Secret Santa 2015

480sparky · Nov 21, 2015

Secret Santa 2015 - Participation is now closed.

In previous years, we've been doing a forum-based Secret Santa, and with very good success. So we're going to do it again this year. The idea is, everyone who wants to participate will be PM'd with the name and information of their recipient. Your participation as a Secret Santa means you will be giving the recipient one of your images. In exchange, you will receive an image from your Secret Santa.

How to sign up
By Dec 16, send me a PM, with Secret Santa as the subject, which contains your email inside and your mailing address ( in case your secret Santa want's to send a print). If you have participated in previous Secret Santas here on TPF, be sure to include who your recipients were and who your previous Secret Santas were. This is so we don't accidently repeat a 'match'.

How does the process work after I sign up?
Sometime soon after Dec 16, I will send you the screen name, the email and the mailing address of the person whose Secret Santa you will be.

You have the choice of how to fulfill your pledge to participate:
- Send your recipient a jpeg of your choice of your own images and permission to print it.
- Contact your recipient, reveal yourself (do not expose yourself) and give them a choice of what image of yours they'd like.
- Do either of these delivery methods above but with an actual paper print. (It's up to you to confirm the recipients' address.)
FAQ:
Behavior that won't work
Saying that you want to take part in a response on this thread is not enough. You must send me a PM with your screen name, physical mailing address and email.
"But, I'm not a good photographer"
That was said a lot last year. The response to that now is, as it was then, 'so what'. It is the giving of what you have done that is the gift.
Will I know who my Secret Santa is?
I will not tell you. If your Secret Santa wants to contact you through the forum or email, that will be up to him/her. You may just get a package in the mail with your print, or you may get a PM or email from him/her. It's up to each participant to determine how they want to handle getting their image to the recipient.
But I don't celebrate Christmas for any reason!
OK, but you can join in this gift giving without taking any religious vows.
You aren't going into a seminary or convent or becoming a priest or monk or any of that. And I doubt you'll burn in Hell either. You are celebrating being a part of our great community.
Am I signed up?
If you don't get an email from me as confirmation within 2 days after you sent the PM, no, you are not signed up so send me another PM and bug the crap out of me until I respond.
If the PM doesn't have your mailing address and your email, you won't get a confirmation, so be certain the PM has the two needed pieces of information.
I missed the sign up period.
If I don't have everybody assigned and the PMs sent, I'll try to work it out - but don't hold your breathe. After December 16, participation cannot be guaranteed
Resolution and color space.
Let's assume the gift images will be printed at 12 x 18 (2:3) or 11 x 14 (4:5) with resolution of 250 pixels/in or more in sRGB color space and 100% quality.
Or as close as you can get.
What Aspect Ratio should I use?
If you're making the print for the recipient, use the aspect ratio of the size print you're sending. If you're offering the recipient their choice of prints size, adjust your file to that aspect ratio before printing and/or sending.
What would be an appropriate subject to send my recipient?
Anything 'family friendly'. Obviously, nothing raunchy, racist, sexist, and certainly not any nudes (unless your recipient requests it). Color, b&w, monochrome, split-tone, HDR... that's not an issue.
My file is too big to fit in email.
Use wetransfer.com or any other free ftp service.
A Note about shipping actual prints:
Please be aware that sometimes, prints will get damaged in transit. There's not much I can do about the Neanderthals that have no respect for our craft. But if you are going to send a print to your recipient, make sure it's packaged well to make the trip.
I didn't get an image.
Let me know by PM and I will bug the lazy Secret Santa into getting his/her elves back to work.

480sparky · Nov 30, 2015

Buuuuump!

jcdeboever · Nov 30, 2015

My photos suck here. I hope to draw traveler

Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk

480sparky · Dec 4, 2015

A bump for the weekend........

480sparky · Dec 13, 2015

Another bump before Wednesday's deadline!

480sparky · Dec 14, 2015

Final call!

480sparky · Dec 17, 2015

OK, everyone should have a PM with their recipient's information.

I'll leave it up to each of you to decide whether you want to remain secret and mail a print to your recipient, or if you want to make contact with them and make arrangements.

Happy holidays!

Ken