• File Format: JPEG (.jpg)
• File Size: No larger than 150 kb.
• Dimension: No dimension may be shorter than 160 pixels or longer than 640 pixels.
• Exposure Date: Your photograph must be taken within the submission dates for the challenge.

The only thing you may not do to your photograph during post-shot editing is add text (including copyright statements.)

This means you are free to use dodging and burning tools to correct exposure issues, use the clone tool to remove dust spots, use third-party image enhancement filters, etc. to make your photo "the best it can be". You are encouraged to list all of the post-shot editing tools that you used in the "Photographer's Comments" section of your submission.

Members are reminded to hold photographic integrity in the highest regard when both submitting and voting.

Your entry must come from a single photo, taken during the week of the challenge. No multi-image compositions, no layering of multiple exposures, no copying-and-pasting elements from other photographs (even those taken during the challenge week), etc.

Any modification done inside the digital camera itself is considered acceptable for challenge submission.

To summarize, here are the two important editing restrictions that are still in effect:

• No text. No text may be added to your submission. This includes copyright statements.
• Single photo. No multi-image compositions. Your submitted entry must come from a single photograph taken with your digital camera.

Rules regarding content are as follows:

• Subject matter must comply with the DPChallenge Terms of Use. The following are additional restrictions on subject matter:
• Artwork. Literal photographic representations of the entirety of existing works of art (including your own) are not considered acceptable submissions, however creative depictions or interpretations of "art" are permissible. This includes, but is not limited to: paintings, sculptures, photographs, drawings, and computer artwork.
• Nudity. Nudity is an acceptable form of art on this site. Photographs may not, however, show a penis or a vagina or any acts of sex. Nudity should be presented in a tasteful manner.

If the validity of your submitted photograph comes into question, you may be asked to submit your original, unmodified photograph and steps to recreate your submitted photograph from your original photograph. This original photograph must contain valid, unaltered EXIF data. If you are unable to produce your original photo under these circumstances, your photograph will be disqualified.

Entries can and will only be disqualified for:

• the photograph being taken outside of the challenge week
• adding text to the photograph
• creating a submission from multiple images/sources
• violating the content rules
• use of a non-digital camera

A photograph may only be used in one challenge, even if it is cropped or altered differently to fit another challenge. Duplicate photos will be disqualified. A person may only hold one DPChallenge account and may submit only one photograph per challenge. He or she will not be able to vote on their own image.

Any registered user may recommend a submission for disqualification if he or she feels that submission has violated a rule. In order to allow sufficient time for research, disqualification requests should be submitted as soon as the voter becomes aware of a potential rule violation. Disqualification requests should be submitted during the voting period whenever possible but will be accepted up to seven days after the results of the challenge to which the photo was entered are posted.

For more information please see The DQ Process: A Voter's Guide

Each challenge will state its dates for voting. Users should rate each and every photograph in the challenge on a scale of 1 to 10 (with "1" being a "bad" photo and a "10" being a "good" photo). At the end of the week, the photograph holding the greatest average of votes will be declared the winner of that challenge. Second and third place photographs will also be recognized. While voting, users are asked to keep in highest consideration the topic of the challenge and base their rating accordingly.

If you feel a photograph deserves a vote of 1, 2 or 3, it is suggested that you include a comment with your vote explaining why you felt it deserved a "below average" score.

Users must vote on at least 20% of the entries in order to have their votes counted towards the averages. Until a user votes for 20% of the images in a challenge, his votes are ignored. Voting patterns are also automatically monitored. Users whose vote patterns suggest an intent to unfairly disrupt the system will have their votes ignored and may be suspended from site functions.

If you feel a photograph has violated the site rules, you may click the "Recommend Disqualification for this Picture" link and enter your reason why. You should then vote on the photo as if the rule was not broken, and leave the determination up to the administrators.

Users are highly encouraged to leave comments on a photograph by using the comment box under each photograph. Criticism, praise, and other constructive comments are all welcome. Blatantly slanderous, rude, or profane comments may be removed, and the owners of such comments may be suspended or lose their accounts.

Photographs are shown in the voting area in random order for each user. Absolutely no other preference is applied to non-rated photographs. Once a photo is rated, it is shown on the main voting page along with other submissions with the same rating. Users may adjust their votes directly from this thumbnail-view page only after casting an initial vote for an image -- it is unfair to vote on the quality of a photograph based solely on a server-generated thumbnail of that image.

DPChallenge also monitors and enforces a strict policy against fraudulent accounts and 'ghost' ballots. Any attempts to alter the point totals in any way for any photograph will result in immediate loss of account and a ban from the site. Photographs of any participating parties may also be removed from past or current challenges.

At any time, you may be asked to prove the validity of a challenge submission. Typically proof is requested during the voting period and the week after voting ends. The top-placing entries will always have proof requested so the photos can be validated by the Administrators and Site Council.

When proof is requested you will receive email about the request, and a notice will appear on the left-side of the home page when you are logged in. You will then be provided with instructions on how to submit your original, unedited, direct-from-camera file. It is important to keep the camera original for validation purposes.

To avoid the possibility of disqualification be sure to check that the date and time on your camera are set correctly before taking any pictures you may use as challenge entries. We will no longer accept this an excuse. You have been forewarned.