*ABW* Gallery ~ Amazingly Beautiful World ~ (by Invitation Only)

Discussion ( 2 posts  |  Only members can post. Join? )

About *ABW* Gallery ~ Amazingly Beautiful World ~ (by Invitation Only)

.


A unique selection of landscapes, wildlife, sea, sky, trees, flowers, mountaineering, caverns, waterfalls, landmarks, underwater, aerial, and kite aerial photography.



On the first day of March 2007 a rare seed was sown on Flickr and proclaimed Amazingly Beautiful World by Sarey* who tamped it into the ground. Since then it has bloomed into a sharply distinguished showcase ~~ rigorously curated, praised by photographers, and known for probing commentary.



Contributions have propelled *ABW* Gallery into the vanguard of landscape and nature photography to make it "one of the best kept secrets on Flickr" with more than one thousand members.



None of this could have happened without strong, unstinting support from committed members and staff, all of whom deserve rich congratulations as *ABW* Gallery fast approaches its second anniversary.



Competition is fierce on Flickr for truly superb photography to be displayed at hundreds of hungry venues. All sorts of inducements are offered by groups to entice contributors and generate noisy widespread attention. But *ABW* Gallery has avoided bells & whistles out of a deep respect for photographers whose time scarcely permits entering contests or posting required comments to submit an image for display.



*ABW* Gallery relies instead on the quiet, unmistakable quality of its exhibit to attract truly talented photographers and discriminating viewers who have no interest in wading through reams of ordinary images tirelessly displayed at bestseller groups on Flickr.



Excitement continues at the Gallery during its second year of activity on this global phenomenon known as Flickr. Visitors are invited to wander deep into the canyons of the collection where many mementos can be found, and members are encouraged to be on the lookout for extraordinary images to nominate.








The ABW Admins





GALLERY CRITERIA:

Every photograph must be nominated to be reviewed for eligibility at *ABW* Gallery. Please understand that nomination does not guarantee display here.



Nominations unaccompanied by comments, or accompanied only by one or two words, may not be considered quite as seriously as those accompanied by measured, thoughtful commentary.



Curators reserve the right to delete photographs without notice. We review the Gallery regularly, always with an eye for ways to refine its tone and direction. Our aim is to keep this showcase fresh and exciting.



Nominate only photographs ...

That reveal phenomenal beauty in this wondrous physical world.









Photographs that make you wonder if YOU could ever be lucky enough to see something so stunning and skillful enough to photograph it with such success.



Photographs that are essentially untouched (details below).
Unforgettable images ... pictures that reach for your heart.



When selecting a photograph to nominate, disregard whatever acclaim it may have received. Ignore all ribbons, medallions & blinking awards.



Go by your own intuition to determine whether an image is exceptional & momentous ~~ not just notable or admirable ~~ as a thrilling discovery to exhibit in a major showcase dedicated to demonstrating "amazing beauty" in our world.



Don't be influenced by a photograph's popularity, Explore status, or anything else outside your own highest values and expectations.



*ABW* Gallery is not about jumping on a bandwagon.



We discourage nominations of images blatantly enhanced by post production. While respecting photographers' prerogative to present work with a chosen aesthetic, the Gallery is dedicated primarily to excellence in photography and composition ~~ not pronounced processing skills.



We recognize that a camera cannot always record what the human eye sees. We acknowledge that alterations often occur in-camera, by use of filters, wide-angle lenses or post production as a way to present a scene authentically or dramatically. Nevertheless this collection emphasizes photography that appears to be unaltered.



This is tricky terrain, of course. But subtle processing, applied with restraint, can be virtually undetectable and may be deemed eligible for exhibit at *ABW* Gallery.



Our emphasis on "amazing beauty" must, by definition, allow sufficient latitude for exceptional works, such as infrared imagery, to be considered occasionally as well.



Frames and Icons Generally these are shunned by *ABW* Gallery. Photographs with frames, logos, watermarks, and copyright symbols may be acceptable, however, if such features are tastefully applied and deemed unobtrusive during review.



Photographs of people: *ABW* Gallery is primarily about our physical environment, and scenes showing people may be accepted only if they complement the overall image and are not the main subject. There may be rare exceptions that arise from time to time.



Should questions arise about a photograph's eligibility at *ABW* Gallery, please contact an administrator before posting a nomination and furnish a link to the image under consideration. You cannot nominate your own work. You may only nominate the work of other Flickr members.





NOMINATION CODE

In cases you feel the above criteria are met, copy-paste the following text beneath the exceptional photograph after your comment;


<img
src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2412/1834860454_c0f658c539_t.jpg"
alt="" /></a>
<b>Congratulations!</b>
Your photograph has been nominated for
<b>"Amazingly Beautiful World" (by Invitation Only)</b>
Please submit this image to <a
href="http://www.flickr.com/groups/AmazinglyBeautifulWorld"> ~~ *ABW* Gallery</a>
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*


The invitation should appear as follows:

[your comment ] followed by;


Congratulations!
Your photograph has been nominated for
"Amazingly Beautiful World" (by Invitation Only)
Please submit this image to ~~ *ABW* Gallery
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*



COMMENT CODE

Everyone appreciates feedback on their work. When visiting the Gallery or submitting an image, please take a moment to feast your eyes on the collection ~~ and make a remark, if so inclined. *ABW* Gallery may be the "one of the best kept secrets on Flickr," but we hope to spread the word. So please use the following code when posting a comment:


<img
src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2083/1834860626_bc693bfe27_o.jpg"
alt="Nominee" /></a>
Admired in <a
href="http://www.flickr.com/groups/AmazinglyBeautifulWorld"> ~~ *ABW* Gallery</a> (by Invitation Only)
<b>Phenomenal Photography of our Amazingly Beautiful World</b>

It should appear like this;


Admired in ~~ *ABW* Gallery (by Invitation Only)
Phenomenal Photography of our Amazingly Beautiful World





REVIEWING PROCESS

The Gallery uses Flickr's Reviewing Process to screen uninvited/unsuitable images. Each image enters a reviewing queue to be assessed for eligibility in the Gallery. This may only take a few minutes but may take longer if images of the same color or similar subjects need to be spaced out. Please be patient.



SUBMISSION PROCESS: www.flickr.com/help/groups/#57



REMINDER: Every image must be by Invitation Only.
+ Nomination does not guarantee acceptance into the Gallery
+ Images that have not been nominated will be declined.



Thank you for visiting *ABW* Gallery ~Amazingly Beautiful World~ and please come again.





Started this counter on April 5, 2008.

http://www.flickr.com/groups/amazinglybeautifulworld/