As at least a few people have noticed, I spend a lot of time in the forums at DPC, trying to answer questions when I can. I decided to compile a list of questions I've frequently answered in the hopes that someone would find it helpful. If nothing else, it'll be easier for me to just copy and paste my answers than to rewrite them. This is not an official resource. It has not been approved by DPC in any way and I don' guarantee my answers. I'm usually right though.;) If you ever have questions about DPC, I'd be glad to help if I can. Just shoot me a PM. Likewise if you have information you think I should add.

    Profile/Portfolio

  1. How do I find out my profile link?
  2. How do I update the photographer's comments on my challenge entry?
  3. How do I get my camera added to the equipment list?
  4. How do I upload images to my portfolio?
  5. What is the My Workshop folder for?
  6. Why aren't my stats updating? I entered a challenge and my stats box still says zero.
  7. I am not receiving Private Messages (PM).
  8. How do I make my profile picture the right size?
  9. I uploaded a new profile picture but I still see the old one.


    Challenges

  10. You should be required to leave a comment if you vote a 1.
  11. Why did I/she/the blue ribbon winner get so many ones?
  12. Can I get my photo validated before the challenge starts?
  13. I'm going on vacation, what happens if I can't submit proof? I'm going on vacation, can I submit proof just in case it's needed?
  14. I had to submit proof for an entry. How long until it's validated?
  15. I can't get my challenge entry the right size. It's either too small or the file size is too big.
  16. I want to become a member but I don't have/don't want to use Paypal. Are there alternatives?
  17. I voted on a challenge but my votes aren't showing up/didn't count.
  18. What is EXIF?
  19. What is the Critique Club?
  20. I checked the box to receive a comment from the Critique Club (CC). Why didn't I get one?
  21. Why is advanced editing only for paid members?
  22. Can I enter both open challenges?
  23. I used transfer software to download my photos and the SC said I didn't have an original
    Can some software edit my originals?
  24. Nikon Capture has a feature to revert to original. Won't this work?


    Forums

  25. Why did my thread get locked/disappear?
  26. Why was my post edited?
  27. That's censorship!
  28. Why was my post moved to rant?
  29. Why isn't my signature showing up?
  30. How do I post thumbnails in the forums?


    Misc Site

  31. Some of the thumbnails on the site don't show up for me. I can click on them and view the full photo just fine.
  32. Search sucks.
  33. What does...stand for?
  34. How do I write a tutorial?


    Misc Photo

  35. Why can't I open my RAW files in Photoshop?
  36. Does anyone sell stock? Do you make money? Is microstock evil?
  37. How do I make a border?
  38. What lens should I buy?

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1. How do I find out my profile link?


Easiest way is just to put your username before the rest of the site url. For example, http://mk.dpchallenge.com. This works for everyone, paid and unpaid.

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2. How do I update the photographer's comments on my challenge entry?


Photographer's comments cannot be changed until after the challenge has ended. If you're a member, locate the entry in your portfolio and edit them that way. If you're not a paid member, you can't. You'll either have to pay up or settle for leaving a comment in the lower portion of the page

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3. How do I get my camera added to the equipment list?


Go here and submit an equipment ticket: http://www.dpchallenge.com/help_contact.php

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4. How do I upload images to my portfolio?


First of all, to have a portfolio, you'll need to be a paying member. If you're not, you can still upload your photos elsewhere and link to them in the forums. http://photobucket.com/ is a free site that makes it easy to do that.

If you're a paid member, click on the My Home menu and select My Portfolio. The upload box is right at the top.

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5. What is the My Workshop folder for?


That folder is only visible to you. The images that you put it in won't be available for browsing to anyone else who visits your portfolio. However, if you link directly to the image page, then they can be seen. This is a good area to put outtakes from challenge entries during the voting period, stuff that you want to link to in the forums but don't necessarily want viewable in your portfolio or anything else you'd like to keep private.

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6. Why aren't my stats updating? I entered a challenge and my stats box still says zero.


Aside from the comments received number, the stats box only updates once a week. Check the bottom of the box for the last time it was updated. Your entry won't be counted until the voting period ends.

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7. I am not receiving Private Messages (PM).


Check your junk folder. Many spam filters send DPC messages to the trash. Set your filter to allow messages from dpchallenge.com

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8. How do I make my profile picture the right size?


Profile pictures must be exactly 120x90 or 90x120. No bigger, no smaller. To size it properly in Photoshop, use the rectangular marquee tool (the dotted box in the upper left corner) and in the toolbar, change the style in the drop-down box to "fixed aspect ratio." Enter the appropriate height and width. Use the tool to crop your photo. You'll now have the proper aspect ratio and can just resize the photo to the right size.

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9. I uploaded a new profile picture but I still see the old one.


You're probably seeing a cached version. Try refreshing the page with F5 or dumping your cache.

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10. You should be required to leave a comment if you vote a 1.


There's no way to monitor the quality of comments left or ensure that they actually offered an explanation. Comments left could range anywhere from "." to " ok" to "this is my favorite!" followed by a vote of 1. Better to just accept that you're probably going to get a few ones, just like everyone else, and move on. Also probably best not to post this as a suggestion. It's been mentioned once or a thousand times before and the post probably won't be well received.



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11. Why did I/she/the blue ribbon winner get so many ones?


Any number of reasons, including but not limited to: not everyone has the same taste, trolls, malicious voters, etc. There is a vote scrubber that throws out votes that appear to be an attempt at vote swaying but the easiest thing to do, for your sanity and ours, is to accept that everyone gets ones, even if you think they/you don't deserve it.

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12. Can I get my photo validated before the challenge starts?


Officially, no. Validation doesn't occur until after the challenge begins. If you need help understanding the rules, you can either ask general questions in the forums or submit a ticket here: http://www.dpchallenge.com/help_contact.php and get a few SC members to give you an opinion on the editing you've done. They are only offering you an opinion on how they'd vote and that doesn't guarantee a validation but it's generally pretty accurate.

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13. I'm going on vacation, what happens if I can't submit proof? I'm going on vacation, can I submit proof just in case it's needed?


Yes. If the voting period hasn't started yet, go to the contact page and submit a general inquiry ticket with your original attached.

If the voting period has started, locate your photo on the voting page (at the very bottom). Click on the link that says "request validation" and submit your original.

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14. I had to submit proof for an entry. How long until it's validated?


It generally takes around 48 hours. A number of Site Council members need to review it before it's validated and with lives and time differences, that can take awhile. It may take longer if discussion is needed. You'll be notified when it's approved or disqualified.

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15. I can't get my challenge entry the right size. It's either too small or the file size is too big.


Check out this tutorial on resizing images using Photoshop. It's pretty similar for other editing software as well. If you still can't do it, ask in the forums but include what editing software you're using.

http://www.dpchallenge.com/tutorial.php?TUTORIAL_ID=26

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16. I want to become a member but I don't have/don't want to use Paypal. Are there alternatives?


Yes. Contact the admins as they are usually able to make alternative arrangements.

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17. I voted on a challenge but my votes aren't showing up/didn't count.


In most cases, one of two things happened: 1. you didn't vote on 20% of the entries. You need to vote on 20% for your votes to count. There's a progress bar under the comment box to show you where you are. At the end of the challenge, if you haven't voted on 20%, your votes are tossed out. 2. You voted in a manner that triggered the "vote scrubber" and your votes were tossed. This generally means you voted extremely low. If you think that all the entries are worthy of no more than a 1 or 2, you should probably seek out a different venue.

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18. What is EXIF?


Wikipedia has a good article on the specifics but basically, EXIF is information recorded with your photo that includes things like the date and time of the shot, the aperture, the ISO, etc. DPC uses this information to verify that your entry was taken within the challenge dates and to ensure that you've edited within the rules. The EXIF is embedded within your file.

To view the EXIF in Photoshop, click on File > File Info > Camera Data 1. There are a few other programs that will also allow you to view EXIF, such as Irfanview or Breezebrowser. Some cameras' EXIF doesn't display in commonly used programs (sorry, don't have a list of these offhand…I think some models of Nikon?) and you may have to use the software that came with your camera to view it.

It's important to note that doing any kind of modification to your file also modifies the EXIF. Once this modification is done, the file is NOT AN ORIGINAL in regards to DPC validation. You should always make a copy of your original file and work from that. For more info, see Original Proof.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exif

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19. What is the Critique Club?


The Critique Club is a group of volunteers who have committed to providing more in-depth comments on challenge entries to those who request them. More information can be found in this thread. http://dpchallenge.com/forum.php?action=read&FORUM_THREAD_ID=19842

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20. I checked the box to receive a comment from the Critique Club (CC). Why didn't I get one?


First, know that the CC write their comments during the week after the voting period has ended so if that period isn't up, be patient. After that period, it's still very possible that you won't receive a comment, even if you ask for one. This is because there are many, many requests for critique and fewer CC members. While they work very hard to get through the queue, it's just not always possible. If you want to get more comments, you should consider joining the CC and pitching in. http://dpchallenge.com/cclub_selection.php

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21. Why is advanced editing only for paid members?


When DPC initially started, the editing rules were essentially what they are now for the basic editing challenges. As the site grew, the desire for a more advanced set of rules became apparent and the additional challenges were added. The admins promised that what had always been offered for free would continued to be free but that there would be some extra perks for paying members. Advanced editing challenges are one of them. Advanced editing in the open challenges is very, very rare so if you're hoping to participate in some, you should pony up for the membership. (It's worth it.)

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22. Can I enter both open challenges?


No. The open challenges are exclusive which means that you can only enter one. This is done in an attempt to keep the challenge numbers low and also to give you a choice of topics.

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23. I used transfer software to download my photos and the SC said I didn't have an original/Can some software edit my originals?


Yes. Some transfer softwares will modify your EXIF as you download files, even if you aren't actually editing the photo. Any modifications to the EXIF will render your "original" ineligible for verification.

You will need to have an untouched, unaltered original of the file on your computer somewhere. The easiest way to do this is is to simply use your operating system's file structure to copy and paste the images from your card to your computer. This can be done using a card reader or by connecting the camera to your computer and browsing it as an additional drive.

Then before you edit you should make a copy.

Software known to affect images are:
- Nikon Capture (when saving RAW edits)
- Nikon Picture

Software known to be safe:
RawShooter Esentials (RSE)
RawShooter Premier (RSP)

This is not a complete list by any means! For verification of specific transfer software, contact the SC.

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24. Nikon Capture has a feature to revert to original. Won't this work?


Once you save the image over the original, you affect the FILE SYSTEM date which will not match the EXIF file date. Reverting WILL NOT revert the FILESYSTEM date. This makes your file invalid.

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25. Why did my thread get locked/disappear?


If it got locked right at the start, you most likely posted the same thread twice. Once is good. All the threads appear on the front page so two aren't necessary. And besides, it's easier to keep the information in one place so that everyone doesn't feel the need to answer twice.

You may also have posted outtakes for a challenge that's currently in the voting stage. This is a no no. Outtakes are currently defined by the site as any photo that has roughly the same subject as the challenge topic. They are considered outtakes even if you entered a completely different shot or didn't enter at all. Wait until the voting period has ended to post outtakes.

If your thread completely disappeared, you probably posted something that violated the TOS or was just utterly obnoxious. Contact the Site Council if you really don't understand why and don't do that again.

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26. Why was my post edited?


The SC will usually leave a short reason for editing your post. If you don't understand, see the answer to the question above. Also, you shouldn't discuss specific entries during the voting period. People feel rather strongly about anonymity and like to keep things that way and it can be considered vote swaying if you're being discussing a particular entry.

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27. That's censorship!


DPC is not a democracy. Sorry.

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28. Why was my post moved to rant?


Mostly likely it was either rantish in nature or contained political content. Anything political automatically goes to the rant forum. That's not censorship either.

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29. Why isn't my signature showing up?


When you're writing a post, there's a checkbox at the bottom that you'll need to check in order for your signature to show. The box will usually stay checked once you check it but sometimes has a mind of its own.

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30. How do I post thumbnails in the forums?


If you're posting thumbnails from images that are hosted in your DPC portfolio, check out this thread http://dpchallenge.com/forum.php?action=read&FORUM_THREAD_ID=264825

If you're posting images that are hosted on another site, check out this tutorial http://dpchallenge.com/tutorial.php?TUTORIAL_ID=17

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31. Some of the thumbnails on the site don't show up for me. I can click on them and view the full photo just fine.


You're probably running Norton Internet Security.

1. Go to the ad blocking and choose the 'configure' option.

2. Press the 'advanced' button to configure ad blocking for individual websites.

3. Press the 'add site' button to add 'www.dpchallenge.com' to the sites list.

4. Select 'www.dpchallenge.com' from the list and then press the 'add' button.

5. In the html string window, enter "/" without the quotation marks and select the 'permit' radio button.

6. Press OK and work your way back to the top level.

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32. Search sucks.


Yes, sometimes search is not as wonderful as we'd like. If the site search is failing you, you can try searching google using site:dpchallenge.com to limit it to DPC.

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33. What does….stand for?


DNMC - Does not meet challenge
SC - Site Council
CC = Critique Club

OOF - out of focus
DOF - depth of field
USM = UnSharp Mask

RSE = RawShooter Essentials
RSP = RawShooter Premier
PSE = Photoshop Essentials
PS = Photoshop
PSP = Paintshop Pro


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34. How do I write a tutorial?


If you've got a subject you'd like to write a tutorial for and you know html, go ahead and code it up. If you don't know html, just write it in word and make a notation where the pictures should go. Zip it all up and send it to the admins.

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35. Why can't I open my RAW files in Photoshop?


Photoshop doesn't have RAW capabilities until the CS version so if you've got an older version, you'll either need to use the software that came with your camera to convert it to a PS compatible format (Tiff, jpg) or check out Raw Shooter Essentials, a popular and free RAW converter.

Photoshop CS also only supports limited RAW camera files. Check the list of supported formats here http://www.adobe.com/products/photoshop/cameraraw.html

If you find that your version of PS supports your camera's RAW files, you may still need to download the Camera RAW update from the Adobe website. To do this, go to adobe.com and click on "support" in the menu bar. Select "updates." Select Photoshop in the dropdown menu of products and then download the appropriate file.

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36. Does anyone sell stock? Do you make money? Is microstock evil?


Yes, sometimes and maybe. All of it has been discussed a number of times and a few searches in the forums should provide you with plenty of reading.



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37. How do I make a border?


See this thread http://dpchallenge.com/forum.php?action=read&FORUM_THREAD_ID=12171

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38. What lens should I buy?


First, check out John Setzler's Lens Buying for Dummies. Then, if you still feel the need to start a thread, please tell us what kind of photos you'd like to use it for and what your budget is.

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