Hi everyone,
I love being a group moderator here. It makes me pay closer attention to the wonderful images that make their way here. The quality here is marvellous.
The trouble is some of those images are colour images.
The rules of the group are quite clear and it was the blatant disregard of these rules that gave me the impetus to offer my services here in the first place.
I just don’t get it, except that some people must be too lazy to put their brain in gear.
So I delete these images.
Duotones are allowed but obviously some peoples ideas of duotone is broader than mine.
For me to allow it the duotone must be muted. After all this IS a black and white group.
Red and pink wont cut it for me to consider it duotone. I will delete it.
Bright blues the same, bright green the same. I am sure you get the idea.
A photo with green, blue and skin tone is NOT duotone.
Sepia is duotone as long as I dont call it orange.

Selective colouring is VERY MUCH not black and white. It is more about colour than even a colour image is. I will delete ALL selectively coloured pics, no matter what percentage of the image is black and white. Again, the rules are quite clear and have been there for a long time, please familiarise yourself with them.

If I see a person continually come up for colour image deletion I will remove them from the group.
Sometimes I will give a warning, sometimes I will not, depends on the mood I am in. I do shiftwork, its tiring, sometimes I can be bothered sometimes I can’t.

I just did my first “expel from group” – repeat blatant offender of such obviously colour images that they got no warning.

Now you understand me a little better.

Please do keep those remarkable black and white images coming though. Some of them exude pure class and it is an honour to have them in our group.

regards
Garth

PS – thank you for putting in the time and effort to be a group host. It is much appreciated :)

Keep up the good work.

Black and white, seems pretty clear cut to me. Thank you for keeping a close eye on this.

Hello Garth, I can so feel you pain. As a moderator of two groups, at one time it was 5 groups, I know exactly how you feel. People just upload something and click every box they have without any regards to the Hosts and Moderators….it is very ANNOYING!!! I don’t do it to my groups and I don’t like it when it is done to me. I agree with Lighsmith…if when we uploaded there was a way that we could show what is or isn’t accepted before uploading it would be nice but then you would get into the people that JUST DON”T READ…lol It will never be perfect but come on. Black & White is really very black and white. I don’t understand how your group could be confused with anything….it just doesn’t make sense except for those that just check every box and leave it up to us to decide. I have removed 2 people in my time of moderating because of it being a consistent thing. Don’t feel bad if you have to remove someone. More power to you…

Nice to have a group host with the balls to stick to the ideals of the group…... so many lines are crossed these days that the whole concept of “groups” has become a muddy mess…..... thank you for your deligence…... i don’t contribute much to this group but when i come here it’s for inspiration to do black and white work…..... not colour work…...... so i applaud and thank you….. b

Thank you watersoluble, gone now, and thank you everyone for your words of support.

This is my favorite group. Keep up the good work.

Hi Garth
I do sympathise with you, I run an national UK photo exhibtion so I know how frustrating it can be, we get a few people entering spot colour, selective colour, and colour images into our monochrome competition. We use the FIAP definition of monochrome which may help, I’ve copied it below for reference.

Monochrome definition:
FIAP: A black and white work fitting from the very dark grey (black) to the very clear grey (white) is a monochrome work with the various shades of grey. A black & white work toned entirely in a single colour will remain a monochrome work able to stand in the black & white category. On the other hand a black and white work modified by partial toning or by the addition of one colour becomes a colour work (polychrome) to stand in the colour category.

Regards
John

Rules are Rules. READ THEM!
Good on you Garth.

There is truly a plethora of groups to choose from on this site & several months ago when I was going through a rough patch & wasn’t online much, I was still able to take notice of the fact that many groups were modifying their rules. As such, I find it a good rule of thumb to keep open the group page & look at the rules prior to submitting a piece. Of course I do not do this all the time, i.e., when submitting two works in a row. However, I do make a conscientious effort to abide them within each specific group.

It is a simple matter of respect for the hosts & even the other artists. Perhaps some artists have forgotten that group hosts are volunteers. Devotion of time in the groups is a great service to the community as a whole & promotes a greater bonding between all of us as artists.

Your time is no less precious than mine, Garth. Therefore, I should be respectful of that time. Furthermore, if I respect your time by submitting artwork within the guidelines, I extend that respect of time to other artists so that you may view & approve their artwork as well. It is cyclical in its observance & as you perform your duty of service, I should perform mine.

I know you feel disturbed on some level that you must ban or remove members from the group or you would not have posted this thread of explanation for those members & for future members who will hopefully read it & either just not join (because they are not truly interested in just black & white) or actually follow the rules. I find your candor most appropriate & absolutely well placed.

Thank you so very much for everything you do. Brightest Blessings to you & yours.

~Lu

GOOD FOR YOU for sticking it to those people that just don’t care!! I have TONS of similar problems as a group host! Good luck to you, and rememebr, you are not alone!

Hi John,
I read your opinions with interest but disagreed with a few things.
I came to thias group as host with group rules already in place.

If sepia isnt soft duotone then I dont know what it is. I would have thought sepia was the perfect example of duotone and as a group host that is my definition and what I am enforcing.

But the rules are quite obvious in what they state and colour photos and selectively colour photos are not permitted. It IS either one of 3 things.
Honest mistakes, laziness or blatant disregard and if I want to call a spade a spade then I will.
I am not talking about a one-off every now and then with a photo that some might think is duotone. I am talking repeat offenders, I am talking obvious colour pics & I am talking about my pet peeve in this regard – selectively added colour. Selectively added colour is more about colour than even a colour pic is because it has been conciously, deliberately been added back in to be about that piece of colour.
If people find my direction in this regard insulting then so be it.
I would prefer that the members of this group are old, forgetful, tired, stressed, etc, etc ,etc in their other groups and not in this one.

regards
Garth