Submitting photos

In order to submit photos for publication, you need to be an Allrecipes Member. Not a member yet? Sign up here—it’s free!

Once you are a member, all you need to submit photos for publication is a digital camera and the ability to store pictures on your computer. Once you have submitted an image, it will appear in your Cook’s Profile, in the recipe page gallery, and in your My Allrecipes under the Shared Items tab. Note: Once your image is published, it will still be subject to review and may be removed due to content and/or quality issues.

Before you begin:

1. Be sure the digital picture you want to submit is already stored on your computer hard drive.
2. The photos are in one of the following file formats:
   
   a. jpg/jpeg
   b. gif
   c. png
   
   In a photo with the title “myrecipe.jpg” the “.jpg” indicates the file format.
3. The photo must be at least 240x240 pixels.
4. The photo must not exceed 4MB in size.

Type of photos

You can publish both recipe photos and personal photos: pictures of recipes, your friends and family enjoying your recipes, your child’s birthday cake, etc. Be creative and show the Allrecipes Community your creations! Photos will be displayed on your Cook’s Profile page and in the recipe gallery area.

Submitting a recipe photo

Begin by logging in to your Allrecipes Membership. (Not a member yet? Sign up here—it’s free!) After you’ve logged in:

• Click on My Stuff in the top right corner
• Click on the Shared Items tab
• Click on Cook’s Photos under the Shared Items tab
• Click on Submit a Photo
• Click on Submit a Recipe Photo
• Choose the recipe you have photographed, then click Choose this Recipe
• Click the Browse button and browse to the pictures file on your computer.
• When you have found the photo, click Upload Now

You can include a photo title, notes about the recipe, as well as photography notes. Click Next to continue or Cancel to return to the previous screen. You will be shown three versions of your photos representing the three sizes used on the site. If you are happy with your title and notes, and have read our Terms and Conditions, click I Agree, Submit this Photo. To edit your title, notes, and/or image, click the Back button, or Cancel to start the process over.

Submitting a personal photo

You can post photos of your friends and family on your Cook’s Profile page in your Recipe Box. Begin by logging in to your Allrecipes Membership. (Not a member yet? Sign up here—it’s free!) After you’ve logged in:

• Click on My Stuff in the top right corner
• Click on the Shared Items tab
• Click on Cook’s Photos under the Shared Items tab
• Click on Submit a Photo
• Click on Submit a Personal Photo
• Click the Browse button and browse to the pictures file on your computer.
• When you have found the photo, click Upload Now

You can include a photo title, notes about your photo, as well as photography notes. Click Next to continue or Cancel to return to the previous screen. You will be shown three versions of your photos representing the three sizes used on the site. If you are happy with your title and notes, and have read our Terms and Conditions, click I Agree, Submit this Photo. To edit your title, notes and/or image, click the Back button, or Cancel to start the process over.

After your photo is submitted

Your photos will appear soon after you submit, both on your My Photos page and—if a recipe photo—on the Recipe Photos page for that particular recipe. Once published however, photos will still be subject to review and may be removed for content and/or quality issues.

You can check the status of your photo on your My Photos page—each will be assigned to one of these two types:

• Photo Published: If you see a small version of the image you uploaded, the photo is currently on the site and will go through our review process.
• Photo Not Accepted: If you check back and your photo has been deleted, a “frowning face” icon will appear in place of your photo indicating your photo has been rejected due to content or quality issues.

Why was my photo submission rejected?

After submission, all photos go through an editorial review process. If your photo is rejected, it is because our editors determined either the content was not suitable for publication, or the photo quality was poor. Here are some tips to make sure you get the best photo possible:

1. Take lots of different shots, and then pick the best one.
2. Try different angles (from the side, from eye level, or from above).
3. Experiment with the lighting (with flash, without flash, outside, or near a window).
4. Fill the shot with the food! Don’t shoot from too far back.
5. Use a backdrop to minimize background clutter. A tea towel, cloth napkin, or tablecloth draped over a propped-up serving tray, cutting board, or a cookbook will serve.

File problem

Make sure your file meets our file criteria. If your photo status indicates that it was rejected because we were unable to use the file, check to make sure your file is one of the following formats: jpg, gif, PNG, tif/tiff, or bmp. Also, the photo cannot exceed 6 MB in size. If your file meets these criteria and you still cannot submit it, please try again later. Our servers and/or your internet service provider might be experiencing technical difficulties.

Unacceptable content

In general, any message, information, text or photo that is unlawful, libelous, defamatory, obscene, pornographic, indecent, lewd, harassing, threatening, invasive of privacy or publicity rights, abusive, inflammatory or otherwise objectionable will be removed. For more information see our Terms and Conditions of Use.

My photo was removed because it appears to be protected by intellectual property laws.

Allrecipes.com cannot publish any images that are protected by intellectual property laws, rights of privacy or publicity, or any other applicable law unless you own or control the rights thereto or have received all necessary consent. If you feel Allrecipes.com has made this decision in error, please contact us at customerrelations@allrecipes.com.

Selecting a submitted image to display on your Cook’s Profile page

1. Log into your Recipe Box and select the Shared Items tab.
2. Select the link titled Build Your Own Cook’s Profile Page.
3. Click on the link labeled Choose an Image on the Cook’s Profile page.
4. Choose between the two types of images: an illustration from Allrecipes.com or a photo you have submitted to our site. Your choices are limited to a page of our illustrations or any of the photos you have submitted.
5. Click on an image to select it.

How do I enter a photo for consideration as an Allrecipes favorite?

A new entry period begins daily at 12 a.m. PST and ends at 11:59 p.m. PST (“Entry Period”). All eligible photos received by Allrecipes within that time frame will be posted on the Photo Voting page for the following 24 hours where visitors will vote for their favorite photos.

Do I have to be a member to participate?

Anyone may vote on photographs, so make sure to tell your family and friends to come vote for your picture to get it on the home page.

Only registered Allrecipes.com members can upload photos to the site. If you are not yet registered and would like to participate, sign up for a free membership today!

What makes a photo ‘eligible’?

Only Recipe Photos—photos of food attached to the appropriate recipe—will be published among the “Favorite Photos.” Personal Photos will not be eligible.

Can I vote more than once?

You may vote for each photo only once, but are welcome to vote for as many photographs as you wish.

How do I vote?

Next to each image on the Photo Voting page, you will see an orange button that say’s “Vote.” When you click on the button it will turn gray, indicating you have already voted for that photo. You will also see the total votes for the photo will increase as soon as you vote.

How can I see a larger version of a photo?

Just click on the photo you’d like to see enlarged and a pop-up box will display a larger version of the photo.

How do I get to the photo’s recipe?

Again, click on the photo. The pop-up box will contain a link to the recipe which will open in a separate window, so you can view the recipe while continuing to browse and vote for your favorite new photos!

How do I know which photos were voted as favorites?

The four photos receiving the most votes each day will be prominently displayed on the Allrecipes home page the following day, so be sure to visit the home page to see if your photo was selected.