Photo How To

We know you have some amazing pictures—and you post them on your social media and share them with friends. Show them to the world by posting in our Photo of the Day gallery. Here’s the quick and easy procedure along with some tips to help you navigate to the right place, and even some advice about composition and subject matter we’ve picked up from our readers.

It’s always gratifying to see your images published to the world. The internet reaches even the most remote corners of our planet and endures essentially forever. You may even hear from friends you haven’t seen in years, after they see your photo on Shutterbug.

It all begins with a Shutterbug account. Registering is FREE and fast, and we do not misuse your contact information. Once registered, log in and navigate to the GALLERIES tab. From there select Shuttebug Photo of the Day.

Go Directly To Upload
If you are logged into your account and want to go directly to the upload section, click on this LINK. Bookmark it so in the future you’ll be able to connect in seconds. Just remember you must be logged in to your Shutterbug account for the link to work. You can create a persistent login (“Remember me”) event so you do not have to log in fresh every time you visit our website.

If you see the ugly “You are not authorized to access this page“ it means you're not logged in.

The aspect ratio of the PoD image window on the Shutterbug homepage is 16x9. If your image doesn’t match, the system will automatically crop it to make it fit. It’s not something we do; our software crops without our guidance. And it’s not good to see your composition altered. The full, uncropped image will be available in the PoD Gallery but the thumbnail that attracts viewers to click may be altered unless you make aspect ratio adjustments before you post.

Maximum file size is 5 megabytes. That’s plenty big for web viewing. Sometimes we see posts that have 0MB files size indicated. That usually means the poster tried to upload a file that was too large.

Please include explanatory details about how and where the picture was taken. Please list camera, lens, f/stop, shutter speed and ISO setting as a minimum, so that the viewers can learn from your experience. Details about the location are always good, and if you shot on film and scanned, or used a smart phone, we want to know stuff like that, too.

Common sense tells you to not reveal the name or any personal identification information about people in the picture. And while we are on that subject, we strongly emphasize that by submitting a photo that contains recognizable people, you confirm that you have unrestricted permission from the subject(s).

All submitted images are carefully reviewed before they are published. Needless to say, we’re not interested in receiving any NSFW images. Submissions are usually posted every day before 7am. The image you submit might appear as the Photo of the Day a few days after you submit it, if it’s received on the same day as a more compelling picture. So even if you upload a great shot on Monday and it’s not selected as Tuesday’s PoD, that doesn’t mean it won’t be chosen later. Generally, the images you upload are published to the gallery after review the next day. But the special Photo of the Day badge might take a little longer. Or it might not appear at all; after all, not every picture can be the best.

We receive photos that cover a wide range of subjects. Bird photography is wildly popular, so we see many great photos of our feathered friends. Night scenes and landscapes are likewise prominent. But try not to limit yourself to one genre (unless you specialize in one subject) and explore all photo opportunities. Express yourself in color or monochrome—it’s all up to you.

When you view the Photo of the Day gallery you see excellent compositions. There are three basic characteristics that our readers have learned and are hereby being shared.

First, don’t always center the subject. Sometimes it’s unavoidable, or in-the-middle is the layout you prefer. But normally a photo becomes stronger when the subject is artfully positioned in the frame. Cameras tend to focus on what’s in the center, but photographers don’t have to.

Second, keep in mind that your image will be presented small and at relatively low resolution. So don’t submit images that contain subjects that are too small to identify easily.

Third, exercise your creative spirit. There are no “bad” photos aside from those that are corrupted technically (under/over exposed, blank, unintentionally grainy, blurry or out-of-focus). Share your creativity with others.

Photographer Linn Smith has been uploading to Shutterbug’s Photo of the Day gallery for a very long time. Virtually every visitor to our website has had the pleasure of viewing at least one of Linn’s magnificent bird images. You can enjoy the same authority and attract your own followers by posting your best images.

The photo at the top of this article was submitted by Linn Smith and is used with permission. Captured with a Canon EOS 5D Mark IV and Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM lens & Canon Extender EF 1.4. Exposure f/8, 1/1000 sec, ISO128000. ©Linn Smith

Here again is the DIRECT LINK to upload your photos. To access the upload area via this link you must have an account and be logged in. Optionally, you can create a persistent login so you do not have to log in fresh every time you visit our website.

Become a Member of the Shutterbug Community
Register for a free account. Spend five minutes (or less) uploading your best shots each week. Become a Photo of the Day winner. Enjoy the fantastic work being done by thousands of photographers all over the world—and add your images to the enduring collection.

– Shutterbug Staff