Every photo sent to AeroHub Photos is checked by a person from our team, called a screener. The screener looks at the picture and at the information you wrote, and compares them with our Upload Guidelines. If something does not follow the guidelines, the photo is rejected.
A rejection is not a punishment. It only means that this photo, as it is now, cannot go into the gallery. Most rejections are easy to fix, and you can always try again with a better photo.
Where can I see why my photo was rejected?
- Sign in on AeroHub Photos.
- Click the bell at the top of the page. You will see a message saying your photo was rejected and the reason.
- You can also open your photographer profile and go to the tab My Uploads. There you will find all your photos that are not in the gallery yet: the pending photos (still waiting for a screener) and the rejected photos. Rejected photos stay in My Uploads for 14 days after the rejection. After that, they may be deleted automatically. We only keep a record that a photo was rejected, not the photo itself, so if you want to fix and upload it again, do it within those 14 days or keep your own copy. Under each rejected photo you will see the word Reason, followed by an explanation of what was wrong.
- Next to the reason there is usually a link to the part of the Upload Guidelines that explains the problem. Open it and read that part carefully.
A photo can be rejected for more than one reason at the same time, for example "Too dark" and "Wrong airline". Read all the reasons before you try again.
Problems with the photo quality
These reasons are about how clear and clean the picture looks. Read part 4 of the Upload Guidelines.
- Low quality: the picture is small, pixelated or looks "blocky" because it was compressed too much. Use the original screenshot, not a copy sent through a chat app.
- Blurry / Unsharp: the aircraft is out of focus or moving too fast in the picture. Pause the replay and take the screenshot again.
- Too bright / Overexposed: there is too much white and you cannot see the details of the aircraft.
- Too dark / Underexposed: the aircraft is too dark to see the details. Try another time of day in the simulator.
- Contrast: there is too much or too little difference between light and dark parts.
- Dust spots / Dirty scan: there are spots, marks or dirt on the picture.
Problems with editing
You can make small, light edits, but the picture must stay real. Read part 3.3 and part 5 of the Upload Guidelines.
- Too much editing: the colors, saturation, HDR or filters were pushed too far and the picture no longer looks natural.
- Oversharpened: the edges of the aircraft have bright lines (halos) because of too much sharpening.
- Watermark: you added your own name, text, logo, signature or border on the picture. AeroHub Photos does not accept any mark that works as a personal watermark, even a small one in a corner. You do not need your own watermark: AeroHub Photos already protects your photo for you. It adds a copyright bar with your name and its own watermark, so your photo stays protected anywhere it could be copied or used without permission. Read part 5.3 of the guidelines to learn more.
- Altered image: something was added to or removed from the picture, for example fake contrails, another aircraft or a new sky. This is not allowed at all. Read part 1.1.1.
Problems with the composition
Composition means how the aircraft is placed in the picture. In Infinite Flight you can move the camera freely, so we expect a well-framed photo. Read part 3 of the Upload Guidelines.
- Crop / Framing: the aircraft is too far away, there is too much empty space, it is not centered, or a part of it is cut off (for example the tip of a wing or the tail).
- Horizon not level: the horizon or the airport looks tilted.
- Obstruction / Clutter: something is in front of the aircraft and hides it.
- Ground services (GSE): ground vehicles or equipment are in a bad position and spoil the picture.
- 3D airport scenery: there is a problem with how the 3D airport looks in the picture.
Wrong photo information
These are mistakes in the information you typed in the form, not in the picture itself. Read part 1.2 of the Upload Guidelines.
- Wrong registration: the registration does not match the aircraft in the picture.
- Wrong aircraft: the aircraft model or version is not correct (for example A320 instead of A320neo).
- Wrong airline: the airline, operator or livery is not correct.
- Wrong airport / location: the airport code or the place is not correct.
- Wrong category: the photo was put in the wrong category.
- Wrong date: the date the photo was taken is not correct.
Good news: for this kind of mistake you often do not need to upload the photo again. If your rejected photo shows the button Fix information, click it, correct the details and save. The photo goes back to the queue to be checked again.
Other problems
- Similar photo: your photo is too similar to a photo that is already on the site. Read part 2.4.
- File error: the file has the wrong format, size or shape. Only .jpg files are accepted, with a minimum file size of 250 KB and a maximum width of 1920 px, and the photo must be 16:9. Read part 2.3.
- Read the rules: the screener may also point you to any other part of the guidelines. Open the link next to the reason to see which one.
- Other: sometimes the screener writes the reason in their own words. Read the message carefully.
What should I do now?
- Read the reason (or reasons) and open the link to the guidelines.
- If it is a mistake in the information, use Fix information when the button is shown.
- If it is a problem with the picture, take a new screenshot in Infinite Flight that fixes the problem, and upload it as a new photo.
- Do not upload the same picture again without changing it. It will be rejected again for the same reason.
The guidelines are updated from time to time, only when it is needed, so it is a good idea to read them again before you upload.
Serious rule breaks
Most rejections have no other consequence. But breaking the most important rules on purpose, for example sending altered images, can give your account a strike, and repeated serious breaks can block you from uploading. If you follow the guidelines, you have nothing to worry about.
If you still do not understand why your photo was rejected, contact us and tell us which photo it is. We are happy to help.