1. What is ZoneZero?

ZoneZero is a website dedicated to the use, publication and analysis of images and to the wide spectrum of photography.  Founded in 1995 by Pedro Meyer, ZoneZero has both witnessed and actively participated in the current digital revolution.  ZoneZero appeared online for the first time when the Internet was made accessible to the public, and became the first website dedicated to photography that is still running and growing. We can proudly state that ZoneZero paved the way for the computer to be recognized as a valid means of generating, viewing and sharing photographs.

ZoneZero’s name originates from a metaphor on the transformation that photography underwent from analogue to digital. The name refers to Ansel Adams’s Zone System as a starting point in the analogue tradition, and to the ones and zeros that have become the basic DNA for everything digital.

2. What is the objective of this site?

The objective of ZoneZero is to offer a platform for intelligent photography. In other words, photography which offers a sensible and informed vision of what is happening in our world, and which understands the relevance of technology in the creative process. We also wish to provide the necessary tools for dialogue and the exchange of ideas on those topics; we therefore offer a fertile space for an international community interested in seeing, thinking, creating, sharing and discussing images.

3. How can I take part?

The active participation of our visitors and users is the essence of our website. Users can take part free of charge in a variety of ways and at different levels.

a) As a non-registered visitor.
You can visit all the sections of the site including Community, and have the possibility of leaving commentaries on the articles only.

b) As a subscriber to the News bulletin.
You can register your e-mail account to receive the bulletin published periodically on ZoneZero with new articles, sections, galleries, etc., as well as events and special editions on the website.

c) As a Community user.
When you sign up in the Community section you will have access to all the services of that section: Portfolios, Events and Classified advertisements (coming soon). Moreover, you will be able to create a user profile with the personal information, photographic work and commentaries you wish to share with other users. For further information on the benefits and services of this section please consult What is the Community? 

d) As an exhibitor in the Galleries section
This section is destined for the exhibition of professional photographic work, via a minimum series of 12 images, which can even employ multimedia elements. (Audio, video and/or animation). The design of each gallery is unique and is the result of coordination between ZoneZero’s  editing and development team and the author. To take part in this section please consult the following link.

4. How can I subscribe to the News bulletin?

From the Register option located in the top left corner of the website you can sign up your e-mail account to receive the bulletin published periodically on ZoneZero with new articles, sections, galleries, etc. You will also receive events and special editions inside the website.

5. How can I unsubscribe from the News bulletin?

If you wish to cancel your subscription, open the last news bulletin that you received and in the latter part of the message click on Cancel Subscription.

6. What is the Galleries section?

The galleries section presents the work of professional photographers, following their application and the acceptance of ZoneZero’s editorial team. This section has more than 350 online exhibitions from authors from 45 different countries. Each gallery has its own presentation and curatorship, to enhance the photographic message of each author.

7. How can I enter my work in the Galleries section?

You can consult all the information and requirements for publishing your work in the Galleries section at the following link.

8. What is a Portfolio?

In the Portfolio category inside the Community section you will be able to share photographic series, whether finished or still in process. It is very simple for you to publish your photographs and group them in different portfolios as series or albums, with a maximum quota of 15 MB per user.

9. What is the Podcast section?

In the Podcast section you can find videos on a variety of themes, shared by the directors themselves. If you subscribe to this section, via iTunes or any RSS system, you will be able to automatically view and download the new clips that are added periodically.

10. What is the Community section?

The Community section is a specialized social network open to the public. It is an excellent means of exhibiting your work, publishing events and classified advertisements (coming soon) and participating in specialized groups. Moreover, in this section you will be able to keep in touch with other photographers, directors and people related to the medium, and debate, express opinions and comment on your own and others’ work, as well as themes related to the world of photography. We invite you to sign up for free and take part in our photographic community.

This section in divided into the following categories:

-Portfolios
-Events
-Classified advertisements (coming soon)

ACCOUNT

11. How do I create an account?

Go to the Community section and in the Enter tab of the Welcome area click on Create an account. [link]
Once you have filled in the required fields, an activation link will be sent to the e-mail address which you provided. You will have to activate your account by clicking on the link before you can access the Community section.

12. How do I deactivate my account?

To deactivate an account you need to send an e-mail from your registered e-mail account to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it with the subject: “I want to cancel my Community account”. Within a maximum of 24 hours, your account and all the information that you have published inside the community will be eliminated. If you wish to take part again in the Community, you will have to create a new account and carry out the full sign-up process again.

13. How can I retrieve my password?

Go to the Community section and in the Enter tab of the Welcome area click on Forgotten your password?

14. How do I create and/or modify my user profile?

You need to sign into your account and go to the Edit Profile option which appears alongside your name in the top left-hand section of your profile page.  You can define the information that you wish to present (description, location, interests, e-mail, telephone, website, etc) and the level of privacy for your information (See Can my profile be private?)

Under the profile image, you have the option of editing or publishing the image that you wish to appear as your profile’s icon.

15. Can my profile be private?

Yes it can. When defining the information that you wish to present in your profile, you have the option of defining the level of privacy for each piece of information that you publish. (Visible, to all public, Not visible, Visible only to contacts, Visible only to registered users, etc.)

13. How does My Wall work in my user profile?

In the top right-hand area of your profile page you will find the Wall on which you can publish your status. Your contacts will be able to comment on your publications or write messages. Please note: you may only leave messages on the Wall of those contacts who have added you as a contact themselves.

14. How can I send a private message to a user?

Sign into your account, and in the top user menu click on the messages icon (an envelope). Once you have entered the e-mail Inbox click on Send a message, which is located in the right-hand column. Then choose the contact to whom the message will be sent and define the title and text. This message is private and can only be read by the contact to whom it has been sent.

15. Can I comment without having signed up?

No you cannot. To be able to leave comments on the wall of a user and/or the photographs of a portfolio you need to have signed up. You will then be able to interact within the Community.

CONTACTS

16. What is a Contact?

A Contact is a user whose activities and work you can follow and with whom you may also interact on their Wall and/or with private messages.

17. How do I add a Contact?

To add a Contact enter the profile of the user whom you wish to add and in the User menu which appears on the left-hand side, click on Add a contact. A notification will be sent via mail to the contact, informing them that they have been added. The contact will have to add you himself as one of his contacts, otherwise you will not be able to send him private messages.

18. How do I delete a contact?

To delete a contact enter the user profile of the contact whom you wish to remove, and in the User menu on the left-hand side click on Eliminate Contact.

19. What is a Follower?

A Follower is a user who follows your work, without your having necessarily added them as a contact. A Follower will not be able to send you private messages and in certain cases (depending on the type of access that you have defined for your profile) neither will he be able to leave commentaries on your Wall.

20. How can I leave a comment on a Contact?

You can comment and rate a Contact’s photographs directly on his Wall or profile page. You can also leave a private message via the Message option of your User menu (an envelope).

Please note: Access to these functions depends on the privacy configuration that the Contact has given his or her profile and information.

GROUP

21. What is a Group?

A Group is a collection of users gathered under a defined theme, interest, discussion, etc. Each group can have one or more administrators and its own profile.

22. What is the purpose of the Groups?

By means of a group you can communicate with other users with similar interests on a defined theme or topic. You can interact with the members of the Group by participating on the proposed themes with photographs and commentaries.

23. How do I create a Group?

In the User menu go to Tools > Groups.  In the Groups category click on the Create a new group option in the left-hand submenu.

From this screen you will be able to define the group’s name, profile icon, description, labels, website, etc. You will also be able to define if your group is closed or open to the public. Moreover you will be able to authorize Group discussions and a portfolio for the group.

24. How do I join a Group?

In the User menu go to Tools > Groups, and choose the Group which you are interested in by clicking on it. Once inside the profile of the Group, click on the Join the Group option located in the left-hand submenu.

25. How do I delete a Group?

This action may only be carried out by the user who created the Group. To delete a group, once inside its profile click on the Edit Group option and then click on the Erase group option, which appears on the top right-hand side of the group’s editing screen.

26. How do I administrate a Group?

As creator of the Group you can manage it by directly entering the Group’s profile from the User menu, Tools > Groups. Inside the Group’s profile you will find a submenu on the left-hand side which allows you to edit the group, invite users, manage requests, open new discussion themes and/or create a portfolio of photographs for the Group.