Photo Submission Guidelines

Every day artists around the world visit Museum to find inspiring reference photos. These guidelines will help you grab their attention and earn a spot on their canvases.

Bigger is better.
Your image should be at least 750 pixels wide. If you're not sure, use the eye test: Does your photo look blurry or pixelated? If not, you're probably good to go!

👍 Example of a high-resolution photo - @carrie_arnold

Let there be light.
Countless artists have told us that they can't resist photos with a dramatic interplay between light and shadow.

👍 Example of inspiring lighting - @jenell_duhhcid

Act natural.
Put down that Selfie Stick. An unposed, natural photo is almost always more inspiring than a duckface captured at arm's length.

Strike a pose.
This may seem contrary to the previous guideline. Well, it is! While a natural pose can be inspiring, artists also love to draw dynamic poses and gestures.

Express yourself.
Laugh. Cry. Scowl. Scream! Artists can't resist a genuine display of human emotion.

Clearer is better.
The content of your photo should be recognizable. While some artists may find inspiration in an unclear image, photos with a clear subject will generally grab more artists' attention.

👎 What is this? Most artists won't spend time trying to figure it out.

Variety is the spice of life.
Feel free to submit multiple photos of yourself (or any subject) as long as the images are visually distinct. If you have a set of similar photos, please pick the most inspiring one to submit.

As hard as it may be, pick one to submit.

Unfiltered is better.
MANY artists have told us they would never draw a heavily filtered image

Keep your clothes on.
The nude human form has inspired artists through the centuries, but our community includes children and the app has a 12+ age rating in the App Store. So please, for the kids, keep it clean.

Don’t steal.
You must own the rights to any image you share on Museum, or the owner of the image must give you explicit permission to share it. Please adhere to this guideline to avoid any legal consequences that may come from sharing an image you do not own.

Any questions? Contact us here.