Terms of Service

1. Acceptance, Eligibility & Logged Consent

By creating an account or participating in monthly quests, you confirm that you are at least 16 years of age in the European Economic Area (or 13 years of age in jurisdictions where permitted) and have the legal capacity to enter into this contract. When signing in to the application, you must review and scroll through the complete Legal & Privacy Contract (v2026-10-15) before recording your timestamped approval.

2. Original Photography Requirement & EXIF Integrity

ShutterQuest celebrates the deliberate craft of physical light hitting real optical glass, film emulsions, and digital sensors:

• Sole Authorship: You represent and warrant that every photograph you submit was captured solely by you, and that you hold all necessary copyright, model releases, and property permissions.
• Zero Generative AI: Synthetic diffusion images, Midjourney/DALL-E/Flux creations, AI outpainting, generative object insertion, or algorithmic composites masquerading as optical photography are strictly prohibited. Accounts submitting generative AI are permanently suspended.
• Analog & Digital Craft: Standard post-processing (exposure, tone curves, color grading, dodging/burning, spotting dust) and scanned 35mm, 120, or large-format film negatives are warmly embraced.

3. Member Intellectual Property & Display License

You retain 100% ownership of your work. ShutterQuest claims zero ownership over your photographs. By submitting images, you grant ShutterQuest a non-exclusive, revocable, royalty-free, worldwide license strictly to:

1. Sanitize, resize, and display your image on the platform in connection with the quest or portfolio you entered.
2. Render your image anonymously during the 7-day Anonymous Jury for peer evaluation and written critiques.
3. Exhibit winning and shortlisted frames in the Hall of Fame, public archive (/archive), and your public showcase profile (/u/[username]) if enabled.

You may revoke this license at any time by deleting the submission or deleting your account, which immediately removes the files from public storage.

4. The 7-Day Anonymous Jury & The sq Points Economy

ShutterQuest evaluates monthly quests via a 7-day Anonymous Jury following month close:

• Sealed Identities Until Reveal Date: Photographer names, handles, avatars, and file paths remain sealed during active shooting and the 7-day Anonymous Jury until the Day 8 Reveal Date. Attempting to watermark, sign, or coordinate off-platform voting (“brigading”) disqualifies the entry.
• Non-Monetary sq Points: Unified reputation points (sq) awarded for quest submissions (+50 sq), constructive peer critiques (+30 sq, 120+ characters across four rubrics), and Hall of Fame distinctions are strictly non-monetary craft progression markers. sq points have no cash value and cannot be purchased, exchanged, or redeemed. Monthly quest evaluation is a game of artistic skill, not a lottery or gambling service.
• Constructive Critique Standard: Peer feedback must remain respectful, specific, and grounded in Composition, Lighting, Storytelling, and Technical Execution.

5. Moderation, Blocking & Account Cancellation

You may report objectionable content or block any user directly inside the application; reported items are reviewed within 24 hours. You may terminate your account at any time via Settings → Account → Delete Account. ShutterQuest reserves the right to suspend or terminate accounts that infringe copyright, submit generative AI imagery, or harass fellow members.