Frequently Asked Questions 

About Photo-Genesis

1. There are several, quick, easy steps required to upload new images to your gallery.
   
   1. Make sure you're logged in to the site.
   2. Go to your gallery and select the proper sub-gallery you wish to post the new image in.
   3. Click on "New Photo". (Located in the upper left corner of your screen.)
   4. "Photo Title" is where the actual title of the image is entered, of course.
   5. You can enter any other information associated with image in the "Photo Caption" box. You might want to enter a description of where the image was shot for instance.
   6. Click on the "Browse" button on the right side of the "Photo Source" box next. Locate the image file on the hard drive by navigating to it exactly as you do in Windows Explorer.
   7. In the "Default Image for Gallery?" box you can set the given photo as the gallery thumb by selecting "Yes".
   8. If the image will be for sale change the default answer to "Yes" in the "Photo For Sale?" box. (When you select "Yes" more information will appear below this section. We'll deal with that in a bit.
   9. Leave the default value as it is in the "Restricted" box.
   10. "Mature Content:" should be marked "Yes" if an image shows any of the following:
       • Bare Breasts
       • Bare Genitalia, either Male or Female
       • Anything suggesting sexual arousal
       • Anything that might be open to misinterpretation
       • What common sense tells you visitors under the age of 13 should NOT see
   11. Click "OK" and the upload will start.
   
   
   (If the image will be for sale please see the "How do I make my images available for sale?" FAQ.)

1. Unlike the vast majority of the sites on the web today, P-G has never imposed a limit on the number of images you can post or show in your gallery. We DO ask that you use discretion in posting images however. Make sure you're posting the best of your best. This is a premier showcase of fine art photography -- show the world your best!

1. Anytime you upload an image showing frontal nudity or an image you wouldn't want a 13 year old seeing, you must mark it as "Mature" during the upload process. The red label then gives fair warning to all visitors that nudity is present in that particular gallery.
   
   No images are censored and can still be easily viewed. A "Mature" image cannot be used as a gallery thumb however. The new software automatically takes care of this for the owner of the gallery by excluding all images marked as "Mature".
   
   We have adopted this warning to comply with local, state and national laws and to protect underage visitors from viewing mature images. We are also trying to make the site more family and work "friendly" in the process.
   
   Everyone must mark their applicable images as "Mature" or they will be deleted from the gallery.

1. Photo-Genesis only officially support JPG images. There may well be support for other types in the future, but for now, JPEG (JPG) files are it.

1. In order to post several images at one time you will need to first zip them into a zip file and save the file to a folder of your choice.
   
   Go to the gallery you wish to post the new images to and:
   
   1) Click on "NEW PHOTO"
   
   2) Click on "UPLOAD A ZIP FILE"
   
   3) Click on "BROWSE" to go to the folder the zip file is in.
   
   4) Select the zip file by clicking on it and then click on "OPEN"
   
   5) Click on "OK"
   
   6) Wait until the processing is completed and then click on "CLOSE"
   
   By default the image titles will be the same as the name of the file. If you wish to change the titles you will need to click on "EDIT PROPERTIES" under each of the images to do so. You can also offer the image for sale at this point and will need to enter this information at this time. (If you are unfamiliar with this process, please see the related F.A.Q. covering it.)
   

PG version 3

1. As anyone who visits P-G knows, we've had many issues with the current software. We were using an open source package called Gallery2. While the authors of this software have tried their best to make a good package, the database programming leaves much to be desired.
   
   It isn't easy to fix someone else's code when the package is this major in size. Therefore we decided to create our own gallery software. With this new version the database access has been optimized for maximum efficiency first of all. We also now have the ability to sell our images with the fully integrated, custom written shopping cart. We also have the ability to customize our new software to any extent that we deem necessary.
   
   We are now one of the very few sites which have custom written our software. We have the programmer on the staff of P-G so if something happens to the server or the software, it can now be corrected immediately.
   
   We're sure you'll like this version MUCH better than the previous one!

1. With the advent of the new P-G (PGv3) the sorting of images has been greatly simplified. Simply click on the "Sort Gallery" link at the top of the page when you are viewing the gallery you'd like to sort.
   
   This will present you with a screen of the thumbnails in that gallery. All you need to do is drag and drop the selected thumbnail in the position you want it to show in the gallery.
   
   After you've sorted the gallery to your specifications, just click on the "Apply" button at the bottom of the page to save your changes.

1. The reason is because the conversion from Gallery2, while successful in getting all the images, did end up losing about 8% of the gallery thumbs. Unfortunately, it is the nature of major conversions like this to have a small failure rate. We have done all we can to avoid it, but there were some things that slipped through the cracks. The amount of time it would take to automate the process to perfection would far outweigh the benefits. Thus, it is suggested that each artist do a quick check of their albums to ensure all is well. Also, a list of albums without thumbs will be sent to each of the artists to assist in this process.

1. It is a very simple process:
   
   1. Log in
   2. Navigate to the image you wish to make a gallery thumbnail
   3. Under the Admin Functions box, click on "[Set as Gallery Thumbnail]"
   4. In the pop-up box that shows, select the gallery that the image should represent
   5. You're done!
   
   See? No big deal.

1. They are still here. Simply hover over the "Galleries" menu option and a drop down menu will apear listing what you're looking for.

1. The new version of Photo-Genesis uses your email address as your login. Your password is the same as it was, but now instead of typing a username, simply enter the email address you signed up to P-G with. If you cannot figure out what email address that was, please let us know and send us an email so we can help rectify the situation.

1. Either the feature still exists but is just in a different form (for example: gallery thumbnail definitions) or the feature was one that we had to live with in the old version because we didn't write it ourselves and now.. since we have complete control over how the gallery operates... we've decided to remove it (example: custom image sizes.) Or we've just not gotten around to implementing it yet (example: Multiple file uploads.)
   
   Which category does your question fall in? Well, feel free to ask us in the photographer's forum.

Selling Your Images Through Photo-Genesis

1. Images should be as large as is reasonable. To make that a bit clearer, images need to be a minimum of 180dpi though we prefer images at 300dpi. To be very clear, if you want to produce an 8"x10" print the image you upload needs to have a minimum resolution of a 1440x1800. However, we prefer a resolution of 2400x3000. If, for some reason, you are unable to upload an image of the appropriate DPI and the image sells, we'll simply contact you for a higher quality image so we can make a quality print.

1. For the most part, you do. There's a minimum price based upon the size of the image. The minimum price is the cost for printing the image. Anything above that is completely up to you. Make sure to price it so that you will make a profit on any sales. Also remember not to under price your work! You've worked hard to create this art so you deserve to be paid a good price for it!

1. While inputting the information when uploading a new image, you can also enter the sales info at the same time.
   
   When you select "Yes" for the "Photo for sale?" box an additional box will appear at the bottom of the page. This box is now described.
   
   Sales and Sizing Information
   
   1. The size boxes will determine how much your printing costs will amount to. So in the "w" box enter the width of the print in inches.
   2. Next enter the height of the print in inches.
   3. When you enter the 2nd measurement, the printing cost will appear in the "Price" box. You must make the selling price at least this much because the cost of printing is deleted from the total print price. It is recommended to make the cost of the print at least 4 times the cost of printing it. This way you'll make an excellent profit even after the cost of printing is deducted. After you've decided on the cost of the print, enter it in the "Cost" box.
   4. Click on the "OK" button on the same line as this information has been entered. (If for any reason you want to start over again, simply click "CLEAR".)
   
   
   
   At this stage the print information will be shown immediately below the entry area. Continue performing steps 1 through 3 for additional sizes.
   
   When all desired sizes have been entered, click the "OK" button at the bottom of the window. You're now ready to price out other images in your gallery!
   
   If you initially decide not to sell the image at upload but later change your mind, you can always just click on the "Edit Image" link below each image thumbnail to sell them at a later date.

1. The quick and simple answer is: "No". The reason? We need to have complete assurance that ALL prints shipped from Photo-Genesis meet our extremely high standards. The ONLY way to ensure this is to print them ourselves. We have a master printer doing our printing. He demands more of the prints than the most discerning collector does in most cases. We also need to have control over the surface the image is printed on. Our master printer also does color matching, artifact removal, etc. on any and all prints before they are shipped. We guarantee 100% customer satisfaction or their money is refunded in full. When we print the images, we can also ensure that limited edition prints are not over printed in addition to issuing a certificate of authenticity at the time of shipping.

1. No you do not. You received the invitation to exhibit on Photo-Genesis because your art lives up to the high standards imposed by P-G. We want to show your images to the world in a safe and secure environment. But sales is not a condition for showing on the site. Sales were initiated in order to generate revenue for the artist. But it is entirely your decision whether or not to sell through the site.