My Shot - FAQs - National Geographic Magazine
MyShot - National Geographic Magazine
My Shot FAQ
  • How do I receive a My Shot Page??
  • To receive a My Shot page, you must first submit a photo to Your Shot. Once your photo is uploaded, your My Shot page will automatically be created for you.
    Before you submit your photograph, please make sure it meets the following requirements:

    - JPG or JPEG file format (ex. YourImage.jpg or YourImage.jpeg)
    - At least 1,600 pixels wide (if a horizontal image) or 1,600 pixels tall (if a vertical image)
    - Total file size must be less than 5 megabytes (MB)

  • What are the benefits of having a My Shot page?
  • My Shot is your chance to have your own National Geographic Web page where you can display your best photographs. Here you can create and share albums, play the popular puzzle game using your own photographs, and plot your images on a map. You can play other NGM games straight from your My Shot home page, which also carries customized widgets from both the Daily Dozen and Our Shot.

    Read a blog about our latest My Shot features written by Rob Covey, Managing Editor and Creative Director for NGM.com.

  • How many photos can I have on my My Shot page?
  • You're allowed to upload 100 photos to your My Shot page.

  • I'm not a U.S. resident. Can I still have a My Shot page?
  • Yes. As long as you have read and accepted the My Shot rules, we welcome your participation.

  • I'm under 18 years of age, but I'm interested in creating a My Shot page. Is this allowed?
  • You must be 18 years of age or older to participate in My Shot. If you're under 18 years of age and would like to create a My Shot page, you'll have to ask a parent or guardian to do so on your behalf. Have your parent or guardian submit your photograph to Your Shot, noting in the description of the photo their relationship to you as well as your name and age.

  • My user name and password used to work for Your Shot. Why is it no longer working?
  • NGM.com has set up a new single sign-on feature for our Web site. That means you'll need only one user name and password to access any user-name-protected part of the NGM.com Web site. Unfortunately, we weren't able to carry over user names and passwords from our old registration feature. Please register again for a user name and password and you'll be able to access any area of NGM.COM. We apologize for any inconvenience this causes.

  • Do photos have to be taken with a digital camera?
  • Submitted photos do NOT have to be digital photos from a digital camera. Any digital scan will do, as long as the end result is a JPG or JPEG file. You may submit scans of negatives, transparencies, or photographs taken with normal cameras.

  • Is image manipulation allowed in My Shot?
  • National Geographic magazine does not encourage anyone to manipulate photographs.

    Read Director of Photography David Griffin's comments on image manipulation.

  • What should I include in the description of my photograph?
  • Captions are always a good way to engage others in your photography. So take the time to write about the place, time, setting, and situation though captions may be no longer than 500 characters.

  • When I upload my photo it asks for "tags." What are tags?
  • Tags are keywords that help other My Shot users find your photographs.

    Here's an example:

    Tags: man, person, green shirt, sitting, birds, flying, fly, sky, mountain, seagull, vacation, travel, hiking, clouds, cloudy, feeding

  • Can my image be removed from My Shot?
  • National Geographic will accept no photographs that it identifies as obscene, provocative, or containing otherwise objectionable content. Every photograph submitted to My Shot will be reviewed and removed from the site within 48 hours if it is considered objectionable. National Geographic will also remove photographs that advertise personal Web sites or businesses.

    By submitting a photograph to My Shot, you warrant and represent that the photograph you submit is your own original work (or, if submitting on behalf of a child, the original work of your child/ward); that you alone (or your child/ward alone) own the copyright to the photograph; that it is an authentic and accurate depiction of the subject matter presented; that no other party has any right, title, claim, or interest in the photograph; and that you have obtained all third-party releases and permissions necessary for our use. If National Geographic receives a complaint that substantially questions the reliability of any of the above warranties, we reserve the right to remove or delete the photograph. Upon request, you must be prepared to provide a signed release proving that you have obtained the proper copyright release for your photograph.

    Users will be contacted if an image is removed from their My Shot page.

  • What do I do if I see an image that's inappropriate or infringes on my rights?
  • If you'd like to report an image as inappropriate or infringing on your rights, please click the "Report Abuse" button found on our search-results page. Images will be reviewed within 48 hours and taken down from the Web site if we find the content objectionable. Any image that raises rights-infringement questions will be removed from the site pending further investigation.

  • Do I need a release form?
  • We don't require that you send in a personal release form when submitting your photograph. However, we reserve the right to ask you to submit a release form.

  • What is a personal release form?
  • If any person in your photograph is recognizable, you will need to be able to provide National Geographic with a personal release form signed by that person or those persons. Images of unrecognizable people do not need personal releases.

    A personal release form is a binding contract between the photographer and the subject(s) of the photograph. By signing the release, the subject of the photograph forgoes the right to sue for specific types of claims.

    Download our printable Personal Release form. (You'll need Acrobat Reader to view the download. Get the free plug-in here.)

  • Do photos of children require personal release forms?
  • Yes, if the children are recognizable (see answer above). But personal release forms for anyone under 18 years old must be signed by the subject's legal guardian not by the child.

    Download our printable Personal Release form. (You'll need Acrobat Reader to view the download. Get the free plug-in here.)

  • What is a location release form?
  • A location release form is a binding contract between the photographer and the owner(s) of private property within or upon which a photograph was taken. By signing the release, the owner of the property forgoes the right to sue for specific types of claims.

    Download our printable Location Release form. (You'll need Acrobat Reader to view the download. Get the free plug-in here.)

  • What is an artist release form?
  • An artist release form is a binding contract between the photographer and the copyright holder(s) of any art in the photograph. By signing the release, the copyright holder of the art in the photograph forgoes the right to sue for specific types of claims.

    Download our printable Artist Release form. (You'll need Acrobat Reader to view the download. Get the free plug-in here.)

  • Why won't my images upload?
  • Make sure your images meet the following requirements:
    - JPG or JPEG file format (ex. YourImage.jpg or YourImage.jpeg)
    - At least 1,600 pixels wide (if a horizontal image) or 1,600 pixels tall (if a vertical image)
    - Total file size must be under 5 MB

  • I didn't receive my confirmation email. Why?
  • Some ISPs (Internet service providers) commonly install email filters that block or filter emails sent from unknown addresses. If you have a "junk mail" box, check to see if that's where the email landed.

    If you've installed software to monitor your email, make sure your settings aren't causing your emails to get blocked. The emails that we send come from admin at nationalgeographic.com.

  • Still have a question?
  • Email us at myshot@ngs.org.