Bubble Wraps Introduction

Introducing Bubble Wraps Image Reviews!

Bubble Wraps is a new monthly video series on Dear Bubbles that offers you the opportunity to have YOUR photography reviewed in a safe, supportive environment conducive to facilitating YOUR growth as a photographer.

Bubble Wraps is a natural extension of my Dear Bubbles ethos in a way that invites your active participation within a shared conversation about photography, art, and the creative life.

An image review during Bubbles Wraps carefully “wraps” each image in curiosity and thoughtful reflection. It is NOT a harsh critique, technical take down, comparative ranking, or place for perfection. I encourage you to submit work you have questions about so that you progress in your own photographic journey–and the rest of us get new ideas for our own paths. We all learn. We all grow.

Also, to be sure, this is Bubble Wraps, not Bubble Raps. The only thing singing will be your images and your confidence.

 

How Bubble Wraps Works:
Photographers (you) will submit a unprocessed RAW file and your final processed image along with a description of your intent for the image. I will select one image per month to review. The review will be recorded in video form (similar to the “Making the Photo” video series for my own photographs) and shared with the Dear Bubbles Patreon community on the fourth Wednesday of every month.

For each photographer’s photograph, I’ll provide honest and educational feedback on:

  • The photographer’s technical settings and histogram.
  • Technical and creative choices that support the photographer’s intent.
  • What could be improved to more strongly communicate the intent.
  • Processing options.
  • My recommendations for next steps.

Here’s the fun part: I won’t look at your final processed image until AFTER the review. So I’ll process your image based on my ideas then we’ll compare the two results to get even more ideas! It’ll be fun! And educational!

Each episode will run 25-40 minutes.

 

Who’s Eligible to Participate:
Those who contribute $5/month or more (or at least $50/year or more) via Dear Bubbles Patreon are invited to submit up to 3 images per year and eligible for possible review on a Bubble Wraps video episode.

Those contributing at least $2/month or more (or at least $20/year or more) to Dear Bubbles’ Patreon will receive exclusive, free access to all Bubble Wraps videos.

All paid Patreon supporters are welcome to share your thoughts about the image and image review via the comments as well!

To learn more about becoming a Patreon supporter, please visit: www.patreon.com/dearbubbles

 

How Image Selection Works:
Eligible Patreon supporters are welcome to submit images at any time. Selected photographers will be notified via email of the chosen image and date for their review.

Images will be selected based on clarity of the photographer’s intent, the opportunity for the broader Dear Bubbles community to learn from the image, and adherence to the submission instructions. This is NOT a contest—selection is not a judgment of quality (and truth be told, I’ll be more partial to selecting ones that could benefit from a discussion over ones that already appear perfect.)

Due to the volume of submissions, I cannot guarantee a review of anyone’s submitted image(s). I do promise to do my best to spread the love across as many Patreon supporters as possible with priority given to those who have not had an image reviewed in a video episode before.

 

Copyright/Usage Agreement (the legalese):
 By submitting an image, you confirm that you are the sole rights holder or have full authority to grant permission for the image(s) submitted. You grant Colleen Miniuk a non-exclusive, royalty-free license to review, display, publish, and archive the image(s) as part of Dear Bubbles, including during reviews presented in website, video, or audio formats and made available to a private audience of paid Dear Bubbles supporters. You further grant permission for limited use of the image(s) and related excerpts for marketing and promotional purposes directly related to Dear Bubbles (such as websites, newsletters, social media, or announcements), always with proper credit. You also agree that your name, city/state, website, and embedded metadata may be displayed and used alongside your image(s) in the video or related content.

You understand and agree that all reviews are strictly educational and editorial in nature and that your image(s) will not be sold, licensed, or used for commercial purposes by Dear Bubbles or by any third party. Images will always be properly credited to the photographer.

You may revoke permission for any unreviewed image(s) at any time with written notice. However, once an image has been reviewed and the corresponding video or content has been published to the private Dear Bubbles audience, that content cannot be withdrawn or altered. Photographers will not be provided access to review or approve recordings prior to publication.

The plain English version: You’re letting me look at your photograph, talk about it in a constructive and kind way as part of Dear Bubbles, and share that conversation with the Dear Bubbles community. I will not sell your work, license it to others, or use it in any form outside of this context—just reviewing it, crediting you, and occasionally using brief excerpts to help others understand what Bubble Wraps is all about. The end!

How to Submit Your Images:
Submit up to three image pairings (a RAW + final image counts as one “image”) by uploading to the designated location (to be provided in the Patreon app and via email to Patreon supporters only–please do NOT send images to my email, they will get lost in the pile).

Prior to submission, please confirm for each image:

  1. Resize both images to 1500 px on the long side at 150 dpi resolution
  2. Change the color profile to sRGB before export/saving so they’ll look good on my computer screen and on the video
  3. Save the RAW file name as: [Your Name]_[Image Title]_RAW.jpg. (Yes, please save your unprocessed RAW file as a JPG so my computer/software can read it.)
  4. Save the final processed image with the file name as: [Your Name]_[Image Title]_final.jpg. Please only use letters, numbers, and underscores. Do not use any special characters as it will render your file unreadable.
  5. For both images, confirm file size is smaller than 15MB (adjust image quality during save to 8-10 if too big)
  6. Embed your IPTC metadata–if you are using Adobe Lightroom, please ensure exported JPGs retain their EXIF data pertaining to the photographs exposure settings (aperture, shutter speed, ISO, and focal length of lens required)
    1. Creator (Required)= Your Name
    2. Creator City and State (Required)= Your home town and state
    3. Creator Email (Required)= Your email address
    4. Description (Required): In 200 words or less, please explain your intent for this photograph. What were you responding to in the moment? What were you hoping to communicate through your frame? What challenges were you facing? Please avoid describing the literal visual content of the photograph, as we will be able to observe that for ourselves.
    5. Title (Optional) = The title of your photograph. Should you wish to include the location and date/year of the photograph, please put it parenthesis after your title: Title (Location, Date/year).
    6. Creator Website (Optional) = Website where others can view your work (can be direct link to this image on your website or to your main landing page).

IMPORTANT NOTE: Please follow these directions exactly. Submissions that are missing any required information won’t be considered for review. I do not have the bandwidth to track people down for this information after files are submitted. Thank you for your efforts in keeping this process manageable.

 

And that’s a wrap–a Bubble Wrap, that is! Bubble Wraps exists because of your curiosity, generosity, and trust—and I’m grateful to be part of this expanded conversation. Thanks much for being part of this Dear Bubbles community! Looking forward to seeing your images!

Be well, be brave, be wild!
~Bubbles