Hi all,
A couple of times a week, I get this question asked: "My photo has been in the queue for x number of days, why is taking so long to screen?". Then, I look at the photo and it's either a borderline photo or there is a bunch of data missing. So, I thought I'd put together a short guideline on what you can do to help us screen your photos faster.

1. Upload either a really good photo or really bad photo. Really! It may sound silly, but the good photos get accepted right away, and the bad photos get rejected right away. There is nothing to ponder over. It's the borderline shots that kill! One screener can't decide so it gets passed on to another screener, he can't decide so it gets passed on to another screener, to another screener, etc. Finally it gets to me and then I have to ponder over it. Or, it gets moved to the elevated queue where the screeners have to vote on it, and that can take a while also.

Also, please use your prior accepted and rejected photos as a guideline to what will and won't be accepted. We have a few photographers who keep uploading the same type of photo over and over again. Their previous rejections should be a clue as to what won't get accepted. What happens to those type of photos? They simply get ignored. I hate to say it and be harsh, but the screeners are humans too, and it's all voluntary. Please keep that in mind.

2. Make sure the data is correct and complete. We get tons of photos with the construction number missing, aircraft sub-type not selected, etc. etc. Right now there are over 20 photos in the queue with the location completely missing. Please do your part to fill in the data as completely as possible. If you don't, we have to look it and up do it for you and if there are 500 photos in the queue, guess where that photo will be on our list. Sorry, that's just how it is. The info is definitely on the web. You can look it up, just like we would have to.

3. Select the right category. It's obvious when a helo is a helo. Please select the 'helicopter' category when uploading. Simple as that. Another thing, a photo cannot be a 'Special Schemes' and 'Nose and Tail Art'. How? If the photo is not an up-close shot of a tail, or the nose area, then it simply does not belong to the 'Nose and Tail Art' category. It cannot belong to both categories.

4. The F-14 Tomcat and F-16 are not 'Classic Warbirds'! If the aircraft in the photo did not participate in WWII and was not around prior to WWII then it's simply not a classic. At this time WWII is the cut off for the 'Classic Warbirds' category.

5. Low Level category. An F-18 about to touch down does not belong to the 'Low Level' category, neither does an aircraft just taking off. By that definition, then 99% of the photos should go to the 'Low Level' category. No! The 'Low Level' category is for low flying aircraft, flying in the low-flying designated areas of UK. Also, Axalp photos can go to the 'Low Level' category.

6. Display Teams. If there are not a few aircraft in a team, then the photo does not belong to the 'Display Teams' category. A specially-painted plane by itself touring airshows does not make for a display team. Please keep that in mind. Also, the Thunderbirds and Blue Angels, do not belong to the 'Special Schemes' category. They are display teams and that's it! We get a lot of photos where both categories are selected. Please don't do that.

7. Auto Fill. Please use the Auto-Fill feature whenever you can. If the auto-fill is filling in the wrong info because another aircraft shares the same registration number, then please use the construction number to fill in the info. Very rarely, if ever, do two aircraft have the same construction number. It will be less work for you and the info will be complete and accurate. Please make sure the right code number is filled in as those do change over time.

These are just a few things you can do to help us get your photos screened faster. Please keep in mind, if it's one photo for you that you have to dig a littler deeper to get the correct info, it's 500 photos for us if 500 photographers do it. We're here to help and we will do whatever we can to get a photo out of the queue as soon as possible and we appreciate's everyone's time and support for the site, but if you can keep the above in mind, it will help us out tremendously. Thanks for your cooperation.

I just waited 2 weeks for an old photo to be accepted here, I knew it was marginal (ground clutter, grain) but it made it in the end

Ray's point regards previous rejections is a very good one, after a few rejections you do kind of get the feel of what will be accepted here and what will not

Michael

Yes, it can happen once in a while. :wink We can certainly use a couple more screeners, but unfortunately the people I have contacted simply don't have the time.

It takes time to build a great site like this one.