Just as in most other Galleries/Categories on dA, miscategorized images are a recurring issue in the Artistic Nude Gallery. As Gallery Moderator, I will be continuing a tradition begun with my predecessor, ^Helewidis, and counting myself a member, and now a leader, of "The Miscat Squad!"

As Gallery Moderators, ^arachnid15 and I both have the desire to make AN a gallery that all nude photographers and models are proud to submit to and be a part of. "Cleaning House," however, is a daunting task. We know there is a need for a concerted effort to go through the gallery and remove/relocate deviations that do not meet the criteria for Artistic Nude.


Where, Oh Where Has My Little Dev Gone?

Speaking for myself, when I relocate miscats, I will tend to move deviations to one of four places:

Photography-> People & Portraits-> Miscellaneous: Photography deviations that are not Artistic Nude, but the most appropriate new category should be chosen by the deviant. The most likely place where I will place a relocated deviation, and the deviant can move it to a new home from there if desired.

Photography-> People & Portraits-> Self-Portraits: Deviations where it is either stated by the artist, or clearly ascertained from the image, that the photographer is also the person pictured in the image.

Digital Art-> Miscellaneous-> People: Nude or non-nude deviations that contain photomanipulation, digital filtering/texturing or digital painting, which are beyond the minimal adjustments accepted in the Photography categories. Again, in many cases it is then up to the deviant to read the category descriptions for Digital Art, and decide if there is a more fitting category in this section in which to place the deviation.

Scraps: Photographs of extremely poor, webcam or cellphone quality, or that have any side shorter than 400 pixels.


To Be Nude, Or Not To Be Nude

While "what is a nude" and what isn't seems like it would be clear-cut and obvious, there are some common misconceptions as to particular types of images that belong best in AN or elsewhere. I'll cover a few of them from my perspective here, and for even more information, please take a good read over =KickStart011's excellent article, Artistic Nude: dA Policy and You!

Genital Closeups: The unending debate between "artistic intent" and the "evils of censorship." Most genital closeup images are not in violation of any dA policy. Neither GM's nor the CEA team can or will delete them. However, many of them do not necessarily fit as Artistic Nude deviations. Many of them will be relocated to the Miscellaneous category, the Self-Portraits category, or in cases of extremely poor image quality or images under 400 pixels as noted above, scraps. This applies equally to closeups of both male and female genitalia.

Male nudity: The bare male torso is not considered to be nudity. Many images of bare-chested men/men wearing only underwear are well-suited to the Glamour Portraits gallery. Again the deviation will likely be relocated to Miscellaneous, and the deviant may then move it from there.

Lingerie/clothing: Lingerie is clothing. Clothed subjects are not nude. Breasts or genitals may still be displayed by a clothed subject. The Mature Content tag is still required, but these images are often more fitting to the Glamour Portraits, Fashion Portraits, Fetish Portraits, or another category. Again the deviation will likely be relocated to Miscellaneous for the deviant to determine the best place for it.

"Series" images: Images that are part of a "photo set" should still be placed in the gallery most appropriate to the individual image. An image from the series that is a facial closeup, or an image of a clothed subject that will appear nude later in the series are examples of images that should not be placed in the Artistic Nude gallery. Yet again, the deviation will likely be relocated to Miscellaneous. Keep in mind that it can actually be beneficial to your pageviews (for those who keep count), to have images from your series befitting and placed in several different galleries. Browsers of each gallery will have the opportunity to see your image placed there, follow links (perfectly acceptable) to the other images in the series, or visit your profile page to check out your other works.

Please note the emphasis on relocating deviations to the Miscellaneous category. It is not my job or ^arachnid15's to determine what gallery best fits your image. We are concerned solely with whether the image is or is not a valid submission to our own AN gallery. If your image is relocated to Miscellaneous, once more, please feel free to re-read the category descriptions and decide which category outside of AN you feel is the best fit for your deviation.

And finally, when an image is determined to be a miscat, this is not the "scarlet letter" of rejection to your deviation! I have found and moved some fantastic pieces of art out of the AN gallery. Amazing work - just simply not Artistic Nude deviations!

I would like to mention one more related topic, a couple of words regarding miscats, Policy Violations, and the reporting of any of these.

First, Gallery Moderators can not address Policy Violations. We cannot move or scrap a deviation that is a Policy Violation. Policy Violations for pornography (as defined by dA in the faq), art theft, hate art, or other violations can be addressed only by the CEA team. Please report these violations as such. If you report them/note them to a GM, we can only take your notation and file a report ourselves. While certainly willing to do so, this takes our time away from our own primary duties and activities, including moving miscats!

Second, while miscats can be reported by any deviant using the same "Report This Deviation" link as for Policy Violations, these reports do not go to the GM's. They go to the Help Desk for review/action. So if you make a miscat report, ^arachnid15 and myself are not the ones who will be addressing that deviation, unless we also come upon in in our own maintenance of the gallery. Please continue making these reports! And please also be aware that they are addressed by the Help Desk, not by the GM's.

A final final note: For anyone uncertain of where to best place a deviation, the category descriptions can be found in the "submit deviation" heading. Go into the submission form, go to "select category," highlight any category, click "info" at lower left corner, and this will bring up a box showing the description for that category and parent Gallery.

Thank you for the "three R's" - Reading, Reporting, and submitting your deviations Responsibly!