FAQs

How can I improve my chances of success?

Be original. Avoid taking standard tourist shots of well-known buildings or sites – we already have plenty of photos of London’s Tower Bridge, for example. See our tips page for more exciting angles and ways to improve the impact of your image.

What are the guidelines on image size?

Please submit images that are as large as possible and do not “downsize for the web”. Wikimedia Commons is a media repository that values high-resolution images for many purposes, including print. As a guide, images below 5 megapixels are less likely to be considered for a prize as they lack usability at larger sizes, especially in print.

I am not the world’s best photographer. Do you still want my images?

Yes, please! Even if you may not be entering in the expectation of winning a prize, your entry can still give you the satisfaction of knowing that you have helped to document your immediate surroundings and cultural heritage, and that you have made your images freely available for future generations.

I am a professional photographer. Can I enter?

Yes, professional entrants are very welcome.

Do I have to give up the copyright in my entries?

No, as a photographer, you still retain copyright and moral rights in your submissions. However, to encourage the broad re-use of the images, we ask that you release your entries under a free licence (typically CC BY-SA 4.0).  That means that while you retain the copyright of your photograph, you can’t charge people a re-use fee, whether on Wikipedia or elsewhere. However, re-users have to attribute or credit you as the photographer and share the results under the same licence. If you want to know more about Creative Commons licences, you can find out more here: https://creativecommons.org/share-your-work/

Is there a limit on the number of photos I can submit?

You can submit as many as you like. Some people take photos of hundreds of subjects, which will all be considered. However, we do encourage you to prioritise quality over quantity. Many prizes have been awarded for the BEST quality images. No prizes have ever been awarded for the most images uploaded.

Can I use Photoshop or a similar program to post-process my photos before submitting them?

Minor post-processing is encouraged. Images can often be improved by cropping, rotating, colour correction and so on. In some cases correction of converging verticals can also improve an image. But please avoid the temptation to over-process: this is a photographic, not a computer art, contest.

I don’t live in Africa, but I have some photographs that I have taken when I was on holiday. Can I enter them as well?

If the images illustrate the theme for this year and were taken in Africa and you own the copyright, then you can enter them. The competition celebrates Africa but is open to people from around the world.

I have photos that would be great for Wikipedia, but they aren’t eligible for this competition. Do you still want them?

Yes, please! This particular contest is for images related to Africa that illustrate this year’s theme. Articles on Wikipedia need images to explain those topics visually, and the Wikimedia community would welcome photographs of many articles. However, your images will not be considered for this contest. You can upload any images to Wikimedia via this link.

Can I edit Wikipedia myself to add my photo to an article that doesn’t have images?

Yes, we’d be delighted! If you are not already a Wikipedia editor, see how to get started. Don’t forget to log in – (find the login button at the very top right corner of your browser screen).

If you have already entered your images for Wiki Loves Africa, your competition entry is already on Wikimedia Commons. It can easily be reused on Wikipedia by adding a link to the page in the format. Watch the video below to see how to do this.

I’ve taken a much better photo than the one in the Wikipedia article. Can I replace the image in the article with mine?

If yours is clearly much better in all respects, then yes. But if there is any doubt at all, it’s polite to post a message to the article’s talk page and say something like, “I think this photo is better than the current one. Does anyone mind if I replace the one in the article?” Add a link (as shown in the question above) so people can see your suggested image. Then, come back a week later and make the change if no one has objected.

How do I add a video image to Wikimedia Commons?

To submit  a video file, it has to be submitted in the following formats:

• .ogg
• .ogv
• .webm

Due to complex intellectual property rights issues, Wikimedia Commons can not accept video content submitted in any other format. A helpful ‘how to’ guide on converting video media into these formats can be this helpful guide or this manual if you are using VLC Media Player. There are two handy conversion tools available here:

• Videoconvert
• Video2Commons

It is suggested that you upload video content one video at a time.

I’d like to submit a photo essay. How can I make sure the images stay together?

To learn how to keep all the images of a photo essay together, consult this page, which provides guidance on submitting a photo essay.

When uploading your photos to the Wiki Loves Africa competition using the Upload Wizard, please make sure that the photos are numbered sequentially –

• Kisra Maker, Photo 1
• Kisra Maker, I Photo 2
• Kisra Maker, Sudan Photo 3, etc.

Remember to make full use of the description box to make sure that the whole story is told correctly!

Using Google Slides or other presentation methods is not compatible with the licences unless you download or save the file as a PDF and then submit the PDF to the competition. But this is not ideal, as all images must be submitted separately.

Credit: This page has been adapted from the Wiki Loves Monuments UK website. Information on videos adapted from Wiki From Above page.