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Frequently Asked Questions

Getting started

Do I need to confirm my email before I can sign in?

Yes — when you register with an email and password, we send a confirmation link to that address. You need to click it before you can sign in; this keeps out mistyped or fake email addresses. If you can't find the email, use the "Resend confirmation email" option on the sign-in page.

Can I sign in with Google instead of a password?

Where Google sign-in is enabled, yes — it skips the email confirmation step, since Google has already verified that email for you.

I forgot my password. Now what?

Use "Forgot your password?" on the sign-in page to get a reset link by email. It's valid for one hour and can only be used once.

How do I change my password?

From your profile page, under "Change password". If you signed up with Google and have never set a password, you can set one there for the first time without needing to enter an old one.

How do I delete my account? What happens to my photos and comments afterward?

You can delete your account from your profile page. This permanently removes your personal information (name, email, password, bio, avatar, social links) and signs you out — it isn't reversible. Your photos, comments, forum posts, contest entries, and other content stay on the Site so that galleries, threads, and other members' replies remain intact, but they'll show as posted by "Deleted user" instead of your name.

Uploading & galleries

How many photos can I upload, and how often?

It depends on your photographer level — each level has its own daily and total upload limits, and higher levels can upload more. Levels go up automatically once you've uploaded enough photos and your average rating clears that level's threshold.

Is my photo reviewed before it appears on the Site?

No — photos go live immediately when you upload them. There's no pre-approval queue; moderation happens after the fact, based on our Community Rules and reports from members.

Do you watermark my photos?

No, photos are shown as uploaded (resized to a web-friendly size), without a watermark.

Can anyone save my full-size photo?

The version shown on your photo's page is close to full resolution and isn't protected against saving or right-clicking. Keep that in mind when deciding what to upload.

What EXIF data is shown with my photo?

Only a small, fixed set: camera make/model, lens, aperture, shutter speed, ISO, focal length, and the date taken. We don't extract or show GPS/location data, even if your camera recorded it in the file.

Can I disable comments on a specific photo?

Yes — there's a toggle when you upload. Existing comments stay visible even if you turn it off afterward; it just stops new ones.

Ratings & levels

How does photo rating work?

Any signed-in member other than the photo's owner can give it a single score from 1 to 10. A photo's overall score is a weighted average of everyone's votes.

Do all votes count equally?

No — each member's vote is weighted by their photographer level, so more established members' ratings carry a bit more weight. This also feeds into the photographer leaderboard and rankings.

What are photographer levels, and how do I go up a level?

Levels are set by admins and unlock progressively higher upload limits and AI critique allowances. You're promoted automatically once you've uploaded enough photos and your average rating meets that level's threshold — you're never automatically demoted.

Comments & forum

Can I delete my own comment?

Yes, within a few minutes of posting it. After that window, only an admin can remove it.

Why does a comment show "deleted by admin"?

That placeholder means an admin removed it, rather than the author — it stays visible as a marker so the thread structure doesn't break, without showing the original text.

Can I read comments and forum posts in my own language?

Yes — there's a translate option on comments and other multilingual content, machine-translated on demand and cached so it doesn't need to be re-translated every time someone else views it in the same language.

Contests

What's the difference between "Community Contests" and the contest listings page?

Community Contests are run directly on fotoclub.md — admins create them, members enter their own photos, and winners are picked either by open community voting or by an appointed jury, depending on the contest. The separate contest listings page is an informational directory of real-world external photography contests (some added by admins, some found automatically) — you enter those directly with the organizer, not through fotoclub.md.

Can I vote on my own contest entry?

No, self-voting isn't allowed.

What's the difference between "community" and "jury" voting?

In a community-voting contest, any other member can cast a vote. In a jury contest, only the specific members appointed as jurors for that contest score the entries, on a 1-10 scale that gets averaged.

Classifieds, events & phototrips

How long does a classified ad stay up?

30 days from posting, after which it's automatically hidden. You — or an admin — can also remove it earlier.

Is fotoclub.md involved if I buy or sell something through a classified?

No — classifieds just connect members directly; the Site isn't a party to the transaction and doesn't mediate disputes.

Can I create my own event or phototrip listing?

Yes, any signed-in member can submit one — you don't need to be an admin. You, or an admin, can edit or remove it afterward.

Some events or phototrips look like they weren't posted by a member — why?

Some listings are found automatically from public sources with the help of AI rather than submitted by a member; those aren't tied to a personal author account.

Commercial services

How do I offer paid photography services on my profile?

On your profile, opt in to whichever services from the Site's list apply to you (weddings, portraits, etc.), then set your own pricing, details, a portfolio link, and a few sample photos for each.

What currency are prices shown in?

Whatever single currency you choose on your profile (EUR, USD, MDL, or RON) — it applies to every service you list.

Does fotoclub.md handle payment or booking?

No, that happens directly between you and the photographer — the Site only hosts the listing.

AI features

Does the Site use AI?

Yes, in a few places: translating content between Romanian, English, and Russian, an optional photo critique feature, and helping find news, contests, events, and phototrips from public sources. All of this is powered by Anthropic's Claude.

What is the AI photo critique?

A feature where you can ask for AI-generated feedback on your own photo — scores on composition, technique, and story, plus written comments. It's only available for your own photos, and how many you can request per day depends on your photographer level.

Can I request a critique on someone else's photo?

No, only the photo's owner can request one — though once it exists, anyone viewing the photo can see the critique.

Languages

What languages does the Site support?

Romanian, Russian, and English. Romanian is the primary language most content is originally written in; English and Russian versions are shown when available, falling back to Romanian otherwise.

Data & privacy

Do you track my exact location?

No — we don't extract or store GPS data from your photos' EXIF, and there's no location tracking on the Site.

Is my browsing tracked?

The "online now" indicator uses an anonymous, random ID stored in your browser — it doesn't require being logged in and isn't tied to your identity. Photo view counts are recorded per unique visitor using a one-way scrambled version of your IP address, not the raw address itself. See our Privacy Policy for more detail.