You are welcome to upload aviation photos to SkyPhotos. Before doing so, read this guide carefully to understand the review standards and related rules.
Photo rejection reasons and explanations
Blur (softness, missed focus or lack of sharpness)
Photos may be blurred by a lens problem, a shutter speed that is too slow or inaccurate focus.
Tip: focus carefully, use an appropriate shutter speed and avoid camera shake.
Detail (excessive noise or sharpening)
Excessive ISO or unsuitable processing has removed important image detail.
Cropping (off-centre or improperly cropped subject)
Poor composition or cropping has left the subject off-centre. In most cases, compose around the aircraft fuselage and keep it near the centre. Use a 16:9, 4:3 or 3:2 crop; portrait orientation may be accepted where appropriate.
Horizon (not level)
Level the horizon using a vertical building, lamp post or similar reference as close to the centre of the frame as possible.
Heat haze (aircraft lines distorted by hot air)
Heated, turbulent air can distort the image. It is difficult to correct afterwards, so shoot against the sky or from a closer position where possible.
Colour (poor saturation or colour cast)
Excessive or insufficient saturation and colour casts reduce image quality. Black-and-white photos are currently accepted only for film scans.
Contrast (too high or too low)
The contrast is too high or too low and harms the image.
Exposure (underexposure or overexposure)
The exposure is too high or too low.
Fuselage glare (windows or markings obscured)
Choose a photo where glare does not obscure windows or fuselage markings. Excessively harsh sunlight on the aircraft may also result in rejection.
Sensor spots
Sensor dust can be difficult to avoid, but spots should be removed during editing.
Vignetting
Lens limitations, a small image circle or a wide aperture can darken the corners. This can usually be corrected during editing.
Over-processing (unsuitable editing)
Heavy distortion, halos around the aircraft or other artefacts caused by unsuitable editing will result in rejection.
Compression (detail lost through excessive compression)
The image should be at least 1,000 px on its shortest accepted dimension; smaller images can appear blurred and lose detail.
Poor light (backlighting or adverse weather)
Backlit photos are normally rejected unless they are intentional silhouettes. Photos taken in poor weather are assessed more strictly.
Watermarks (external watermarks, borders or text overlays)
Large or distracting watermarks, decorative borders and text overlays are normally rejected. SkyPhotos adds its own watermark, so upload an image without an additional one.
Obstruction (cluttered foreground or blocked subject)
Aircraft photos usually do not need plants or other foreground decoration. Common obstructions include bird-control poles, fences, birds and parts of other aircraft. Photos taken through a fence must be corrected if the fence harms the image.
Incorrect information (aircraft, airline, registration, location or date)
The airline, aircraft type, registration, location or date is incomplete or clearly does not match the image.
Duplicate (very similar to an existing photo or submitted twice)
A photo that closely resembles an existing submission, or the same photo submitted more than once, will normally be rejected.
Inappropriate content (rules violation or harmful intent)
Content affecting national security will be rejected. Photos unrelated to aviation or without a clear subject will also be rejected. Repeated violations may result in an account ban.
Important: repeated violations of this rule will result in a permanent account ban.
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