Rules & FAQ

Broadly, acceptable imagery for you to upload can be summarised as – it must be 100% shot and owned by you, be photographic in nature (not a digital creation), and not include advertising or other content deemed inappropriate, as described below.

Any imagery you upload to the site must be yours and yours alone. It cannot be an image you have found elsewhere, or contain any added elements within it that were not shot by you.

For the avoidance of doubt, the following imagery is not permitted:

• Any that was shot wholly or partly by another, including any image elements that have been dropped into the shot as part of a composite

• Image elements added from a software package, such as skies or backgrounds that can be dropped in but were not shot by you

• Imagery found on the internet that is not yours, including in stock image libraries, whether or not you purchased them and whether or not they are Creative Commons or free-to-publish imagery as found on sites such as Unsplash, Pexels or similar

• Screenshots or photographs of other people’s work, including photographs of television screens and monitors

• Imagery that was shot by you but the copyright of which has passed to another

• Screenshots of mobile phones that include multiple images and other non-photographic elements alongside the main image

• Images created by you but with the aid of Artificial Intelligence

We take the uploading of other people’s work to SPG very seriously. 

Not only will imagery that is shown to be someone else’s copyright be removed without discussion, but it also places that photographer’s profile at risk of deletion from the site. We do this to maintain the integrity of the site, but also to make clear to any photographers whose work has been stolen that we respect their copyright and its enforcement.

• Any imagery you upload to the site must be photographic in nature. SPG is a community of photographers and photographs. 

• Any imagery that is computer-generated, illustration or otherwise non-photographic in nature will be removed.

• Imagery generated in any way using AI (artificial intelligence) is not permitted.

• Use of creative filters and editing effects is permitted as long as the resulting image remains recognisably photographic, and does not take on the appearance of art, illustration, or of being computer-generated.

Images of other people’s artwork (paintings, graffiti, posters, etc) or of recognisable brand names or logos must show those things in a wider context, and not simply be close-up reproductions of them, which would not be considered to be original photography.

• It is permitted for a copyright notice or watermark to be visible on images that are uploaded. It should be noted that generally images with copyright information overlaid do a lot less well in contests, but we respect the rights of photographers to do this.

• Where that copyright information is deemed to stray into the realms of advertising, such as including website addresses or other slogans and logos, the image may be removed.

• Other text overlaid on images is not permitted, to retain SPG’s focus on photography.

Images of male and female nudity are permitted on SPG, but there are some boundaries. Images that are deemed to fall under the following categories are not permitted:

• images of male or female genitalia (excluding bottoms and breasts), unless specifically mentioned by the jury or by the contest parameters and is the creative demand for the theme

• imagery that is sexually explicit or overly sexually suggestive,unless specifically mentioned by the jury or by the contest parameters and is the creative demand for the theme

• ‘Peeping Tom’ imagery which is below the baseline of human ethics

Profiles that exist solely or predominantly for the purpose of posting snapshots or more personal/exhibitionist nude photography of themselves or their partners are likely to be removed. A distinction will be made between these profiles and those where the photographer has a genuine interest in fine art nude or boudoir photography.

• We don’t want SPG to be a space where photographs of children and childhood can’t be shared. Photographing their children is for many photographers one of the most rewarding ways to enjoy and progress their photography.

• But we also recognise the importance of ensuring that images of children who are in a vulnerable position are not given the light of day and that those seeking these images should not find them on SPG.

• These guidelines provide a clear framework for you to understand any decision to remove one of your images. Removal of images is not intended as a judgement of the owner of the image and is done simply to protect any children who may be in a vulnerable position.

The imagery of children under the age of 18 that is not permitted includes

• images showing genitalia, including bottoms

• images where the child is sexualised in any way, including the clothing they are wearing, their pose, the location, or any items included in the image

• images where the child is in a state of distress or is exhibiting other behaviour that suggests they may feel unsafe or coerced

• All communications must be respectful. The purpose of the messaging options on SPG is to further a feeling of community, learning and kindness, not to find fault and tell each other off for perceived failings.

• If we are informed of communications that have upset the recipient or others in some way, we will review those communications.

• Communications with SPG staff through our support channels and thestreetphotographygallery@gmail.com email address should also adhere to these guidelines.

Advertising and solicitation

• It’s not permitted to advertise any commercial products or services on SPG without prior permission. This includes advertising within imagery, within profile descriptions, or in comments or messages posted on the site. Any registrations doing so are likely to be removed. 

• This does not extend to imagery within which incidental business advertising is present if, for example, it forms part of a street scene.

• It is strongly discouraged for photographers to try and grow their followers by sending requests for their profiles or images to be viewed. Where this is happening regularly they will be contacted with a request to stop.

• The sending of identical messages to multiple photographers on or outside the platform will be flagged for review as part of our anti-spam efforts as soon as similar activities are reported with fair evidence.

It is only allowed to have one SPG registration per photographer per contest. There are mechanisms in place to prevent and/or detect when a photographer has more than one registration. Where this is proven to be the case, all of those registrations will be deactivated without any discussion, regardless of their longevity on the site or participation status.

Registrations that have been submitted for something other than the promotion and enjoyment of photography are not permitted. This includes purely social profiles, dating profiles, and political profiles.

• Photographers must make an effort to ensure that the images they submit to contests meet the terms of the brief. 

• There is a mechanism for curators to flag images that are not on brief, and they will be removed from contests. Where a photographer persists in regularly entering images to contests that are not on brief, they may be contacted about this, and in egregious cases, they risk their registration being deactivated.

If the Community Team suspect or knows there has been a breach of these guidelines, at our discretion we may take one or more of these actions:

• Contact the photographer reporting the issue for further details

• Contact the photographer who may have breached the guidelines to request clarification and discuss the issue, with the hope of reaching a resolution

• Remove one or more images from the site, which will also mean that any awards those images have won will also be removed

• Block a user/email address/phone number temporarily or permanently 

We don’t want to default to a punitive response. It is our preference to engage in dialogue whenever possible, and we understand that mistakes can happen. 

But we are also a small Community Team and can only invest that time in certain circumstances, so the response we take will be at our discretion, and may take into account the following:

• How clear-cut is the breach of the guidelines

• The seriousness of the breach

• The past behaviour of the photographer involved, and whether we have contacted them before

• The complete photographer profile – how does this image/behaviour sit in the context of their other images and behaviour

• Longevity and engagement on the site – we are more likely to offer the opportunity for lessons to be learned if the photographer’s profile has had an investment in it over a longer period of time

When action is taken, such as an image being removed from the site, it will not necessarily involve communication to say that action has been taken.

Copyright to the submitted image remains your own. The SPG will use the image submissions for marketing and campaigning of current or future contests or promotions on SPG portals and/or SPG Social Media handles and/or SPG advertising network(s) as and when needed.

These guidelines remain a work in progress as the community grows. Suggestions and comments are always welcome to thestreetphotographygallery@gmail.com

These guidelines in all cases may be superseded by our full SPG Policy, which also details other restrictions on imagery and behaviour not detailed in these Guidelines. 

You shall also check our Privacy Policy & Terms of Service