The categories exist so that someone searching can find exactly what they’re looking for.
They are not meant to categorize your personal associations with your image.
Photos must therefore fit clearly into a category at first glance for everyone, not just for you,
either through the title or associative detours!
A category system in a public gallery—where many very different people upload their photos—has different goals than your private category system in your personal portfolio. In a shared category system, it doesn’t matter what associations you have with your photo. The only thing that matters is which category the average community member would look under to find your photo. So set your ego aside and act in the interest of the community. You can express your personal associations with your photo through the title, description, and tags.
1. The category system is designed so that a searcher finds exactly what they’re looking for
- If the images shown match the theme of the category chosen by the searcher, their user experience is good. If the images are irrelevant to the searcher, their user experience is poor.
- Therefore, the categories assigned to images must make sense to the searchers, not the photographers. Photographers can always find their own images through their profile and relevant tags.
2. The category system is not meant to categorize your personal associations with the image
- Categories are not meant to describe associations that the image might or should evoke in the photographer or viewer. That’s the role of the image title and description!
- Categories are not meant to help you find your own images. You can do that through your profile or tags.
3. Tips for choosing categories
First, ask yourself: What would most members agree on? What is the most distinctive feature of my photo? Is it the subject, the technique, or the message?
The Subject
The subject is usually the easiest to agree on because it’s obvious and indisputable. So always try to categorize your image by its subject first. This makes it easiest to find.
The Technique
The technique isn’t always obvious, but it is a fact. You should only choose a technical category if the technique clearly dominates the subject.
The Message
The message of an image is purely subjective and will be perceived differently by everyone. Titles and descriptions don’t change that. Therefore, the message should only be used as a category in exceptional cases.