Buy the Book

Buy the Capture My Chicago Book and DVD before they're all gone! (free shipping too)

Note: The book is shipping! Grab your copy before they're all sold out!

Note: Much of the information on this page pertains to the submission and voting phase of the Capture My Chicago project. That phase has come to an end. However, please feel free to read up and see how the project came together.

Frequently asked questions.

Site interactivity.
User interactivity.
Photo submission.
Photo modification.
Photo stats.
Voting.
Photo take action box
Book/DVD/pricing.

Site interactivity.

My login isn't working. Can you help?

Eek! We sure hope so. There's a lot that could go wrong with logging in. If you have your username and password wrong, you will see a message that says, "Login failed." If you didn't get that error, but still can't sign in, or if you already tried resetting your password, then it's likely an issue with cookies. No, not the chocolate chip kind — the kind your browser stores (required to use this site). We created a magic button to try and automatically fix cookie issues for folks so try that first.

If you tried our magic button are still unable to sign in, there are a few other things you can try. Our site requires that cookies be enabled, so if you have cookies disabled or have any kind of custom security settings for your internet browser you may need to change those to the default (or normal) levels and enable cookies. It is also a good idea to clear all cookies and cached files before attempting to log in again. You can usually find all of these settings in "Internet Options" in your browser's "Tools" menu. Another potential problem is any kind of anti-virus or firewall you may have installed on your computer. While these are generally a good thing and help keep you secure and bug-free, they may have settings which are preventing you from accessing our site. Try adding our address (http://www.capturemychicago.com) to the "allowed" list in your settings. Back to top.

So I can vote without registering?

Yes and no. Yes, you can vote for photos without registering or logging in, but they won't count until you register or log in. We let you know after each vote that your vote has been stored, but that it doesn't count until you get on board. So go ahead and vote without registering, just remember that all those votes will be lost unless you register! Back to top.

What's the big counter in the top right corner for?

At some point we have to cut off submissions to the project. The counter is counting down to that point. When submission closes, anything you've uploaded is in the running to be used in the book or on the DVD. That means you no longer have the ability to delete or edit your photo. Up until that point you can delete your photo and we won't use it in the book, but after the deadline passes, if your photo is still online, we'll use it in the book if it garners enough votes.

Once the counter reaches zero for the submission period, vote week begins! During this final week no more new photos can be added. Instead, it's up to you to vote for as many photos as possible to really shape the book/DVD into what you think it ought to be. It's the perfect time to get all of your friends and family to vote like mad for your photos. Once the vote week is done, the project heads to production phase. You'll still be able to view all of your photos, but you won't be able to cast a vote. It's at this time we start on the layout of the book. We take a look at all the photos you've picked as the best and put them in the book. Also when vote week is over, awarding of prizes begins. It'll take us a few weeks to get a hold of everyone, but keep checking your inbox (you did give us a valid email address, right?). We'll let you know if you're a winner. The last thing that happens when the countdown reaches zero is the contributor discount goes away. So, be sure grab your copy of the book/DVD before you miss out on the opportunity to save! Back to top.

Submission close date: Saturday, October 10, 2009

Vote week end: Saturday, October 17, 2009

Can anyone steal photos?

Ha! If you think you should steal, perhaps you ought to leave, or go hang out with the fishy types. Using someone else's photo for anything is not okay. Photography is an art, and it takes a lot of work. If you want to use a photo for something, pay a photographer. Don't loot photos here! We actually built in a way to thwart most folks who will try to steal images so photographers ought to feel safe. Back to top.

What's this "greatest" and "freshest" thing?

It's the way we sort photos to make them easily viewable for you. Freshest is really simple. In any given list, it's the most recently submitted photos. They're new and need your support! Greatest is a little more complicated. We have a complex algorithm that determines which photos are great. It's a combination of a lot of variables. What variables? It's a secret. If we told you, would it make the contest more fun? Probably not. This isn't supposed to be a numbers game. This is supposed to be fun. The basic principle behind Greatest is that photos people dig are great, ones they don't, aren't. Now get out there and start voting for photos. Back to top.

Why can't I see some photos? Some have a red x.

Our images are stored on mirrored servers all over the United States. It is feasible (although rare), that some images are on servers which your internet service provider does not have access to. We have no control over this. The next step would be to look into clearing your DNS cache locally, or perhaps contacting your ISP to see if they are having issues with certain subnets of servers on the world wide web. As far as we're concerned, the images are behaving normally. They can been seen in expected places and in expected ways to all users, with the exception of you, which is quite unfortunate. We wish we could do more to help, but we can't. Sorry! Back to top.

What is the black bar on top for?

It's called the info bar. We put three types of super-useful info there. First, we put featured photos in this prime spot. If your photo is winds up in the Weekly Picks, it will appear here. Second, we complied a huge list of tips on how to use the site and rotate them here. Third, we display local offers from our great local sponsors if they have something special to offer the Capture My Chicago audience. Back to top.

What's a weekly pick?

Obviously, there are a ton of photos on Capture My Chicago. Weekly Picks is a way to highlight a select few on a weekly basis in the form of an email (opt-in on your profile page) or RSS feed. So how do photos become a weekly pick? First, photos submitted in the last week that are extremely popular. Local folks are voting thousands of times per day for their favorites. The higher-scoring photos become a weekly pick. Second, our editors pour over the site every day and hand-select a few photos to be a weekly pick. Third, a few photos that are marked as a local icon and that are high-scoring wind up in the mix. So, the Weekly Picks email/RSS is a great way to get a quick look at what's doing well here. Note: weekly picks are also featured in the info bar. Back to top.

User interactivity.

Do I have to be a certain age to use this site?

Yes. State laws vary (check into it if you are concerned), but federal law dictates that you must be 13 to create user profiles and such, which this site needs. See the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act of 1998 for more info. Back to top.

What's crushed mean?

Don't get all weird on us, Capture My Chicago crushes are platonic and fun! When a user loves three or more photos from a particular photographer, that user has crushed on that photographer. Your crushed tab on your profile page lists all photographers you've crushed on. It's a good idea to check out their profiles regularly since you seem to have a thing for their photos. If you're a photographer, your crushed tab also lists users you've been crushed by (users who love three or more of your photos). Give them love back by checking out their photos. Back to top.

How can I tell if my shares have turned into votes?

Go to your "Me" page and click on the tab that says, "Shares." Below you will see a list of people that you have invited. To the right of their name you'll see a little person with a question mark. that column tells you if that person is a member or not. Then next to that is a up and down graphic, which shows if the person has voted for your photos. Back to top.

What is the minimum size in pixels that my profile pic should be?

135 x 135 pixels, which is the largest your profile pic will ever be viewed. Unfortunately, cropping on the profile pic can't be controlled. Back to top.

How do I change my email associated with my profile?

There's no automated way to do it. Contact us and tell us why you need it changed. Back to top.

Photo submission.

What's a pixel, and how do I know if I have enough of them?

A pixel is a unit of measurement. It's what computers use to measure image sizes. We require your photos have enough pixels to print in the book. So what's enough? It would be best if you would upload images of at least 2000 pixels on its longest side, but we will accept anything that's more than 1 megapixel (although a 1 megapixel photo would have to print about two inches wide). To find out how many pixels your image has, open it in a photo editing, or photo viewing application. Most applications should have a straightforward menu system which should lead you to "image dimensions," "image size," or "get info." Once there, you should see the width and height of your image in pixels. Bigger (or more pixels) is always better, so just upload the largest available version of your photo. We will accept all photos (even really small ones, down to 1 megapixel), but a photo is more likely to end up in the book if it's bigger. Back to top.

Do my photos have to be taken here?

Yes. This is a book about the Greater Chicago area so photos should be from the Greater Chicago area. It doesn't matter where you are from, but all photos should be taken from the Greater Chicago area. That seems pretty simple, but we know some folks won't be sure what that really means. So to be more specific, only submit photos from 50-mile radius or so, including all sorts of rural shots, and photos from Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake (Illinois), Lake (Indiana), McHenry and Will counties, among others. Basically, anything that could be considered Chicagoland. For photos that are local icons, flag them as such in the photo's take action box. Note: we allow users to report a photo if it's not from the area. This "must be taken from here" policy is self-policing. We let the users' reports and votes weed out ones that shouldn't be in the book. Back to top.

How much post-processing can I do to my photos?

This is an art book, so we're open to some amount of digital enhancement, but we'd prefer not to get into the "digital manipulation" realm. Don't turn your photo of a dog into a photo of a dog eating your uncle George. Don't spend 45 minutes in your photo editing application making an unrealistic scene. Don't make your photo look like a painting. Just don't mess with it too much. Use your own judgement but remember that other people have the ultimate call, and they're not going to vote for a photo that doesn't look real. Cropping, toning, contrast, removal of dust spots are all examples of appropriate digital enhancement. Back to top.

Should I upload one photo multiple times and put them in different chapters?

No, you shouldn't. Each photo can be entered in one chapter, and one chapter alone. Now if you've got a photo that's a little different and you want to put that in another chapter, that's fine, just don't upload the same photo more than once. Back to top.

Is there a limit to how many photos I can upload?

Yes, but it's for your own good. You can upload 80 photos per month (bonus 80 if you're a power voter). The reason for this is simple: quality control. The benefit to you, the photographer, is that voters tend to dislike photos that look similar to other shots they've seen. We monitor voting trends and the bottom line is, the fewer photos you submit, the more likely voters will like your stuff. So choose your best photos only! Back to top.

Will you edit my photo info?

We'd prefer not to, but we will be looking for grammar and spelling mistakes. We're human too, it happens to us just like it does you. Otherwise, we won't be changing the information about your photo. We'd ask that you pay special attention to the details in your captions. If your caption tells us your photo is of your cousin Sally, we pretty much have to believe you. So far as the details of your photo, if at all possible, the caption you give us will appear "as-is." If your caption is too long, or redundant, or has parts that are not applicable to the photo, we may cut it down. Back to top.

Should I embed a color profile?

We don't require it because most folks don't know what a color profile is. However, if you know what one is and you're looking to convert your image to a certain profile, we'd love to have it in SRGB. This isn't necessary if you don't know what a color profile is. Back to top.

What about people photos and releases? Are famous people okay?

Photos of people in a public square are probably okay without any kind of release. Photos of family and friends are usually okay, but get their permission first. We probably can't publish models and famous people in the book without their consent, but go ahead and post photos if you have them. Let us worry about the rights and such. If our lawyers feel we need to get in touch with the famous person or model, we will get ahold of you and make arrangements. Back to top.

What about attribution? I want my credit!

We understand, and we agree. Everyone deserves proper recognition for their contribution. In the book, on the DVD, in promotion, and on the website, your photo will always be credited to you. In addition, we provide a way for you to promote your website, if you have one. Simply fill out the website line on your user profile page. Our plan is to include all photographers names (and their websites) in the book. Back to top.

My uploads won't work. I keep getting a 503 error. Why?

This should be pretty rare, but it might happen. It happens when our upload servers get overloaded. We have a slew of upload servers but sometimes they get tired and need a nap. When they're all either busy with other uploads or napping, you get a 503. Boo napping upload servers!!! Back to top.

Photo modification.

How do I edit or delete my photo?

On your photo's page, in the "Take Action" box on the right, you should see an "Edit Info" button. Click that. You can edit your photo's title, caption (please do, we need captions to be book ready), and change its chapter if you want (doing so will clear votes). You can also delete your photo altogether on the edit page. Look for the "delete photo" button underneath the photo on the edit page. You can delete a photo any time you'd like before the deadline passes (see top right countdown). At that point we start laying out the book so your photo can't be taken out of production. Back to top.

Why do I have doubles of photos or messed up captions?

This probably occurred when you where uploading the photos. When you are done uploading, hit the "upload" button in the navigation bar. Don't hit the "back" button. It could also be a cookie issue. The best thing to do is delete the duplicate/wrong photo and try again. Back to top.

Can I combine votes of duplicate photos before deleting?

Sorry, this isn't possible. There's a few reasons why we don't allow this, but biggest reason is that people could use this for cheating purposes. We're sure you understand. The best thing to do is delete the version that has fewer votes. Back to top.

Can I rotate my photo after uploading it?

Unfortunately not. We're working on a way to make this possible, but for now the only thing you can do is delete the photo then re-upload it after you've rotated it with a photo editing application like Photoshop or Paint Shop Pro. If the photo doesn't look rotated on your computer but shows up rotated here, it's probably because some photo viewing applications display photos as rotated in the view, but the actual photo file has not been rotated. You need to rotate the actual file with a photo editing application. Back to top.

Why does my photo get cropped when it's in a thumbnail view?

The thumbnail sizes are generated automatically when a photo is uploaded. It can't be changed. It won't affect the vote, however, since voting only takes place when a photo is viewed full frame. Back to top.

Photo stats.

How well are my photos doing?

We give you a few numbers so you can generally gauge how your photos are doing (but keep in mind this isn't supposed to be a numbers game). On each one of your photos' pages, you'll see three numbers. The first is loves, which is how many loves the photo has received. Loves are nice, but it doesn't impact a photo's score the same way votes do. A photo's score is based on a super-secret algorithm, which is mostly to do with votes. The second number is the number of comments the photo has generated. The third number is the photo's star rank. Also on your user profile page we tell you your top three photos as decided by the vote (note that you must have at least four photos uploaded to see this because... well... how much sense does it make to show you a top three when you only have three?), as well as show you all of the activity on your photos (including recent votes, loves and comments). Back to top.

Who can see my stats?

You. Only you - unless you have someone looking over your shoulder. We show you your total loves, comments and star rank for each photo on each photo's page, and all your recent activity (votes, loves and comments) on your profile page. We also show you your top three photos (as decided by everyone else) on your profile page. This is info only you see. Back to top.

What's this top three thing on my profile page?

We're showing you the three photos people like the most out of your entire collection. Since a photo's score is derived from a complicated algorithm, we thought it would be nice to show you which three photos are doing well based on the algorithm. Note that we ensure that one of your top three photos will be in the book or on the DVD. If none of your top three has a score high enough to make the book, one of them will make the DVD. Back to top.

What's this star rating on my photos?

It's a star rank! Basically, we break down your photos into five groups based on their scores, then toss them into star-based groups. So, a 5-star photo is in the top 20% of your photos, by score, and a 1-star photo is... well... not great. Remember, the scoring algorithm considers how long a photo has been in the running for votes, which means scoring is pretty complicated (and fair). Don't get your hopes up on 5-star photos, and don't let your dreams be dashed on a 1-star. Things are bound to change... just give it an hour and check back. It's bound to change frequently. Also, star rank is a comparative measure meant to give you a vague idea of how a particular photo is doing compared to the rest of your photos. It's not a definitive indicator of score, or likelihood of publication in the book. That said, it sure is fun to watch! Want more votes? Promote your photos to your family and friends! Back to top.

Why can't I see how many votes I have?

We do show you your star rank, but we purposely hide dig it vs. nix it votes to ensure people don't try to game the system. Plus, how a user votes for a photo needs to be private to make sure voting is fair. How would you like it if your votes were exposed to the world? No fun, and no fair. Back to top.

Voting.

Why is voting so random?

Because we hit the shuffle button... and because random is fair. Every photo uploaded deserves a fair shot at getting views, votes, loves and comments. So when you vote for a photo, you are taken to a completely random photo. Vote for that photo and another random one is presented to you. That way, views (and thus, votes) are spread around evenly. There is one caveat, however: the vote flow (read the next question/answer). Back to top.

If I'm at 100%, why do some people have more votes?

Vote flow is the answer, but it's a little hard to explain. The vote flow, or photos that get mixed into the random pool of photos, does not include photos that fall into the bottom half, score-wise, as determined by the voters. It takes some time to fall into the bottom half, though. We give each photo a fair shot at the start, but if it gets a bunch of "nix it" votes without getting some "dig it" votes, the voters don't like it so it's pulled from the vote flow. It's still accessible in every way other way. It still shows up on your profile page and you can still share it with your friends. It can still be voted on too, so it would be a good candidate for sharing. Ask your friends to vote for it so it can get back in the vote flow! Why do it this way? It's simple: if a photo is nixed consistently, by a large group of people, over the course of time, there's no reason for that photo to be a part of the flow. It's only going to garner more "nix it" votes, so why go through the trouble? Back to top.

What are the specifics of the algorithm?

It's a secret, but the principles are easy to understand. Everyone gets a fair shot at winning prizes and getting published in the book. The algorithm takes all possible variables into account to ensure everyone gets a fair shake. Whether you enter your photo at the beginning or end of the contest you've got an equal shot at winning and getting published. You'll see this reflected in each chapter's "greatest" photos: the best photos from any given chapter are a mix of photos that have been up for a while and photos that are new to the party. The basic thing to remember is that views are good, but they are better if they turn into votes. Oh and of course "Dig It" votes are good, and "Nix It" votes are not so good... but you figured that out on your own, right? Back to top.

Can I vote for a photo more than once?

No. Don't try to cheat either. Actually, you can't cheat. Without getting too technical, it is absolutely impossible to vote for a photo more than once. If you think you have, it's either that the photo is very similar to one you've already voted on, or the owner of the photo switched chapters, which clears the votes for that photo and would allow you to vote for it again. Otherwise, it's not a possibility. For sure. Back to top.

Is the voting system legitimate?

Yes. You can't cheat. We've built in all sorts of ways to ensure a fair vote. And don't think we're not checking things personally. Computers and algorithms are great, but at the end of it all, we've got folks looking over votes to make sure everything is square. Back to top.

Can I sign up more than once?

You think that'd be fair? Come on, don't be fishy. Sign up once. Vote for your own photos once. This is a fun contest where cheaters won't prosper. We've got schemes to track fishy folks. Our computers keep track of all sorts of site activity. When something seems off, a little birdie tells us who's doing what, and how long it's been going on. We'd hate to do it, but we may be forced to remove a user, or group of users, if said birdie informs us of cheating activities. Back to top.

Photo take action box.

What's this "Flag as local icon" button?

Although every photo submitted should generally be from the area, there are a handful of photos that are obvious local icons. If you see a photo that grabs you as an icon of the Greater Chicago area, hit the "Flag as local icon" button. Once a bunch of people mark a photo as a local icon, a special badge is displayed for that photo. The photo will get some extra views by being featured here and there on the site. Heck, it'll also make it easier to pick out once it's time to layout the book. Back to top.

How do I contact a photographer?

When a photographer signs up they are given the option to allow people to contact them. If they chose to allow it, an "Ask the photog" button will show up on every photo taken by the photographer. Clicking it will take you to a form which you can fill out to get in touch with them. Back to top.

Can I buy/sell a photo?

If a photographer has an external webpage where a photo can be bought, he/she can enter the URL of that page in the "Purchase URL" field on the upload form. Doing so will create a "Buy this photo" button on the photo's page, which will be a link to the photo's external purchase page. This is a real benefit in two ways. First, if you're a photographer, you can put your work in front of thousands of local people interested in local photography. There's millions of hits going on here so your exposure could be pretty great (especially if your photo is featured in the Weekly Picks email/RSS feed). Second, if you're a fan of local art you'll be able to find tons of great shots to hang on your wall! It's like creating a local marketplace for art, then allowing voting to help increase the visibility of the best local art. Oh, and we're not taking any cuts here. This is a direct photographer to buyer type arrangement. Back to top.

What's a love?

It's a fun way to express how much you're into a photo. It's a nice pat on the back for the photographer, plus it serves as an easy way to find the photo again later. All photos you love are collected on your me page. Also, if you love three or more photos from one photographer, you've officially crushed on them. Don't worry, it's completely platonic. Back to top.

When should I report a photo?

There are two cases to report a photo: First, if the photo is offensive, please let us know. This is a family-friendly environment so we can't have offensive photos floating around. Second, if a photo is not from the area, go ahead and report it. Please be certain it deserves reporting. If you just "think" it's not from the area, let someone who's sure it's not report it. Thanks for helping out! Back to top.

I want to suggest a chapter change.

Great! Lots of folks get mixed up on where a photo should be submitted. If you think it ought to be in a different chapter, go ahead and suggest it. Be careful, though, you could really tick off a photographer if you go suggesting different chapters for photos that are just fine where they are. Another approach you could take is simply letting the photographer know he/she may want to consider moving it to another chapter in the comments for that photo. Back to top.

Book/DVD/pricing.

So what's in the book? What will it be like?

Well it's up to you, really. Go vote and tell us what you want in the book. We can tell you that there will be more than 100 photos in the book, and probably less than 250. We want to publish photos big on the page so we won't be cramming a ton in. We've got years of experience publishing books so you can be sure the layout will look good. Full bleeds, double trucks, super-fine typography... it's gonna look awesome. That said, it is your photos that will be on display, so your photos will be the main showpiece. The style of the book will just get out of the way. Back to top.

When will we find out if we're in the book?

All prize winners will be contacted before the book is released, but everyone else will have to wait until the book hits the streets. Anticipation is fun! Back to top.

What's on the DVD?

Everyone! It's the biggest photo party of the year and all contributors are invited. The best photos are going in the book, but we think every contributor has at least one photo that's worth looking at. So, we plan to include at least one photo from everyone on the DVD. It's going to be the type of DVD you pop in to your DVD player, kick back, relax and take it all in. It will be split up into chapters and have a nice bit of music as a backdrop. The DVD is included with the book, so the pricing you see includes this great photo party DVD. Note to photographers: the DVD is in slideshow format so we're not talking about actual image files being accessible. Your high-res images will not be put anywhere public! Back to top.

What's this about a special contributor discount coupon?

We want to say thanks for your help. Whether that help be in the form of photos you've uploaded, or votes you've cast, we want to be sure you know how valuable you are to us. If you upload one photo or more, or vote for 150 photos, you'll receive a coupon worth $5.00 off the book. Go ahead and use it on every book you buy. Plus, you can combine it with the pre-sale discount, which means you can buy the book and DVD for $15.00 off the retail price! This offer is good until the project closes (October 17, 2009). Back to top.

So are there two different $5.00 discounts?

No. There is only one discount, but we provide two paths to get there. You can either upload a photo and get the $5.00 discount OR vote for 150 photos and get the $5.00 discount. You can't combine the two. Back to top.

So there'll be photos from cbs2chicago.com in the book?

Yes. Our photographers work very hard to document our area. Over the past year they've captured many significant events, important people, breath-taking scenery, and so on in pictures. It seems fitting to include their pictures in the Capture My Chicago book. We've put their photos into the normal flow of the website. We hope you'll vote on them just like you would any other photos. At the end of the project, we'll put the photos you think are best in the book (from both the public and cbs2chicago.com). Note that newspaper photographers are not eligible for any of the prizes. Back to top.

When will the book be available?

Soon! That's sorta vague huh? The current ship date is scheduled for December 04, 2009, so you'll be able to give a copy of the book/DVD to all of your friends and family for the holidays. We'll keep you updated on the ship date if it changes. Back to top.

When does the pre-sale discount end?

This may change, but plan for the discount ending on October 17, 2009. Back to top.

FYI