Frequently asked questions

What is the purpose of this platform?

We realize how painful it is to gain valuable insight to improve our photography skills and monetize. We want to address this problem for newbies and established alike. Check out our Roadmap to learn more about our plans.

Why is it free? Will it always be free?

The current features you see on our platform will always be free. However, a free platform is not sustainable in the long term. We plan to introduce premium features to avoid advertisement-based revenue. Refer to our roadmap to know more about the future of Art&Pics.

What do you want from us?

We want you to try our platform actively and provide feedback to improve. Also, bring in more photographers from your local community. Additionally, we have our subreddit on Reddit, where we look to engage with you to discuss features and provide updates about the development activities.

Why did you decide to make it community-based?

Photographers' jobs are predominantly localized. So, we decided to model everything around the local community to build relationships that result in more jobs.

Why is the feedback on my images anonymous?

Talking with some photographers, we also found that Anonymity helps people be honest in their opinion about others' works without being awkward. Hence, we built this platform around anonymous feedback. However, we provide many tools to guestimate your contact's feedback without pinpointing any single one of them.

How do we know who provided feedback for our photos?

Instead of disclosing who specifically provided feedback on your photos, we provide helpful analytics to understand the photography skill your photos demonstrated. Also, we provide an “idea” to the feedback provider, such as (i) whether they belong to the communities you follow, (ii) your followers or mutual followers, or (iii) strangers (meaning — do not belong to your communities, nor follow you).

Do you need my neighborhood information to participate in the discussion forum?

You do not need to set your neighborhood to participate in the discussion forum. The only requirement for the discussion forum is to complete your registration.

How do I stay anonymous on the platform?

We understand that some photographers want anonymity, and the platform is designed to facilitate that. Once registered, visit your profile and set up an alternative name, such as a nickname. Then visit your preferences and ensure "Hide actual name" and "Hide My neighborhood" are checked to ensure you stay anonymous on the platform.

How secure is your platform?

Some of us have worked as security experts, managing and consulting cybersecurity for other companies. We focus on getting features to you and polishing them quickly at the moment and not on building massive security features. However, to reduce your exposure to security breaches, we collect limited personal information, use low-resolution pictures, and encrypt your data wherever possible. We continue to improve our product and its security daily.

Is it possible to download photos from the website?

We have done everything possible to restrict unauthorized access to your photos by storing high-quality pictures in a separate encrypted location and instead using low resolution for displaying. We intend to use high resolution in the future when we complete developing technologies to protect your photos.

How do I reset/retrieve my Password?

We detest passwords. Hence, we use single-use passwords on our platform. Click sign-in, and enter your account name for your new login token. You do not need a password.

What information do you collect, and how are they used?

We collect your first and last name, email, neighborhood, and country information. Even though we ask for your address to find your community, we do not store your address anywhere on our platform (including the logging systems).

Following is what we do with your personal information:

• Name — to make it easier for your fellow photographers and potential clients to identify you.
• Email — to send notifications, newsletters, login tokens, communication with you, and alerts
• Neighborhood — to locate your community and approximate living location.

We will let you know if the above changes so that you can provide us with your consent.

Who owns the license to our images?

You can read our Terms of service to understand the licensing and copyright. In short, you own the copyright to your photographs uploaded to our platform.

Do you use our images in your marketing? If so, how are we compensated?

Yes, we use your profile and pictures in our platform marketing. We plan to advertise your work and direct potential photographers and customers to Art&Pics. We believe in this way, you get promoted for your best work, and we succeed when your customers visit your profile on our platform. We will not use your images or profile without attribution. In the future, we will explore other options, such as monetary compensation.

How do I remove my image from someone else's collection?

We do not have that feature at the moment. You can directly reach out to the collection owner and sort it out. Adding your images to someone else’s collection does not revoke your ownership. Hence, unless there is an explicit reason, you do not have to worry about someone else adding your picture to their collection.