images created in a 3D program (Vue, Poser, Bryce etc.) go.  If your image also contains other elements that are not 3D, but the main project is 3D, it can still go in here.  However, if there is a significant mixture of elements between 3D and 2D whereby the 3D aspect of the image is no longer the most prominent aspect, it becomes mixed media and should go into the  Digital Creations 2D folder.

Fractal Art and Manips Extraordinaire

The fractal outcome MUST be out of the ordinary for consideration to this folder! It should resemble a place or a scene, or a beautiful piece of abstract art.

Please ensure your fractal work is artistic in value, not an every-day fractal that can be produced with a random set of parameters.

We would prefer asymmetrical fractal art to be submitted, unless it is intended to represent a piece of jewellery or the like.  Please be very careful if you choose to submit a piece which solely consists of symmetrical patterns in it, as these are very likely to be turned down.  This is just a preference for this group.  Please remember too that this is NOT a Fractal group, and we may turn down work that is technically very good and would be more than acceptable in Fractal-dedicated groups.

Fractal manipulations also go into this folder, but they must be manipulated fractals in themselves, or a mix of several fractals making a whole picture.  Fractal art with added elements such as tubes, painted characters, or parts of photographs will need to be submitted to Digital Creations 2D folder.

Photography - Creative Macro and Closeup

This is ONLY for shots that are very artistic and creative looking in their own right.   We particularly like creativity that includes beautiful soft bokehs and creative methods of focus.

If you are submitting a closeup shot, this does not have to be done with a macro lens, but may be a shot taken of plants, flowers or blossoms on trees (for example) with a zoom lens at full zoom at the minimum focal distance, thus giving a pleasant bokeh in the background.

Some creative processing is allowed, including very subtle use of textures, but the processing must not be applied in an attempt to make what is essentially a straight shot of a flower (for example), or even a bad shot, look good and artistic. A separate bokeh layer is allowed so long as it doesn't obscure the original photo.

No Human Macro's here please!

We are not looking for straight macro or closeup shots that are essentially "record shots" of something you saw.

For more in-depth information, please read the Submission Guidelines [link]

Photography - Surreal, Conceptual, Abstract

This is the folder for photos of people, animals, scenes or objects that look slightly unreal or have a dreamlike (or nightmarish) appearance about the subject, or that tell a story in their own right.  Unusual shots of things taken from an imaginative point of view, or with creative use of the camera, such as long-exposures etc., so that the subject looks very different to how it would normally look are the kind of things to consider here.

We are not looking for straight shots of subjects dressed up for the occasion, so to speak.  The idea is that one has to think a little before realising what the subject might be, or even get the impression that it's something entirely different.

Photography - Portraits of People

We are looking for portraiture with a professional and more "purist" approach for this folder.  The subject should be looking towards the camera, or at the very least in profile but NOT with the face turned away from view.  Care should be given to lighting and surrounding content so that there are no distracting features.  No snap-shots please.

Photo-Enhancement - People Portraits

We regret that this folder has now been closed due to lack of demand and difficulties with managing it.  We apologise for any inconvenience they may incur.

Photography - Human - General

This folder is for those photos in which people play an important part in a photo, but the shot doesn't qualify as a portrait photo, and includes the following:

Expressive
Emotional
Conceptual
Street
Activity

and so on...

The shot may be a close-up of a person, but the person may be doing something so that the focus is not solely on the person.  Or alternatively, the person may not be the main part of the photo, although the photo is in fact all about the person.  Photos where settings are as much the main part of the photo as the person is would be included in this category.

Photography - Animals

For domestic or wild animals, birds, insects and so on.  The same principle applies as for portraits of people.  No snap-shots please.  If your favourite pet gets turned down, it will not be because we don't like your pet!  Please be careful what you choose to submit.

Photography - Scenic

This folder, which may be divided further in the future, is for scenic photography including the following:

Land
Sea
Waterfalls, inland waterscapes
Extraordinary skies including sunsets/rises, moon, stars etc.


Creative processing of all types should go into the Photography - Creative Processing folder.  No photomanipulations, textures or extra layers to be used here please.

Photography - Urban, Rural, Places

This new folder is for scenic photos that include any of the following:

Interesting architecture
City-scapes
Village or town life
Ports, fishing villages with boats etc.
Bridges, jetties,
Deserted places of interest
The downright ugly! (No violence, death or gore though!)

Creative processing of all types should go into the Photography - Creative Processing folder.  No photomanipulations, textures or extra layers to be used here please.


Photography - Creative Processing, HDR,IR

Photos processed or taken by these methods go in here.  We will also consider photos that have been altered by the use of filters/plugins, such as Virtual Photographer, for this folder.  Some texturing will be allowed too, provided it is subtle and adds to, rather detracts from the photo.

Artisan Crafts, Sculpture, etc.

This is the folder to display your OWN creations, not the creations that other people have made - so please, no museum pieces in here!

Creations such as jewellery, dolls, sculptures, knitwear and so on are for this folder .


Wallpapers, Designs and Interfaces

This is the folder for book cover/CD cover designs, playing card designs, CSS and web page designs and interfaces, desk-top wallpapers and screensavers,  to go in.  As with all the other folders, the work must be your own, and any third-party elements must be credited to the original copyright holders.  Use of bright, gaudy colours is discouraged, and we are looking for expertly created designs/pictures for this section.  
- NOTE:  We will not accept any designs for clothing or deviant-wear in this Group.