Black Filter

[LesPalenik]

Some stock agencies started to ban the word "black" as an image keyword or tag.
Regardless if the subject is a person or a background for a pink orchid.
 

[DP]

yellow, red, brown...

[fdisilvestro]

How are we supposed to refer to black and white pictures then?
Stupidity knows no bounds!

[TechTalk]

How are we supposed to respond to assertions made without evidence?

assertion - noun
a positive statement or declaration, often without support or reason

Well, to be fair, it isn't just an assertion - it's a vague assertion. It's kind of hard to contact "Some" stock agency to ascertain whether it's true.

Of course assertions are the lifeblood of internet commentary and vague assertions one of the building blocks of online forums.

Assertions are popular because they're routinely accepted as true and then repeated. Stupidity knows no bounds!

[DP]

left wing idiots are having their day

https://www.zdnet.com/article/github-to-replace-master-with-alternative-term-to-avoid-slavery-references/

[TechTalk]

And right-wing idiots aren't?

Idiots everywhere, of every description, are in full bloom. The internet provides a place for idiots to find support and reinforcement for their idiocy.

[LesPalenik]

How are we supposed to respond to assertions made without evidence?
Well, to be fair, it isn't just an assertion - it's a vague assertion. It's kind of hard to contact "Some" stock agency to ascertain whether it's true.

Here is the evidence, found on Shutterstock forum.
Shutterstock stock photography agency rejected recently the keyword "black" with the explanation that it is an offensive language.

"My photo was rejected because the word "black" was used in the keywords. (c) Reason: "Metadata contains potentially objectionable or offensive language." But I meant the black background of the pointer.
I removed the word "black" from the description(keywords) and the photo was accepted."

https://forums.submit.shutterstock.com/topic/100542-black-color-cannot-be-used-seriously/

[TechTalk]

Well, that's at least some sort of improvement. There's something provided as a reason for the assertion. Plus, it moves the ball from an assertion to an assumption.

I read the thread via the link provided. The original poster is assuming that it is one word (black) that prompted a warning "Metadata contains potentially objectionable or offensive language".

I read the entire thread and looked at the attached images. In addition to the keyword "black" other keywords included with the image were "danger", "public", "security", and "warning". If one were to make an assumption, it would be just as easy to assume that it was some combination of the keywords and not just one. One could assume that it was combining the keywords "black, danger, public, security, warning" that triggered the warning before being compared to the image. One could assume whatever the imagination can conjure. Jumping may be good exercise for the body. Jumping to conclusions is a poor exercise for the mind.

From Shutterstock: "Using appropriate language for keywords, descriptions, and captions"

"Creating the image is one thing. But, as with all stock photography, it’s equally important to label the image correctly, using the right keywords — especially if there are known biases or sensitivities associated with using the wrong keywords. It’s up to the photographer to be aware of this and make sure that he or she is using the appropriate language."

*Looking at guidelines from Shutterstock, it doesn't seem likely that simply using black as a keyword would trigger a rejection. It is, however, the one color that they recognize as both a color and ethnicity. Shutterstock encourages inclusion of ethnicity to aid buyer searches. "Some of our clients require model ethnicity information for legal reasons, so we encourage you to provide it where possible."  https://www.shutterstock.com/contributorsupport/articles/en_US/kbat02/Shutterstock-Releases-Model-Ethnicity-Guide

From Shutterstock: "If you don’t understand the reason for the rejection of your images or if you need additional clarification, you can always contact contributor support." The link is at the bottom of this page...  https://www.shutterstock.com/contributorsupport/articles/en_US/Why-was-my-content-rejected-for-Keywords?

If you and the original poster on the Shutterstock contributor forum choose to assume something, that's up to you. Contacting Shutterstock for a fuller explanation of the initial rejection and their rules regarding usage of black as a keyword would be useful; but it might not be helpful for fanning the flames of internet outrage that result from assumptions racing to become conclusions.

https://www.shutterstock.com/blog/how-to-master-image-keywords

Your first post said "agencies". Who are the others? Let's investigate and get the truth. Not as much fun as stirring up passions, but more rewarding in the end.

* Another Shutterstock user replied to the thread that you linked...
"SimplyAdrienne replied to Evgeniia Ozerkina's topic in Contributor Experience
I just submitted an image with 'black' as a keyword and it was accepted."

[TechTalk]

One further note...

From Shutterstock  June 8, 2020: "Black and African American Verbiage"

"To make content more globally searchable, contributors may want to consider avoiding the term “African American” for international content, as the term is very American-centric. A better alternative is to use a capitalized “Black” to denote Black ethnicities. It’s important to know your audience and who is searching for your content, and, ultimately, how you can make it easy for them to find."

https://www.shutterstock.com/blog/black-representation-photography

[LesPalenik]

One further note...

From Shutterstock  June 8, 2020: "Black and African American Verbiage"

"To make content more globally searchable, contributors may want to consider avoiding the term “African American” for international content, as the term is very American-centric. A better alternative is to use a capitalized “Black” to denote Black ethnicities. It’s important to know your audience and who is searching for your content, and, ultimately, how you can make it easy for them to find."

https://www.shutterstock.com/blog/black-representation-photography

Thanks for looking up and posting that information. That rule and the actual experience of their contributor in the initial post are certainly contradictory. But so are other Shutterstock announcements. Like the one from last month, where they announced a pricing change that should benefit the buyers and artists, which was followed by reports from the artists who experienced a significant reduction in their commissions. Which is only logical, considering their image subscription commissions were cut from 38 cents to 10 cents. At these prices, there is no point to send them any images with black or white subjects.

[Eric Myrvaagnes]

I regularly use a "Black Filter" on my camera when I'm not shooting. It's commonly called a "lens Cap."

 

[LesPalenik]

I regularly use a "Black Filter" on my camera when I'm not shooting. It's commonly called a "lens Cap."

 

That would be a well fitting filter for the recently re-priced Shutterstock images. Suitable image tags would be ill-lit, unlighted and dark. Also artistic, abstract and dramatic.

[Eric Myrvaagnes]

That would be a well fitting filter for the recently re-priced Shutterstock images. Suitable image tags would be ill-lit, unlighted and dark. Also artistic, abstract and dramatic.

And perhaps antichromatic?

[TechTalk]

That rule and the actual experience of their contributor in the initial post are certainly contradictory.

No contradiction. Just a rush to judgement, based on unsubstantiated assumptions by you, your source, and other commenters.

[LesPalenik]

How are we supposed to refer to black and white pictures then?
Stupidity knows no bounds!

Politically correct term would be "Ten shades of gray".

[RSL]

You keep thinking what's going on couldn't possibly get any stupider. Then you find out you're wrong: over and over and over and over and...

[TechTalk]

Then you find out you're wrong

This would require an ability for introspection and an open mind. Commodities in short supply in online discussion groups.

[TechTalk]

Politically correct term would be "Ten shades of gray".

Logically correct would be to realize it's an unnecessary concern until proven otherwise.