Verticals Need Not Apply
That could be one name for this. Or maybe, just because you can doesn't mean you should.
Someone at Westaf has been making really bad decisions about the images. You know, our jury images, the only thing we have between an application and an acceptance. Or maybe it's not someone at Westaf but a hired programmer who came up with the idea of using the entire widescreen monitor space to display images. But then someone at Westaf approved the decision. And I want to apologize to Leah and Christina for taking the brunt of my concern. I realize that it's not their fault. They are the only conduit I have into the system.
I had posted about this yesterday on my web site and Don Ament rightly pointed out that maybe most of the artists reading it didn't understand the pixel dimension numbers and what they really mean.
Unfortunately for me, I can see the bigger picture when things like this happen. Like the detective Monk says, it's a blessing, and a curse. Since ZAPP went live in 2004 I've been fighting for fairness in how our jury images appeared to the jurors. This industry has enough problems and it doesn't need a lopsided representation of our images that may give one group a distinct advantage.
In 2004 when ZAPP went live, the image requirement was 1080x1920, widescreen TV format. As soon as I read that I called Westaf and asked Matthew Saunders (the tech person at the time) to make it square at 1920 with black borders masking rectangular images. Otherwise horizontal images would appear much larger than verticals. Within 24 hours they had changed the image format to 1920 square, because after testing the images, Matthew agreed with me.
Why is it that 8 years ago decisions that could jeopardize the system could be changed within 24 hours? But the real question is why is it that today, decisions that could jeopardize the system can't be acted on for months, if at all?
Here's the real issue. The new system upgrade allows larger or non square images to be uploaded. The issue is what happens to those images once they are uploaded. In the past, they enlarged in our profiles to 700 pixels long dimension on a black background so that rectangular or square, they displayed the same size to us when we enlarged them, and to the jurors of all the shows using monitors, about 90% of the shows within the system. Now once they are uploaded they are fit to an image size that is wider than it is tall. So much so that horizontal images without black borders appear almost twice the size of vertical images with or without black borders, square images or horizontal images with black borders.
This is where artists have a difficult time understanding the numbers. They have to understand that ZAPP is allowing horizontal images without black borders to appear almost twice the size of any other size uploaded into the system when juried on monitors.
That means artist that have vertical or square jury images (black borders or not) are basically screwed when applying to the 90% of the shows that use monitors.
ZAPP is now not providing the shows with tools to hold a fair jury.
Thumbnails are another related issue. They are now rectangular, meaning thumbnails of horizontal (non squared) images are twice as large as thumbnails of verticals, squares and squared horizontals. That in itself isn't that much of an issue except for the fact that all juries see the thumbnails on the page where the scores are entered, both projection and monitor juries. No matter how smart the jurors are, that sends a subliminal message at the worst that some work may be better than other work, and it will definitely send a confusing message as the row of thumbnails will be unevenly sized.
Now in a related but not critical issue. With about three quarters of a million images in the system (that's 750,000 in numbers), and if maybe one third horizontal, as word spreads there's going to be a mad rush for artists to remove the black borders and replace those images in the system. But ZAPP has removed the replace image button in the edit image menu because they didn't think it was used enough. Well if the new image format flies, that replace image button would have been the most used button in the edit menu.
But I'm getting ahead of myself, because how could the art shows, artists and system owners let ZAPP create an unfair playing field before the jurying even starts.
The article on my web site which shows comparison images, including thumbnails:
http://bermangraphics.com/blog/zapp-images/
Larry Berman
http://BermanGraphics.com
412-401-8100
Comments
Recently, the ZAPP® team implemented the first of several major enhancements scheduled to be made to the ZAPP® system throughout the summer and fall. This initial enhancement increases the storage capacity of each artist's portfolio to allow for up to 1,000 MB of images. Previously, each portfolio was restricted to 40 images–about 80 MB of storage. Also, in response to a great number of requests that the size be adjusted upward, another element of the enhancement is an increase in the size of the image that jurors view.
Following the implementation of the sizing change, response from the field indicates a preference for static 750 x 750 pixel jury image sizing, without automatic adjustments based on screen resolution. As a result, following much research and internal discussion, the ZAPP® team has moved to this preferred standard of 750 x 750 for the jury view.
In addition to this change, the ZAPP® team is pleased to launch an ahead-of-schedule enhancement. Effective Monday, August 13, artists have the ability to see a Juror Preview of the images they submit with event applications. To see for yourself how monitor juries will view your images, simply use the “Juror Preview” button the next time you fill out an application!
The ZAPP® team continually strives to provide artists with efficient image-management tools for applying to art festivals and fairs. We will continue to listen to your feedback and use it to improve the ZAPP® system.
If you have any additional questions about this enhancement or suggestions for future functionality, please contact the ZAPP® team at ContactZAPP@westaf.org.
Best,
The ZAPP® Team
Hi Leah and Christina
Thanks for replying.
I think what's frustrating is that this same issue was proposed the day ZAPP went live in 2004 and wasn't considered in the years of planning that went into the system. When I called it to their attention (Matthew Saunders was the tech person) it was fixed within 24 hours because he understood exactly what I was referring to about it being an issue.
There is an easy five minute fix. Tell the programmers to change the fit image command in the PHP file (if they are using PHP) from 1000x750 to 750x750 or better yet, 700x700. And change the thumbnails fit image command from 160x120 to 120x120.
What's frustrating all the artists is that it was a fair system (the way the images displayed to the jurors) but someone decided it needed tweaking and now it isn't fair anymore. Even what happened three years ago put artists lacking image editing skills at a disadvantage by allowing them to upload smaller images.
I apologize to both of you for what seems like I'm taking out my frustrations on you. It's just that I have no one else at Westaf to contact about this issue. And I'll post this to your response on the other forums also.
Sincerely,
Larry Berman
Thanks for the visual, Larry. It makes more sense to me now. Most of my images are portrait, not landscape, which means if they don't fix this issue I will be at a serious disadvantage come jurying time for next season's shows. Ugh! Thanks for being so on-the-ball with this!
It's a different issue.
Juried Art Services only uses monitors and the images, when enlarged, are only 700 pixels long dimension. They fit without scrolling.
For ZAPP, previously monitor jurying was on a black background so the jurors never saw the borders. But they needed to be there for projection jurying to keep all images the same size.
As for the shows using those images. That's the way the images have been prepared and uploaded. Why remove the black borders. If the shows are concerned about the visual effect, just change the color of the gallery to black with white text. No big deal. But after eight years, everyone has gotten used to seeing images with black borders, so it's not really an issue.
BTW, if images are uploaded to ZAPP without being square, ZAPP squares them by adding black borders before sending them to the shows that project the images.
Larry Berman
http://BermanGraphics.com
412-401-8100
Larry, is this different from what Juried Art Services does? My "non-pixelated" brain struggles with all the tech talk here, but wonder do you think there is a "best practices" that upload systems should have for dimensions?
I have to say that just from an aesthetic perspective (pretty Luddite to be sure) I don't like looking at images on show sites with the black bars on the sides and when artists send me images to feature on my sites I always but them through the web resizer and remove those black bars. Or, is this another issue?
Greetings,
The ZAPP® team is aware of this developing conversation surrounding the display of images following the release of a recent system enhancement. Please know that we are diligently researching this issue with our software development team. After further discussion and analysis, we will provide the field with a more detailed explanation of our resolution. Thank you for your patience.
Best,
Christina
ZAPP® team
Have you logged into your profile and enlarged images yet?
I've been testing it on my own since the day it went live.
Larry Berman
http://BermanGraphics.com
412-401-8100
You say this change has already been made? Did Zapp let their users know about the change, because I do not recall hearing anything about it before now.
Hi Ginny,
Someone has to tell them to stop and present our images fairly to the shows.
But to answer your second question first, there is no more limit. Now you can upload more than 500 images. But as to your first question. I can't imagine the consequences of horizontals being twice the size of verticals or squares. It makes no sense. I also posted this to the NAIA forum and Stephen King is one of the ZAPP owners. I'd like to get a logical response from him. Actually anything except the show directors don't feel it's an issue.
Larry Berman
http://BermanGraphics.com
412-401-8100
So does this mean that we will need to archive current square, vertical and horizontal images and then resubmit all of them as horizontals without black borders? We are limited to the number of images in the ZAPP database. Are they going to be notifying us of changes before we start choosing and uploading images for next year's apps?
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