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Featured picture candidates

Featured picture candidates are images that the community will vote on, to determine whether or not they will be highlighted as some of the finest on Commons. This page lists the candidates to become featured pictures. The picture of the day images are selected from featured pictures.

Old candidates for Featured pictures are listed here. There are also chronological lists of featured pictures: 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025 and current month.

For another overview of our finest pictures, take a look at our annual picture of the year election.

Formal things

Nominating

Guidelines for nominators

Please read the complete guidelines before nominating.

This is a summary of what to look for when submitting and reviewing FP candidates:

  • Licensing – Images licensed with solely "GFDL" or "GFDL and an NC-only license" are not acceptable due the restrictions placed on re-use by these licenses.
  • Resolution – Raster images of lower resolution than 2 million pixels (pixels, not bytes) are typically rejected unless there are strong mitigating reasons. This does not apply to vector graphics (SVGs).
    • Graphics on Commons are not only viewed on conventional computer screens. They may be used in high-resolution print versions, and the images may be cropped to focus on portions of the image. See Commons:Why we need high resolution media for more information.
  • Scans – While not official policy, Help:Scanning provides advice on the preparation of various types of images that may be useful.
  • General quality – pictures being nominated should be of high technical quality.
  • Digital manipulations must not deceive the viewer. Digital manipulation for the purpose of correcting flaws in an image is generally acceptable, provided it is limited, well-done, and not intended to deceive.
    • For photographs, typical acceptable manipulations include cropping, perspective correction, sharpening/blurring, and color/exposure correction. More extensive manipulations, such as removal of distracting background elements, should be clearly described in the image text, by means of the {{Retouched picture}} template. Undescribed or mis-described manipulations which cause the main subject to be misrepresented are never acceptable. For images made from more than one photo, you can use the {{Panorama}} or {{Focus stacked image}} templates.
    • For historic images, acceptable manipulations might include digitally fixing rips, removal of stains, cleanup of dirt, and, for mass-produced artworks such as engravings, removal of flaws inherent to the particular reproduction, such as over-inking. Careful color adjustments may be used to bring out the original work from the signs of ageing, though care should be taken to restore a natural appearance. The original artistic intent should be considered when deciding whether it is appropriate to make a change. Edits to historic material should be documented in detail within the file description, and an unedited version should be uploaded and cross linked for comparison.
  • Value – our main goal is to feature most valuable pictures from all others. Pictures should be in some way special, so please be aware that:
    • almost all sunsets are aesthetically pleasing, and most such pictures are not in essence different from others,
    • night-shots are pretty but normally more details can be shown on pictures taken at daytime,
    • beautiful does not always mean valuable.
Artworks, illustrations, and historical documents

There are many different types of non-photographic media, including engravings, watercolors, paintings, etchings, and various others. Hence, it is difficult to set hard-and-fast guidelines. However, generally speaking, works can be divided into three types: Those that can be scanned, those that must be photographed, and those specifically created to illustrate a subject.

Works that must be photographed include most paintings, sculptures, works too delicate or too unique to allow them to be put on a scanner, and so on. For these, the requirements for photography, below, may be mostly followed; however, it should be noted that photographs which cut off part of the original painting are generally not considered featurable.

Works that may be scanned include most works created by processes that allow for mass distribution − for instance, illustrations published with novels. For these, it is generally accepted that a certain amount of extra manipulation is permissible to remove flaws inherent to one copy of the work, since the particular copy – of which hundreds, or even thousands of copies also exist – is not so important as the work itself.

Works created to serve a purpose include diagrams, scientific illustrations, and demonstrations of contemporary artistic styles. For these, the main requirement is that they serve their purpose well.

Provided the reproduction is of high quality, an artwork generally only needs one of the following four things to be featurable:

  • Notable in its own right: Works by major artists, or works that are otherwise notable, such as the subjects of a controversy.
  • Of high artistic merit: Works which, while not particularly well known, are nonetheless wonderful examples of their particular type or school of art.
  • Of high historic merit: The historical method values very early illustrations of scenes and events over later ones. Hence, a work of poor quality depicting a contemporaneous historical event can be nonetheless important, even if the artistic merit is relatively low. Likewise, scans or photographs of important documents – which may not be at all artistic – nonetheless may be highly valuable if the documents are historically significant. The reason for the image's historical importance should be briefly stated in the nomination, for those reviewers unfamiliar with the subject.
  • Of high illustrative merit: Works that illustrate or help explain notable subjects, for instance, illustrations of books, scientific subjects, or technical processes. The amount of artistic merit required for these will vary by subject, but, for instance, an illustration that makes the working of a complicated piece of machinery very clear need not be notable as a piece of artwork as well, whereas an illustration for a book might well be expected to reach much higher artistic standards.

Digital restorations must also be well documented. An unedited version of the image should be uploaded locally, when possible, and cross-linked from the file description page. Edit notes should be specified in detail, such as "Rotated and cropped. Dirt, scratches, and stains removed. Histogram adjusted and colors balanced."

Photographs

On the technical side, we have focus, exposure, composition, movement control and depth of field.

  • Focus – every important object in the picture should normally be sharp.
  • Exposure refers to the shutter diaphragm combination that renders an image with a tonal curve that ideally is able to represent in acceptable detail shadows and highlights within the image. This is called latitude. Images can be on the low side of the tonal curve (low range), the middle (middle range) or high side (upper range). Lack of shadow detail is not necessarily a negative characteristic. In fact, it can be part of the desired effect. Burned highlights in large areas are a distracting element.
  • Composition refers to the arrangement of the elements within the image. The "Rule of thirds" is one useful guideline. Horizons should almost never be placed in the middle, where they "cut" the image in half. Often, a horizon creating a top or bottom third of the space works better. The main idea is to use space to create a dynamic image.
    • Foreground and background – foreground and background objects may be distracting. You should check that something in front of the subject doesn't hide important elements and that something in background doesn't spoil the composition (for example that the streetlight doesn't "stand" on someone's head).
  • Movement control refers to the manner in which motion is represented in the image. Motion can be frozen or blurred. Neither one is better than the other. It is the intention of representation. Movement is relative within the objects of the image. For example, photographing a race car that appears frozen in relation to the background does not give us a sense of speed or motion, so technique dictates to represent the car in a frozen manner but with a blurred background, thus creating the sense of motion, this is called "panning". On the other hand, representing a basketball player in a high jump frozen in relation to everything else, due to the "unnatural" nature of the pose would be a good photograph.
  • Depth of field (DOF) refers to the area in focus in front of and beyond main subject. Depth of field is chosen according to the specific needs of every picture. Large or small DOF can either way add or subtract to the quality of the image. Low depth of field can be used to bring attention to the main subject, separating it from the general environment. High depth of field can be used to emphasize space. Short focal length lenses (wide angles) yield large DOF, and vice versa, long focal lenses (telephotos) have shallow DOF. Small apertures yield large DOF and conversely, large apertures yield shallow DOF.

On the graphic elements we have shape, volume, color, texture, perspective, balance, proportion, noise, etc.

  • Shape refers to the contour of the main subjects.
  • Volume refers to the three dimensional quality of the object. This is accomplished using side light. Contrary to general belief, front lighting is not the best light. It tends to flatten subject. Best light of day is early morning or late afternoon.
  • Color is important. Oversaturated colors are not good.
  • Texture refers to the quality of the surface of the subject. It is enhanced by side lighting… it is the "feel" to the touch.
  • Perspective refers to the "angle" accompanied by lines that disappear into a vanishing point that may or may not be inside the image.
  • Balance refers to the arrangement of subjects within the image that can either give equal weight or appear to be heavier on one side.
  • Proportion refers to the relation of size of objects in picture. Generally, we tend to represent small objects small in relation to others, but a good technique is to represent small objects large contrary to natural size relationship. For example, a small flower is given preponderance over a large mountain…. This is called inversion of scales.
Not all elements must be present. Some photographs can be judged on individual characteristics, that is, an image can be about color or texture, or color AND texture, etc.
  • Noise refers to unwanted corruption of color brightness and quality and can be caused by underexposure. It is not a desirable quality and can be grounds for opposition.
  • Symbolic meaning or relevance … Opinion wars can begin here … A bad picture of a very difficult subject is better than a good picture of an ordinary subject. A good picture of a difficult subject is an extraordinary photograph.
Images can be culturally biased by the photographer and/or the observer. The meaning of the image should be judged according to the cultural context of the image, not by the cultural context of the observer. An image "speaks" to people, and it has the capacity to evoke emotion such as tenderness, rage, rejection, happiness, sadness, etc. Good photographs are not limited to evoking pleasant sensations …

You will maximise the chances of your nominations succeeding if you read the complete guidelines before nominating.

Video and audio

Please nominate videos, sounds, music, etc. at Commons:Featured media candidates.

Set nominations

If a group of images are thematically connected in a direct and obvious way, they can be nominated together as a set. A set should fall under one of the following types:

  • Faithful digital reproductions of works notable in their own right, which the original author clearly intended to be viewed as a set. Examples: pages in a pamphlet, crops (puzzle pieces) of a prohibitively large scan, a pair of pendant paintings. Not acceptable: Arbitrary selection of sample works by an artist.
  • A sequence of images showing the passage of time. They could depict frames of a moving/changing object or a static object during different times of day or different seasons. Examples: diagrams illustrating a process, steps of a dance, metamorphosis of an insect, maps/drawings/photos of the same subject over the years (frame of view should be more or less the same).
  • A group of images depicting the same subject from different viewpoints, preferably taken under the same lighting conditions when possible. Examples: Exterior and interior of a building, different facades of a building, different interior views, obverse and inverse of a banknote/coin. Not acceptable: A selection of different rooms in a skyscraper, the facade of a church plus an organ, any images of fundamentally different scopes.
  • A group of images which show all possible variations of a particular class of object. Examples: Male and female versions of an animal (preferably in the same setting), all known species of a genus. Not acceptable: A few breeds of cats (unless they share a defining characteristic and represent all possible examples of that).

Simple tutorial for new users

Tutorial: Nominate on COM:FPC
How to nominate in 8 simple steps

STEP 1

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STEP 2

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STEP 5

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STEP 7

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STEP 8

  • STEP 8 (last step)
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NOTE: You don't need to worry if you are not sure, other users will try their best to help you.

Adding a new nomination

If you believe that you have found or created an image that could be considered valuable, with appropriate image description and licensing, then do the following.

Step 1: copy the image name into this box, after the text already present in the box, for example, Commons:Featured picture candidates/File:Your image filename.jpg. Then click on the "create new nomination" button.

All single files:

For renominations, simply add /2 after the filename. For example, Commons:Featured picture candidates/File:Foo.jpg/2

All set nomination pages should begin "Commons:Featured picture candidates/Set/", e.g. "Commons:Featured picture candidates/Set/My Nomination".


Step 2: follow the instructions on the page that you are taken to, and save that page.

Step 3: manually insert a link to the created page at the top of Commons:Featured picture candidates/candidate list: Click here, and add the following line to the TOP of the nominations list:

{{Commons:Featured picture candidates/File:Your image filename.jpg}}

Galleries and FP categories: Please add a gallery page and section heading from the list at Commons FP galleries. Write the code as Page name#Section heading. For example: Commons:Featured pictures/Sports#Individual sports An image will only appear ONE time in the galleries. After a successful nomination, the image can be placed in several of the Featured pictures categories.

Optional: if you are not the creator of the image, please notify them using {{subst:FPC-notice|Your image filename.jpg}} -- ~~~~.

Note: Do not add an 'Alternative' image when you create a nomination. Selecting the best image is part of the nomination process. Alternatives are for a different crop or post-processing of the original image, or a closely related image from the same photo session (limited to 1 per nomination), if they are suggested by voters.

Voting

Editors whose accounts have at least 10 days and 50 edits can vote. Everybody can vote for their own nominations. Anonymous (IP) votes are not allowed.

You may use the following templates:

  • {{Support}} ( Support),
  • {{Oppose}} ( Oppose),
  • {{Neutral}} ( Neutral),
  • {{Comment}} ( Comment),
  • {{Info}} ( Info),
  • {{Question}} ( Question),
  • {{Request}} ( Request).

You may indicate that the image has no chance of success with the template {{FPX|reason - ~~~~}}, where reason explains why the image is clearly unacceptable as a FP. The template can only be used when there are no support votes other than the one from the nominator.

A well-written review helps participants (photographers, nominators and reviewers) improve their skills by providing insight into the strengths and weaknesses of a picture. Explain your reasoning, especially when opposing a candidate (which has been carefully selected by the author/nominator). English is the most widely understood language on Commons, but any language may be used in your review. A helpful review will often reference one or more of the criteria listed above.

Unhelpful reasons for opposing include:

  • No reason
  • "I don't like it" and other empty assessments
  • "You can do better" and other criticisms of the author/nominator rather than the image

Remember also to put your signature (~~~~).

Over time, featured picture standards change. It may be decided that for some pictures which were formerly "good enough", this is no longer the case. This is for listing an image which you believe no longer deserves to be a featured picture. For these, vote:

Text to use Displays as Meaning
{{Keep}}  Keep It deserves to remain a featured picture.
{{Delist}}  Delist It does not deserve to be a featured picture anymore.

This can also be used for cases in which a previous version of an image was promoted to FP, but a newer version of the image has been made and is believed to be superior to the old version, e.g. a newly edited version of a photo or a new scan of a historical image. In particular, it is not intended for replacing older photos of a particular subject with newer photos of the same subject, or in any other case where the current FP and the proposed replacement are essentially different images. For these nominations, vote:

Text to use Displays as Meaning
{{Keep}}  Keep Do not replace the old image with the new image as a FP.
{{Delistandreplace}}  Delist and replace Replace the current FP with the proposed replacement.

If you believe that some picture no longer meets the criteria for FP, you can nominate it for delisting, copying the image name into this box, after the text already present in the box:


In the new delisting nomination page just created you should include:

  • Information on the origin of the image (creator, uploader);
  • A link to the original FP nomination (it will appear under "Links" on the image description page);
  • Your reasons for nominating the image and your username.

After that, you have to manually insert a link to the created page at the top of Commons:Featured picture candidates/candidate list.

As a courtesy, leave an informative note on the talk page(s) of the original creator, uploader(s), and nominator with a link to the delisting candidate. {{subst:FPC-notice-removal}} can be used for this purpose.

General rules

  1. The voting period is 9 complete days counted from the nomination. After the end of this period the result will be determined. Votes added on day 10 and after are not counted.
  2. Nominations by anonymous contributors are welcome.
  3. Contributions to discussion by anonymous contributors are welcome.
  4. Only registered contributors whose Commons accounts have at least 10 days and 50 edits can vote. Exception: registered users can always vote in their own nominations no matter the account age and number of edits.
  5. Nominations do not count as votes. Support must be explicitly stated.
  6. Nominators and authors can withdraw their nominated pictures at any time. This is done by adding the following template: {{Withdraw}} ~~~~. Also, remember that if more than one version is nominated, you should explicitly state which version you are withdrawing.
  7. Remember, the goal of the Wikimedia Commons project is to provide a central repository for free images to be used by all Wikimedia projects, including possible future projects. This is not simply a repository for Wikipedia images, so images should not be judged here on their suitability for that project.
  8. Rules of the 5th day based on vote counts on day number 5 (day of nomination + 5):
    1. Pictures are speedy declined if they have fewer than two support votes.
    2. Pictures are speedy promoted if they have 10 support votes or more and no oppose votes. (Note that if it takes more than five days to reach this threshold, the picture can be promoted as soon as it is reached.) This does not apply to nominations containing at least one ‘Alternative’ image – because it is possible that another image can overtake the one in the lead during the last days, such nominations are never closed early.
    3. Once either speedy criterion is reached, the voting period is considered closed, and no more votes may be added.
  9. Pictures tagged {{FPX}} may be removed from the list 24 hours after the tag was applied, provided there are no support votes other than that of the nominator.
  10. Pictures tagged {{FPD}} (FP-Denied) may be removed from the list 24 hours after the tag was applied.
  11. Only two active nominations by the same user (that is, nominations under review and not yet closed) are allowed. The main purpose of this measure is to contribute to a better average quality of nominations, by driving nominators/creators to choose carefully the pictures presented to the forum.

Featuring and delisting rules

A candidate will become a featured picture in compliance with following conditions:

  1. Appropriate license (of course)
  2. At least seven  Support votes (or 7  Delist votes for a delist) at the end of nine days
  3. Ratio of supporting/opposing votes at least 2/1 (a two-thirds majority); same for delist/keep votes
  4. Two different versions of the same picture cannot both be featured, but only the one with higher level of support, as determined by the closer. Whenever the closer is not sure which version has consensus to be featured, they should attempt to contact the voters to clarify their opinions if not clear from the nomination page.
  5. Only two active delisting nominations per user, which is in addition to the limit of two active regular nominations.

The delisting rules are the same as those for FPs, with voting taking place over the same time period. The rule of the 5th day is applied to delisting candidates that have received no votes to delist, other than that of the proposer, by day 5.

The FPCBot handles the vote counting and closing in most cases, current exceptions are candidates containing multiple versions of the image as well as FPXed and withdrawn nominations. Any experienced user may close the requests not handled by the bot. For instructions on how to close nominations, see Commons:Featured picture candidates/What to do after voting is finished. Also note that there is a manual review stage between when the bot has counted the votes and before the nomination is finally closed by the bot; this manual review can be done by any user familiar with the voting rules.

Above all, be polite

Please don't forget that the image you are judging is somebody's work. Avoid using phrases like "it looks terrible" and "I hate it". If you must oppose, please do so with consideration. Also remember that your command of English might not be the same as someone else's. Choose your words with care.

Happy judging… and remember… all rules can be broken.

See also

Table of contents

List may contain works considered Not Safe for Work (nudity).

Nominators are requested, out of courtesy, to include the {{Nsfw}} template with such images. Users may select the gadget in user preferences "Deferred display of images tagged with {{Nsfw}} on COM:FPC" to enable the template's effect of hiding the image until selected.

Refresh page for new nominations: purge this page's cache
Shortcut

File:Nymphaea alba from lake Iffer 3.jpg

Voting period ends on 8 May 2025 at 10:25:04 (UTC) (unless closed by the 5th-day rule)
Visit the nomination page to add or modify image notes.

SHORT DESCRIPTION

File:বেগুনি মৌটুসি (Cinnyris asiaticus), জাতীয় উদ্ভিদ উদ্যান, ঢাকা.jpg

Voting period ends on 8 May 2025 at 04:01:05 (UTC) (unless closed by the 5th-day rule)
Visit the nomination page to add or modify image notes.

Male Purple sunbird

File:Idukki Dam Reservoir Hillview Pano Kerala Mar22 R16 05581-Pano.jpg

Voting period ends on 8 May 2025 at 00:50:01 (UTC) (unless closed by the 5th-day rule)
Visit the nomination page to add or modify image notes.

Panorama of Idukki dam reservoir

File:Karpniki wschód słońca.jpg

Voting period ends on 8 May 2025 at 00:01:30 (UTC) (unless closed by the 5th-day rule)
Visit the nomination page to add or modify image notes.

SHORT DESCRIPTION

File:Western kingbird (71684).jpg

Voting period ends on 7 May 2025 at 20:13:12 (UTC) (unless closed by the 5th-day rule)
Visit the nomination page to add or modify image notes.

Western kingbird

File:Brown-headed cowbird male (71126).jpg

Voting period ends on 7 May 2025 at 20:08:50 (UTC) (unless closed by the 5th-day rule)
Visit the nomination page to add or modify image notes.

Male brown-headed cowbird

File:Intertwined roots of two birches next to Myrstigen hiking trail in Brastad.jpg

Voting period ends on 7 May 2025 at 11:03:34 (UTC) (unless closed by the 5th-day rule)
Visit the nomination page to add or modify image notes.

Intertwined roots of two birches next to Myrstigen hiking trail in Brastad

File:Firing Squad in Iran.jpg

Voting period ends on 7 May 2025 at 07:41:48 (UTC) (unless closed by the 5th-day rule)
Visit the nomination page to add or modify image notes.

A revolutionary firing squad at the Sanandaj airport in Iran, 27 August 1979
  • Thank, now I see it, but no harm in having it visible directly from the list page too (for people like me who tend to not go to the individual page for each nom). --Cart (talk) 11:48, 28 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

File:Rauwerd (Fries Raerd). 26-02-2025. (actm.) jpg 08.jpg

Voting period ends on 7 May 2025 at 04:21:11 (UTC) (unless closed by the 5th-day rule)
Visit the nomination page to add or modify image notes.

church building in Boarnsterhim, Netherlands

File:Wet silk training - US Army paratrooper - Lake Garda, Italy - March 2025.jpg

Voting period ends on 6 May 2025 at 15:51:09 (UTC)
Visit the nomination page to add or modify image notes.

A US Army soldier performs wet silk training in a swimming pool at Caserma C. Ederle, Italy, March 26, 2025.

File:Porträt des Herzog von Mantua Vincenzo I von Gonzaga.jpg

Voting period ends on 6 May 2025 at 20:50:30 (UTC) (unless closed by the 5th-day rule)
Visit the nomination page to add or modify image notes.

Portrait of the Duke of Mantua Vincenzo I of Gonzaga
  • Thank you! It’s a pity that the article does not really explain much besides saying these pics are sooo big. It’s the same with Gigapxl Project, Gigapan, etc. – all articles with a strong advertising/fanboy smell and no technical details. Such articles do not reflect any credit on Wikipedia. Without technical details Gigapixel image looks more a marketing slogan than a technical term (just like Elon’s Gigafactory). But it’s the trend of this time … Of course this does not diminish the value of this image, and so these questions are not important as long as the reproduction is realistic. – Aristeas (talk) 15:45, 28 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]
  •  Very weak support It's a rather normal 17th-century portrait with no extraordinary style (and in a rather bad condition), common for artists who had to do them to be able to put food on the table. The only thing that stands out about it, is that it's digitized in a huge file. --Cart (talk) 16:11, 28 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

File:Tour Milad, nuit, Téhéran (2).jpg

Voting period ends on 6 May 2025 at 20:04:27 (UTC) (unless closed by the 5th-day rule)
Visit the nomination page to add or modify image notes.

The Milad Tower by night and the Hakim Expressway, Tehran, Iran.

File:দুধরাজ, নওগাঁ.jpg

Voting period ends on 6 May 2025 at 07:08:44 (UTC)
Visit the nomination page to add or modify image notes.

Indian paradise flycatcher
  • Somewhat rude. Yes, I know what RAW is, but just because you didn't rotate the picture in postprocessing doesn't mean it wasn't tilted when you took it. I am sure the RAW file looks the same, but this doesn't tell me any useful information. Cmao20 (talk) 21:59, 28 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

File:Khrangsuri waterfall, Meghalaya 01.jpg

Voting period ends on 6 May 2025 at 00:25:44 (UTC)
Visit the nomination page to add or modify image notes.

Khran Suri waterfall in Meghalaya, India

File:Srikalahasti temple and Hill.jpg

Voting period ends on 5 May 2025 at 19:26:11 (UTC)
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Srikalahasti town with Durgammakonda, Swarnamukhi river, temple Gopuram, and Ghat

File:Horndals bruk May 2015 10.jpg

Voting period ends on 5 May 2025 at 13:24:39 (UTC)
Visit the nomination page to add or modify image notes.

SHORT DESCRIPTION
Thank for reviews!
Yes, unfortunately. Due to legal reasons, all photos was taken through a broken window. The building is not open to the public.--ArildV (talk) 11:47, 27 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]
Ah! I know all about such conditions. :-) Well done with the constraints. --Cart (talk) 13:44, 27 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

File:Catedral de San Luis de los Inválidos, París, Francia, 2022-10-30, DD 107-109 HDR.jpg

Voting period ends on 4 May 2025 at 20:27:33 (UTC)
Visit the nomination page to add or modify image notes.

Cathedral of Saint-Louis-des-Invalides, Paris, France
  • Poco a poco, one note I have when reviewing this picture in some more detail. If I look at the 2023 version in the file history, the text on the walls seems considerably sharper and more legible to me. To the extent that I'd honestly say the 2023 version is superior to this one. Are there any tweaks you could possibly make to improve this? I can't help feeling that whatever you've done to denoise the region around the altar has also made this worse. Cmao20 (talk) 12:39, 26 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

* Support Khji0620 (talk) 06:17, 28 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

File:Caledonian Sleeper 73 967 and 73 968 Bridge of Orchy - Rannoch.jpg

Voting period ends on 4 May 2025 at 15:11:40 (UTC)
Visit the nomination page to add or modify image notes.

Caledonian Sleeper 1Y11 London Euston - Edinburgh - Fort William

File:Erizo de flor (Toxopneustes pileolus), Zanzíbar, Tanzania, 2024-06-01, DD 134.jpg

Voting period ends on 4 May 2025 at 14:25:07 (UTC)
Visit the nomination page to add or modify image notes.

Flower urchin (Toxopneustes pileolus), Zanzibar, Tanzania

File:Tour Milad, nuit, Téhéran (1).jpg

Voting period ends on 4 May 2025 at 13:39:44 (UTC)
Visit the nomination page to add or modify image notes.

The Milad Tower by night, Tehran, Iran.

File:Roundabout interchange.jpg

Voting period ends on 4 May 2025 at 09:20:06 (UTC)
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Roundabout interchange, Belgrade, Serbia

File:Feeding lineated barbet3 NBG Dhaka.jpg

Voting period ends on 4 May 2025 at 04:32:05 (UTC)
Visit the nomination page to add or modify image notes.

Lineated Barbet

File:Goldkappl und Sandessee.jpg

Voting period ends on 3 May 2025 at 14:14:16 (UTC)
Visit the nomination page to add or modify image notes.

View from the Pflerscher Scharte into the cirque with the Sandessee and the Italian Tribulaunhut. The striking rocky peak on the left side is the Goldkappl.

File:Newly fallen snow crystals in Tuntorp 7.jpg

Voting period ends on 3 May 2025 at 11:17:15 (UTC)
Visit the nomination page to add or modify image notes.

Newly fallen snow crystals in Tuntorp

File:Scharlaken eik (Quercus coccinea) 14-04-2025 (d.j.b.) 01.jpg

Voting period ends on 3 May 2025 at 04:38:45 (UTC)
Visit the nomination page to add or modify image notes.

SHORT DESCRIPTION

Voting period ends on 3 May 2025 at 04:33:09 (UTC)
Visit the nomination page to add or modify image notes.

So-called "Mortuary chapel" in Bettenburg landscape park near Hofheim in Unterfranken
Confirmed results:
Result: 1 support, 1 oppose, 0 neutral → not featured. /-- Radomianin (talk) 06:19, 29 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

File:The History of Apple Pie - Kelly Lee Owens (2013).jpg, featured

Voting period ends on 2 May 2025 at 21:04:59 (UTC)
Visit the nomination page to add or modify image notes.

Portrait of electronic musician Kelly Lee Owens
Confirmed results:
Result: 10 support, 0 oppose, 0 neutral → featured. /-- Radomianin (talk) 06:21, 29 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]
This image will be added to the FP gallery: Photo techniques/Black and White#Portraits

File:Soca river in Kobarid (27).jpg

Voting period ends on 2 May 2025 at 20:33:33 (UTC)
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Soča river in the Municipality of Kobarid, Goriška, Slovenia

File:হলদেগাল টিটি - Yellow-wattled lapwing (Vanellus malabaricus), Bangladesh.jpg

Voting period ends on 2 May 2025 at 10:51:19 (UTC)
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Yellow-wattled lapwing

File:Велушки манастир 11.jpg

Voting period ends on 2 May 2025 at 08:20:59 (UTC)
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An aerial view of the Velušina Monastery
  • The monastery was built in 1839. The church and the konak behind it are evidently old with some reconstruction works over time that haven't harmed their authenticity (modern churches and konaks aren't built that way). Only the buildings on the far left and far right are new, but they're important details indicating that the monastery is expanding.--Kiril Simeonovski (talk) 07:58, 28 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

File:A Little Girl Praying to the Lord Shiva Lingam – Mahashivaratri 2025 - 070A2856.jpg

Voting period ends on 2 May 2025 at 07:24:44 (UTC)
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SHORT DESCRIPTION

File:People of Butte County – Tod Kimmelshue (2025)-104A8824.jpg

Voting period ends on 1 May 2025 at 01:53:12 (UTC)
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Tod Kimmelshue, Chair of the Butte County Board of Supervisors

Alternative

File:Gleise der Steigerwaldbahn am Gundelsbach zwischen Gochsheim und Grettstadt 2.jpg

Voting period ends on 30 Apr 2025 at 04:44:50 (UTC)
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Disused but not yet decommissioned tracks of "Steigerwald railroad" between Gochsheim and Grettstadt
  • Gallery: Commons:Featured_pictures/Places/Architecture/Transport#Rail_tracks
  •  Info created by Plozessor – uploaded by Plozessor – nominated by Plozessor -- Plozessor (talk) 04:44, 21 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]
  •  Oppose Nice shot, certain QI, but otherwise I cannot find anything special about it. Sorry --A.Savin 09:06, 21 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]
  •  Oppose Sorry but I think I agree with A.Savin here. The central vanishing point is not very interesting, it's all quite a bland composition. I also think the picture doesn't seem to have many shadowed regions, everything is quite bright and I'm not sure this suits the subject. Image quality is of course as high as ever and I like the motif but it doesn't feel like a featured picture to me. Cmao20 (talk) 12:20, 21 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]
  •  Support Nature returns. --Thi (talk) 12:28, 23 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]
  •  Support I find the whole abandoned feel of the image eerily calm. Would've been better if the photographer had stepped slightly to the right, but still works for me. --UnpetitproleX (Talk) 23:38, 23 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]
  •  Oppose sorry. Normally scenes like this one have problems like overexposed highlights, harsh shadows and some noise in the dark areas. We all try to mitigate these problems, but when we go too far a photo can get an unnatural, artificial look, and IMHO this has happened here. There are no (real) shadows in the image, and in areas with slight shadows (e.g. at the trunks of the trees at the left), the image has a painterly look, like some noise reduction tools produce it. Honestly when looking at these details I wondered first whether this is an AI-generated image. As it isn’t, as the Exif data state, I can only assume that the post-processing has caused this look. In any case, the result looks too artificial for my poor old eyes, sorry. – Aristeas (talk) 06:44, 24 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]
  • Thank you – I agree that the alternative is a big improvement. I would not oppose that version. In the meantime I have taken the liberty to take a look at the XMP data in the original image and the raw conversion settings explain the artificial look. Temperature 5800 is quite warm for a midday scene; Contrast -78, Highlights -100, Shadows +88, Blacks +30, Clarity +100, Vibrance +100 are very daring settings, to put it mildly. The new version reduces some of these values – Contrast +5, Highlights -100, Shadows +64, Blacks +30, Clarity +25, Vibrance +60. Honestly I think that reducing the highlights by more that 50 is almost always problematic (better use additional local reduction, if necessary); Shadows > 50 is rarely needed, but can be useful in rare cases; I almost never raise the blacks (only use negative values like -5 to -20 here if appropriate); I used to use values like Clarity +15, but today apply Clarity only locally, where needed; Vibrance +60 is still very daring and would already be sufficient to say that the result will very probably look quite unreal (typical values are around 10, rarely 20). Do with these remarks what you want; you can ignore them; I just want to give you a hint which settings may cause an artificial look. – Aristeas (talk) 14:05, 25 April 2025 (UTC) @W.carter: I remember your excellent hints on such settings; maybe you could add a short comment on the tasteful use of Clarity and Vibrance? Thank you! – Aristeas (talk) 14:11, 25 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]
    Sorry Aristeas, I didn't get the 'ping' for some reason. Each toggle in Photoshop has its own specific and good area for their use, but to use them all in extremis like in this photo is too much for me, I wouldn't know where to start with it. I know there are parts of the photo community who like these dreamy photos, where all is beautiful, but to me it's an artificial look. Clarity can be used in big doses on clouds to get some shape in them, to clean up murky waters or define ice crystals or architecture, but for foliage only use very small doses. To go over 22 in Vibrance is never a good idea if you want to avoid psychedelic colors, and if you use a lot of it, you might want to tone down the Saturation. In a way Vibrance and Clarity are each other's opposites, Vibrance adds to bright colors and Clarity makes them grey. In this photo, I think you started with a too bright exposure. The exposure bias is 0. Leaves always reflect light, so the default would be -0.3EV, perhaps go down to -0.7EV with the sun at your back. Once you started to edit to compensate for the brightness, other values became worse and you tried to compensate for them, and it domino-ed into this result. Also keep in mind that Commons system displays photos differently than Photoshop does. What might look ok on your monitor can look weird when uploaded, especially with very processed photos. Hope some of this is helpful. --Cart (talk) 19:11, 25 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]
    Thank you all for your comments! Sorry for not replying earlier, was busy taking pictures 😉 I appreciate your comments! Plozessor (talk) 16:45, 28 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]


Timetable (day 5 after nomination)

Thu 24 Apr → Tue 29 Apr
Fri 25 Apr → Wed 30 Apr
Sat 26 Apr → Thu 01 May
Sun 27 Apr → Fri 02 May
Mon 28 Apr → Sat 03 May
Tue 29 Apr → Sun 04 May

Timetable (day 9 after nomination, last day of voting)

Sun 20 Apr → Tue 29 Apr
Mon 21 Apr → Wed 30 Apr
Tue 22 Apr → Thu 01 May
Wed 23 Apr → Fri 02 May
Thu 24 Apr → Sat 03 May
Fri 25 Apr → Sun 04 May
Sat 26 Apr → Mon 05 May
Sun 27 Apr → Tue 06 May
Mon 28 Apr → Wed 07 May
Tue 29 Apr → Thu 08 May

The bot

Note that the description below is for manual closure, this is mostly not needed anymore as there exists a bot (FPCBot) that counts the votes and handles the process below. However after the bot has counted the votes a manual review step is used to make sure the count is correct before the bot again picks up the work.

Manual procedure

Any experienced user may close requests.

  1. In Commons:Featured picture candidates/candidate list click on the title/link of the candidate image, then [edit].
    Add the result of the voting at the bottom (on a new line with a space first)
    {{FPC-results-reviewed|support=x|oppose=x|neutral=x|featured=("yes" or "no")|gallery=xxx (leave blank if "featured=no")|sig=~~~~}}
     (for example see Commons:Featured picture candidates/File:The Bridge (August 2013).jpg). See also {{FPC-results-reviewed}}.
  2. Also edit the title of the candidate image template and add after the image tag
    featured or not featured
    For example:
    === [[:File:XXXXX.jpg]] ===
    becomes
    === [[:File:XXXXX.jpg]], featured ===
  3. Save your edit.
  4. If it is featured:
    • Add the picture to the list of the four most recently featured pictures of an appropriate gallery of Commons:Featured pictures, list as the first one and delete the last one, so that the number is four again.
    • Also add the picture to the appropriate gallery and section of Commons:Featured pictures, list. Click on the most appropriate link beneath where you just added it as one of the four images. An image should only appear ONE time in the galleries. After a successful nomination, the image can be placed in several of the Featured pictures categories.
    • Add the template {{Assessments|featured=1}} to the image description page.
      • If it was an alternative image, use the subpage/com-nom parameter: For example, if File:Foo.jpg was promoted at Commons:Featured picture candidates/File:Bar.jpg, use {{Assessments|featured=1|com-nom=Bar.jpg}}
      • If the image is already featured on another wikipedia, just add featured=1 to the Assessments template. For instance {{Assessments|enwiki=1}} becomes {{Assessments|enwiki=1|featured=1}}
    • Add the picture to the chronological list of featured pictures. Put it in the gallery using this format: File:xxxxx.jpg|# - '''Headline'''<br>created by [[User:xxxxx|xxxxx]], uploaded by [[User:xxxxx|xxxxx]], nominated by [[User:xxxxx|xxxxx]]
      • The # should be replaced by 1 for the first image nominated that month, and counts up after that. Have a look at the other noms on that page for examples.
      • You may simplify this if multiple things were done by the same user. E.g.: File:xxxxx.jpg|# - '''Headline'''<br>created, uploaded, and nominated by [[User:xxxxx|xxxxx]]
    • Add == FP promotion ==
      {{FPpromotion|File:XXXXX.jpg}} to the Talk Page of the nominator.
  5. As the last step (whether the image is featured or not; including {{FPX}}ed, {{FPD}}ed and withdrawn nominations), open Commons:Featured picture candidates/candidate list, click on [edit], and find the transclusion of the nomination you've just finished closing. It will be of the form:
    {{Commons:Featured picture candidates/File:XXXXX.jpg}}
    Copy it to the bottom of Commons:Featured picture candidates/Log/April 2025), save that page, and remove it from the candidate list.

Closing a delisting request

  1. In Commons:Featured picture candidates/candidate list click on the title/link of the candidate image, then [edit].
    Add the result of the voting at the bottom (on a new line with a space first)
    '''Result:''' x delist, x keep, x neutral => /not/ delisted. ~~~~
    (for example see Commons:Featured picture candidates/removal/Image:Astrolabe-Persian-18C.jpg)
  2. Also edit the title of the delisting candidate image template and add after the image tag
    delisted or not delisted
    For example:
    === [[:File:XXXXX.jpg]] === becomes === [[:File:XXXXX.jpg]], delisted ===
  3. Move the actual template from Commons:Featured picture candidates/candidate list to the bottom of the actual month page on Commons:Featured picture candidates/Log/April 2025.
  4. If the outcome was not delisted, stop here. If it is delisted:
    1. Remove the picture from Commons:Featured pictures, list and any subpages.
    2. Edit the picture's description as follows:
      1. Replace the template {{Featured picture}} on the image description page by {{Delisted picture}}. If using the {{Assessments}} template, change featured=1 to featured=2 (do not change anything related to its status in other featured picture processes).
      2. Remove the image from all categories beginning with "Featured [pictures]" (example: Featured night photography, Featured pictures from Wiki Loves Monuments 2016, Featured pictures of Paris).
      3. Remove the "Commons quality assessment" claim (d:Property:P6731) "Wikimedia Commons featured picture" from the picture's Structured data.
    3. Add a delisting-comment to the original entry in chronological list of featured pictures in bold-face, e. g. delisted 2007-07-19 (1-6) with (1-6) meaning 1 keep and 6 delist votes (change as appropriate). The picture in the gallery is not removed.
  5. If this is a Delist and Replace, the delisting and promotion must both be done manually. To do the promotion, follow the steps in the above section. Note that the assessment tag on the file page and the promotion tag on the nominator's talk page won't pick up the /replace subpage that these nominations use.

Manual archiving of a withdrawn nomination

  1. In Commons:Featured picture candidates/candidate list click on the title/link of the candidate image, then [edit].
    In the occasion that the FPCbot will not mark withdrawn nominations with a "to be reviewed" template and put them in Category:Featured picture candidates awaiting closure review just like if they were on the usual list, put the following "no" template:
    {{FPC-results-reviewed|support=X|oppose=X|neutral=X|featured=no|gallery=|sig=--~~~~}}
  2. Also edit the title of the candidate image template and add after the image tag
    not featured
    For example:
    === [[:File:XXXXX.jpg]] ===
    becomes
    === [[:File:XXXXX.jpg]], not featured ===
  3. Save your edit.
  4. Open Commons:Featured picture candidates/candidate list, click on [edit], and find the transclusion of the nomination. It will be of the form:
    {{Commons:Featured picture candidates/File:XXXXX.jpg}}
    Copy it to the bottom of Commons:Featured picture candidates/Log/April 2025), save that page, and remove it from the candidate list.
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