WHO WE ARE

FINE ART:
1) Any art form developed primarily (but not necessarily exclusively) for aesthetics and/or concept rather than practical application
2) Any object produced by conscious (or subconscious), critically controlled, creative self-expression
3) Any activity requiring highly developed techniques and skills

PHOTOGRAPHY:
1) The art, practice, or occupation of taking and printing photographs
2) The process of recording images on sensitized material by the action of radiant energy, and the processing of this material to produce a print, slide, negative, etc.
3) The capture, manipulation and rendering of radiant illumination in order to produce an image on sensitized media, or the act of doing such.

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FineArt-Photography is a group dedicated to the collection and exhibition of photographic works of exceptional quality and thoughtful self-expression.

The group is organized into four classes of participation:

1) The members make up the majority of the people who participate in the group. Members may submit work that they have authored – either alone or in collaboration with others. They may also offer comments on the various blog entries, interviews, and features that will make their appearances on the group pages from time to time.

2) The contributors are made up of people whose active participation and quality of work is particularly distinguished - separating them from the broader membership. Contributors have all the rights and privileges of membership. In addition, they may suggest the work of non-members for inclusion in the group’s collection of “favorites”, and may vote on whether such suggestions will be accepted into that gallery. Contributors may also create blog posts.

3) The moderators (as the name implies) moderate group activities. Got a problem? The moderators are there to help you out. Moderators act as the “curators” of the group galleries – voting on all submissions, organizing the various sub-collections, writing informational blogs, hosting interviews, and compiling images of note from around dA, to be used in feature presentations.

4) The administrator has ultimate control over all the pages that make up our little piece of the site, and oversees the group’s day-to-day operation. To avoid any one person exerting undue influence on the composition, functionality and/or overall “attitude” of the group, moderators will take turns rotating in and out of the administrator position on a regular basis.

There are currently seven moderators, one of whom (as mentioned above) acts as administrator. We hope to add enough moderators to bring the the total to eight or nine. Since moderators vote on which member submissions are admitted into the galleries, we have tried to assemble people with a high level of photographic experience and a wide diversity of opinion.

While there are currently no contributors, we hope to assemble a final group consisting of at least eleven individuals. Again, since contributors both suggest favorites and vote on their acceptance, we will try our best to ensure that the contributor class is composed of people with a diversity of experience and opinion.

We (the moderators of the group) are of the firm conviction that it is the members who drive this group. You ARE the group. This group (like any group) exists solely because you offer your work and your vision to give it substance. Without you, this entire endeavor is simply an empty waste of bandwidth.

FineArt-Photography is a rather large group, with more than 1,200 members as of this writing. We are also a fairly influential group, with more than 2,700 “watchers” throughout the site. With an active membership, a dedicated administration and the commitment to exhibit work of the highest craftsmanship and aesthetic quality as its backbone, this group will surely be able to reach even loftier heights.

We raise our glasses and propose a toast to the People’s Republic of Fine Art Photography. Mazel tov and b'hatzlacha (congratulations and good luck) to all!!!

Sincerely,
The Administration Team

PS. The group FAQ can be found at [link] and the Submission Requirements can be found at [link] . We encourage all members to read these documents carefully in order to more fully understand exactly how the group operates.