How to Get Involved With the WordPress Photo Directory
Plus, insider tips on the dos and don’ts of submitting your photography.
Late 2021 marked the launch of the WordPress Photo Directory, which provides free, high-quality photography in the public domain for WordPress site owners. Less than a year later, the library has amassed more than 5,000 photos submitted by members of the community.
This has given a unique opportunity to the creative WordPress community: Whether you’re an iPhone photographer or you shoot with the finely-tuned settings of your DSLR, the directory provides a unique avenue to show off your best shots.
Here you can learn more about the directory, plus we’ll share tips on how (and why) to get involved and submit your own photos.
What is the WordPress Photo Directory?
The photo directory is a library of free photos for WordPress users. It’s run by a team of volunteer moderators that operates with a simple mission:
The Photos team helps people use and contribute to the WordPress Photo Directory through creative commons licensed (CC0) photography that can be used without cost or attribution, for any purpose, via wordpress.org/photos.
That means all photos in the library are available for any use, commercial or non-commercial. Although users aren’t required to credit the photographer on their photos, it’s recommended as a best practice. A major benefit for the photographers is they retain the copyright to their images.
If you’re interested in working with the Photos team directly, keep an eye on the team’s blog for announcements of upcoming meetings or pop by and introduce yourself on Slack.
Why should I get involved?
The photo directory provides an excellent way to get involved with the WordPress community, whether you attend meetings with the team or submit your own images.
As a contributor, it’s a way to potentially showcase your best photography. It also provides a creative outlet that benefits the open-source community. It’s a win-win!
How do I submit my photos?
Michelle Frechette, StellarWP director of community engagement, volunteers on the directory’s moderation team in addition to contributing her own photography.
Here are some of Michelle’s top tips to contributors (originally from her Twitter thread):
- Get the sizing right.
Anything smaller than 2,000 x 2,000 pixels will be automatically rejected. Save yourself time and effort by ensuring photos are appropriately sized (and submitted in JPEG format).
- Edit first.
Most photos benefit from some light editing: “Correct (level) your horizons, brighten photos if necessary, crop appropriately, and make sure they would be something you, yourself, would use on a website,” Michelle says.
That said, don’t go wild with the filters and heavy effects. The team is looking for photos that have been minimally modified.
- Write a strong description.
Include a description with relevant keywords to help moderators add tags if your photo is accepted. Think of words that would help someone find your photo, whether you’re identifying the photo subject, location, or other defining features.
Here’s an example:
- Skip low-quality photos.
Use your judgment. If a photo is blurry or otherwise wonky, don’t submit it. Consider whether the photo is one that a webmaster or business owner would be proud to display on their site.
- No faces or personal details.
Privacy is important: Photos that show people’s faces, street addresses, license plate numbers, and other identifiable details won’t be approved. Make sure each photo you submit protects your subjects’ (and your own) identity.
- No plagiarism.
Yes, it’s happened: A few bad apples have submitted photos ripped off from other sources. The moderation team runs all photos through checkers to ensure each piece of submitted work is original. If you submit someone else’s work, you may be banned from the directory.
Submit your photos, support WordPress
By submitting photos to the WordPress Photo Directory, you’ll make an official contribution to the WordPress open source project. Not only can you help make photo content more easily available to others for web design and marketing, but you’ll also earn a badge on your WordPress.org profile in recognition of your submission(s).
For detailed instructions on submitting your own photos to the WordPress Photo Directory, check out the official submission guidelines.
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