Terms and conditions

General terms and conditions

These terms and conditions regulate the relationship between you (the member) and the website STRKNG as well as dealing with your photographs and information. As called STRKNG, we understand this site, and possibly other forms of media, such as special apps for mobile devices.

Please also see our Guidelines for everyone to enjoy STRKNG.

  1. Membership

    1. Participation is open to everyone over the age of 18. Children under the age 18 require the consent of a legal guardian to open an account and submit their work to a portfolio.
    2. You agree to register with a valid e-mail address. All personal data has to be stated truthfully and your account kept up to date.
    3. Membership is free and begins with the confirmation of membership by STRKNG after successful registration. Membership is free. After successfully registering with STRKNG you receive a confirmation of membership. An annual subscription to an extended VIP-Account can be purchased to add further functions to your account.
    4. You agree to operate only one user account on STRKNG. If your account has been blocked, or you no longer can log in for any other reason, you are not authorized to create a new account, without the written consent of STRKNG.

  2. License Grant

    1. STRKNG is hereby granted rights to display and store your content on STRKNG in different sizes. All image rights remain with you and you will always be named as the right holder (and other people who were stated by you) in connection with your image on STRKNG.
    2. STRKNG gets the right to make your images shareable to social networks (e.g. Twitter, Tumblr, Facebook), therefor so-called "share buttons" will be displayed in context with your images. (Note: With the use of share buttons we can improve the formatting of shared information.)
      The scope of the “share buttons” on your images can be changed via the “PromoteMe” settings, see next paragraph.
    3. STRKNG receives the right to promote your profile and/or your photos on social networks and/or other digital and analogue channels in the context of STRKNG. Your pictures are always published with your name and where possible with a link to your profile.
      If you do not want this, disable the function "PromoteMe" in your settings, which is enabled by default.
      If any images with the “PromoteMe” function enabled had already been published on social networks and other media, they will not be deleted from these sites in case this function will be deactivated to a later date.
    4. STRKNG is a public online gallery, i.e. all images posted can generally be indexed by search engines and are accessible to the public.
      Thanks to the VIP function “For sponsors only”, images can be placed exclusively in a closed user area that is not accessible to search engines or the general public.
      In general (not only for STRKNG): If you don't want your pictures on the Internet, don't put them on the Internet.
      STRKNG is not responsible for the unwanted use of your images by third parties.

  3. Content

    1. Images are only permitted to be added in the specified topics. Images that do not match the criteria in that topic can be moved to a different topic or deleted at any time without notice for any reason.
    2. Topics with offensive, pornographic, racist, violent, discriminatory or other illegal content are not allowed and will be deleted. If a user violates these terms several times against our directive, he/she can be permanently excluded from STRKNG.
    3. We reserve the right to review your pictures and posts, edit, delete or block if they violate your membership obligations or the law. This also applies in cases of suspected infringement. We may delegate this right, for example, to other members. A claim for publication of images or contributions does not exist.

  4. Guarantees and indemnifications

    1. You warrant that you have all the required permits and sufficient rights to publish your content on STRKNG, in agreement to all the provisions in these terms and conditions.
    2. You set us free from all third party claims against us which are based on your submitted content e.g. infringement of their rights, particularly copyrights, licensing, competition or other proprietary rights. You have to compensate us the costs of any legal proceedings that arise as a result of your infringing content. You agree to assist us in the case of a legal dispute based and claims of third parties on your content, in particular to provide us with all documents necessary for the defence.
    3. You warrant that you have all the necessary model releases to publish images on STRKNG - that are in agreement with all the provisions stated in these terms and conditions - that show one person or several people.
    4. You warrant that you hold all necessary property releases (architecture, sculpture, ...) in your images to publish them on STRKNG, in agreement with all the provisions stated in these terms and conditions.
    5. You warrant that your images do not contain any illegal content and / or in itself constitute illegal material.
    6. You warrant that your photo does not violate the personal integrity and privacy of the individual, offend anyone, defame or discriminate.
    7. You agree to indemnify STRKNG for all expenses arising from damage caused by you as a result of any breach of the warranties under this Section 3.
    8. If you violate the rules of these terms and conditions, your account may be banned or deleted for a limited period or permanently. If a paid account exists, we will not refund you any costs as a result of a cancellation or revocation.

  5. Range of functions

    1. We reserve the right to change the functionality of STRKNG at any time, provided that these changes are reasonable and not disadvantageous for the user.
    2. In the event of further changes, we will inform users in good time before the changes come into force on the portal or by email.
    3. Unless you object before it comes into force, the change is considered approved. You can object to a change at any time by terminating (deleting the account).

  6. Contract Period / Termination

    1. This contract is effective for an indefinite period and is free in its basic version.
    2. It is mutually terminated.
    3. An optional VIP-account will be made for a period of 12 months.
    4. You can remove your account at any time by deleting your master data in your account. In this case, all data is lost and a refund of an existing VIP-account will then not occur.
    5. A VIP-account will automatically be changed to an open-ended basic free account after the expiry of the VIP-account period.
    6. If any violation of these terms and conditions occurs the contract can be terminated by us immediately. A claim for a refund of an existing VIP-account does not take place in case of termination for cause.
    7. A basic account can be canceled by us anytime without giving a reason. A cancellation of a basic account is effective at the end of the canceled month.
    8. A paid VIP-account can be canceled by us anytime. A cancellation of a VIP-account is effective at the end of the canceled month, a proportionate balance will then be refunded by us.
    9. Inactive portfolios (without pictures) are automatically converted into a guest account after two weeks after a warning. Portfolio awards received will be lost.
      Inactive guests will be automatically deleted after 6 months since the last login.
Last change: January 2021

STRKNG Guidelines

... Likes are used in an inflationary and strategic way, thereby losing value.

As a consequence of these experiences STRKNG offers only anonymous, limited evaluation possibilities and no public comment possibility with the images.

STRKNG is the result of the desire to create an international gallery in which people exhibit their best images.

The attempt to bring some order and calm into the chaos, to avoid the puffery and give photography enthusiasts a tool for orientation. ...

Source kwerfeldein: STRKNG – Im Gespräch mit Gründer Cem Edisboylu

    We are pleased that you have found us and hope that you like the concept and the portfolios!

    To help STRKNG to remain a place in the future, where you would like to stop by, we have put together some information to show the "soul" of the page.

  • Code of Conduct

    • According to our terms of participation, it is not allowed to create multiple accounts.

    Unfortunately, this happens again and again, and then the own profiles and images are liked a lot - we can easily determine this technically.

    This does not make the images any better.
    No, you won't be automatically featured when you commit yourself to the 10th star.
    On the contrary - a deletion of all accounts is more likely.

    Invest time in improving photography rather than maintaining multiple STRKNG accounts.
    Exceptions are possible after explicit permission (for example, Model + Photographer in the same time), we then only take the promise from you not to vote for yourself, which should be self-evident.

    See also "Can I invite friends to push me and my images?" further down.

    • No begging for stars, not even indirectly
    • Do not change pictures in the portfolio 20 times a day because they are not liked. That is annoying and nobody wants to see it. The number of followers will decrease and the likelihood of editorial attention will also decrease.
      Better rethink and revise portfolio in peace.
      A frequent change of portfolio pictures also contradicts our concept (less is more) and can be punished by blocking and, in the worst case, with exclusion.
      STRKNG is a gallery and a portfolio collection . It is not a photo portal where you have to show all your pictures.
    • No digital self-love, see above

    Shoot requests - What would your mother say ???

    • No stalking
    • No dubious shoot requests without comprehensible references or without a meaningful portfolio
    • No means NO. ✋

    STRKNG is a gallery for contemporary photography - yes, this also includes nude, but ...
    • No pornography, no cheap erotic content, no simple display of explicit sexual preference (e.g., SM, focus on primary 🍯 and secondary genitalia, ...)
    • Please censor your nude images with the integrated tool - even if you're a true system rebel 🏴‍☠️ - otherwise STRKNG will be blocked on Google and everyone will lose reach (#collective_punishment), nobody wants that - and we certainly neither
    • You have made for the first time exciting private nude images with your partner 🤭 and want to show them among the other "nude images"? No! This is not the same, sorry. You're totally wrong here! All the best to you!

  • Around the picture upload

    • Choose well, because the number of possible portfolio images is limited to 9 (or 18 at VIP account ).

    Select the images that represent you and your work best.

    The awards of your images will affect your overall ranking: If you replace awarded images by others, you lose those points. But then you have probably the chance to get even more awards with the better image.

    Currently, the largest images are calculated down by the system to an edge length of 1200px, so you can upload them directly optimized in 1200px if you want.

    Please use .jpg images with max. size of 6MB.

    Choose the right category for your image. We have set up an own area for wedding images.

    We want to set an example against the flood of images on the Internet and prefer to have the most beautiful images permanently in our collection.
    See also "You can not force, eat or buy real likes" in our guidelines.


    Permanent change of portfolio images 🥱

    • STRKNG is a gallery. The portal is designed as a long-term reference for photography.

      It is not Facebook or Instagram where you have to / should draw attention to yourself every day.
      STRKNG is not a photo community where you have to show every picture or your entire life's work. If you are still unsure whether your pictures are really good, you should better use other channels for training.

    • Experience shows that the best portfolio images usually change at most every few weeks and not every day, right?
    • A great portfolio and now and then a blog post about a current series of pictures. That's enough. Thank you very much!
      • ✋ People get bored quickly these days.
      Rather, surprise them with unusual pictures rather than permanently with mediocrity.
      STRKNG's editorial team is also human.

    The page with new images is one of the most important entry pages at STRKNG for our visitors and guests.
    The page is like a shop window to our gallery, therefore a broad, high-quality and stylish spectrum of active users is desired.

    Images can be hidden by editors from this page. These pictures are still part of your portfolio but are no longer part of our "shop window" with current pictures.

    This does not mean that the pictures are bad and can not be taken personally, they simply do not fit the vision for our site.
    The STRKNG team is not available to comment on this tag and has no time to discuss it.


    Reasons for filtering could include:


    • The quality does not correspond to the required basic quality.🚮

      Technical, design or content deficiencies. STRKNG images should be clear, impressive and / or unusual. We prefer natural and timeless photography. The more images of a species we have in our collection, the higher the requirements will be.

    • Content is sexist, flat or pornographic. 🍆

      Nude photography is an important and beautiful aspect of STRKNG.
      We promote aesthetic photography, which places the model/s respectfully in scene. Exceptions prove the rule.

      Images that primarily aim to generate sexual arousal or visualize sexual preferences find a better home on other sites.

      At STRKNG we want to put artistic and aesthetic aspects of nude photography in the foreground.

    • Censorship "Instagram Style" ❤️🩹⭐⛔.

      We are a gallery for photography. This includes nude photography.

      Please upload nude images in the original and uncensored and use the built-in censorship tool (find it in the image settings) for a potential publication on social media and for minors or Google visiting our site.

      If you generally don't want your nude image naked on the Internet, don't upload it (at STRKNG). 🙈

    • Your logo is displayed too powerful in the picture 🔠

      or the link under the image is dominating self-promotion or your image contains a logos from another photo page or a fashion magazine.

      STRKNG is not build to be a cheap advertisement magazine full of ads.🤢

      We would rather convey the experience of visiting a beautiful gallery where the images are not covered with advertisements.

    • Great "magic" filters .🧙

      It's exciting to see what the apps and programs offer on filters today. But: Unfortunately, overuse often has nothing to do with art. In doubt, as always, less is more.

    • Permanent change of portfolio images 🥱 see "flood of images" above

      • ✋ Attention, if there are many violations of our quality criteria, the upload will be restricted for some time.

    A clear Yes and no!

    We would be very happy if you could recommend STRKNG.

    But your friends should be able to come and see for themselves and to evaluate all the images honestly and anonymously.

    If your images are considered by your friends, this is nice for you and will of course not be objected. Our concept is a departure from the well-known Buddy networks and a contribution to honest evaluation of quality.

    We can determine technically, however, if a "friend account" was only created, in order to push your account exclusively, but is otherwise inactive. Such an account is unfair, is contrary to our terms of participation and can be deleted by us without warning.

    Attention: Your images will then be less promoted by us, even if they are good. In case of repetition your main account will also be deleted.

    Please upload nude images in the original!

    We are against censorship but we have to comply with legal (youth protection) rules.
    We also have to adhere to the rules of the participating media partners if we want to use their platforms. (eg social networks, search engines, e-mails ...)
    Therefore, we ask you to cover the images with the internal censorship tool.

    Of course, the original images on STRKNG remain unchanged!

    Please do not spoil pictures with asterisks, hearts, giant logos, fashion magazine logos or other Instagram-suitable nonsense! Such pictures are made invisible with us.

    In the respective module (Image management, Blog, ..) you can place up to 3 transparent bars on the image/s. These will be used in the necessary context (e.g., at a social network feature or for search engines).

    To include blog posts on the blog.strkng.com page, correct censorship is mandatory.

    Figure: Censorship example on STRKNG.comFigure: Censorship example "restricted"
    Content restriction ?Do images have to be censored?
    No restricted content, picture without nudity (female nipples)
    Content contains nudity (female nipples)
    Content contains nudity (visible pubic area)

    In order to keep it simple - also for the classification by Googlebot - the correct setting for a visible pubic area is "restricted".

    Even if you obviously don't see anything unnatural.

    We will not endanger the visibility of our project on the Internet because of an unnecessary discussion about the meaningfulness of censorship.
    We understand you!
    On the contrary: We are convinced that this way we can better advertise against censorship than if the page is automatically classified as pornography by Google.

    The original image can be viewed on STRKNG.

    Attention!
    Incomplete or incorrectly censored posts are marked editorially, they will then get a lower reach and can even be set invisible or been rejected by us. (see Terms and conditions)

    The effort is worthwhile if you want to show your work to a large audience. Do not be sad, the interested visitor can always admire the original image on STRKNG, if everything is set correctly.

    Thank you very much for your understanding!

    We want to set an example against the flood of images on the Internet and prefer the most beautiful images permanently in our collection.

    That's why we only gather the features in the publication after a long time, in order to create an incentive for the image authors and to bring more peace and continuity to the project.

    That means, if it has to be absolutely, then yes. But it would be great if you did not replace them until they appeared in the publication , which is about 1 year later.

    Anyone can join, but the quality and the demands on photography are quite high due to the expertise of many participants. Other works are likely to slip through the grid, remain rather invisible and are not featured.

    Take a look around and decide for yourself whether your work will fit.

    But STRKNG should also be an incentive to be inspired and grow together, so do not give up!

    The portal is also a place to develop your own skills and from time to time upload the new "better" masterpieces.

  • STRKNG Editors' Selection

    • Your portfolio includes the images that best represent you, your goals, and your work.
    When found by potential customers, they should be able to see both the range and quality of your work at a glance.
    That should be the most important to you!

    The STRKNG Editors' Selection is a subjective selection of the operators of the platform, who in turn pursue their goals (platform growth and collection of quality).
    That probably has nothing directly to do with your goals, but usually there is a big common intersection (visibility, recognition).

    But as we know that many people like the Editors' Selection and maybe some of them are just here for it, here's some insights on what we look for in our selection:

    See "Code of Conduct" and "About the Image Upload"

    Look around in the topic areas, the works are well sorted there.
    The best works are characterized by technical and creative quality and sensitivity to the topic. A globe means that the picture has already been featured.

    Of course, the more good images there are in a topic area, the higher are the hurdles for a selection.

    In the case of understaffed topic areas or countries of origin of the participants, explicit support may also be provided through a strategic selection.
    Currently we are very happy to support works from the understaffed topic areas "Fashion / Beauty" and "Landscapes".
    A minimum quality, which is based on the previous selection, of course, is still required.

    You made nude images with a model in a lost-place for the first time? Congratulation. Unfortunately, there are already millions of images of this subject. Worth seeing there are now only very sophisticated and surprising work.
    So it is in many topics. Look around, only copy is usually not enough. Create your own style. Improve your skills.
    Even if beginners do not like to believe it, it often takes a few years to get a feel for a good photograph.
    Great location, great participants, a lot of experience, empathy, professional skills during and after taking images - it would be boring if it was easy.

    We just want to see the best in the portfolio, but that may well be a snapshot documenting your development process.
    Write in the blog about current projects and image series. Gladly something more, instead of just a one-liners.
    Nobody is perfect and we are all human. Reading about other real people who deal with the same issues is exciting for everyone.

    Show the whole spectrum of your ability. If we have a picture of you featured and all others of yours looks the same, why should we feature one again?

    Sometimes a great job slips through our fingers.
    We try to sift through everything and often the swarming intelligence brings a good job up, but unfortunately there are sometimes beautiful wallflowers that are overlooked.

    A simple remedy against oblivion:
    Show presence on STRKNG. Participate in the daily events, blog current series, exchange a weak or old featured image (after moving into the publication).
    Your portfolio is visited and unseen masterpieces can be rediscovered.

Terms and conditions »Content - For sponsors only«

Currently still in beta version, text passages can still be changed / expanded.

  1. Definition »For sponsors only«, »Creator«, »Sponsor«, »VIP participants«

    1. The following conditions of participation are based on the general conditions of participation of STRKNG.
    2. A VIP participant with a portfolio has the option of offering digital content that is behind a STRKNG paywall. The participant is then a »Creator«. The creator can set a payment model for this content and receives a one-time or regular payment when booked by a sponsor.
    3. We refer to the sub-area of the portfolio with this content as content »For sponsors only«.
    4. Each participant can subscribe to such content from the Creator or activate it individually by purchasing it, thereby becoming a »Sponsor«.
    5. As an option, the creator can generally release content for STRKNG »VIP participants«. The creator does not receive any remuneration for this content.
      After a successful editorial check, this content appears on the central page »For sponsors only« and is then used to promote the creator's content with a payment model.

    The following conditions of participation regulate the relationship between you (the member = "Creator" and / or "Sponsor") and the STRKNG portal, especially for content "For sponsors only".

  2. Content - »For sponsors only«

    1. VIP members can offer exclusive content for personal sponsors in their STRKNG portfolio (Creator)
    2. Only own content can be offered for which the creator has full commercial exploitation rights. TFP contracts with third parties are usually not included, unless otherwise contractually regulated.
    3. This content can be offered in the portfolio using various payment models:
      • One-time payment: content must be purchased once for display, a flexible price can be set. The sponsor can view the purchased content at any time in the creator's portfolio.
      • Subscription: The sponsor can support the creator with a monthly fee.
        Content can be created in such a way that it is automatically visible to subscribers of the set amount level.
        The sponsor can view the content of his amount level at any time in the creator's portfolio.
      • One-time payment or subscription: Content classified in this way is made visible to the sponsor through a one-time payment or monthly support in the specified amount.
      • Free content for VIP participants: You can also make exclusive content available to VIP participants free of charge. Editorial approval is required for this. With this you can, provided approval, also draw attention to your other paid content and generally support the STRKNG project.
        The content can be viewed by all VIP participants in your portfolio.
        After editorial approval, they also appear on the central page for sponsors and can be mentioned in special e-mail notifications for VIP participants.

  3. The »Creator«

    1. You can become a creator if you have an active portfolio and are a VIP participant.
    2. You undertake to register with a valid email address, to truthfully provide all personal data and to keep this and your account information up to date.
      If you want to receive remuneration for your content, you have to specify the payout options in your profile. A valid copy of the ID must be presented to us on request.
      You may need to provide additional legal or tax information, depending on your country of residence.
    3. »For sponsors only« content can be created on the basis of these conditions of participation and our rules and guidelines.
    4. You undertake not to offer any illegal content.
      • See in particular »Guarantees and indemnifications« in the General Conditions of Participation.
      • STRKNG is a portal based in Germany, i.e. we are committed to German law. Everyone is responsible for following the laws of their country and paying taxes properly.
      • Motifs with pornographic ("hard pornography"), racist, violence-glorifying, discriminatory or other illegal content are illegal and can lead to criminal charges.
    5. Function planned:
      You can optionally allow comments on your exclusive content.
      If you allow comments, you are responsible for moderation.
      You can report users to us who do not adhere to a general netiquette.
    6. The remuneration at STRKNG is basically 90% of the income received, after deduction of the fees for the payment provider/s. In the start-up phase of »For sponsors only« we are working on a test basis with the PayPal API, i.e. exact information on the current fees of PayPal can be found there.
      https://www.paypal.com/de/webapps/mpp/merchant-fees (STRKNG = dealer conditions / Germany)
      For the payment of the remuneration, additional fees may apply to your payment provider (PayPal, bank).
    7. The administrators and moderators of STRKNG have access to all your paid content in order to intervene regulating and arbitrating
    8. By creating content »For sponsors only« on STRKNG, you automatically agree to our terms and conditions of participation and the resulting service contract between you, the potential sponsors and STRKNG.
      Also note our philosophy below.

  4. The »Sponsor«

    1. Any member of STRKNG can become a sponsor, including guests.
      A sponsor supports a creator in particular through one-off payments or through subscription payments.
      This gives the sponsor access to exclusive content from the creator.
      By purchasing a VIP membership, a sponsor supports the STRKNG project in general and gets access to content that has been released by the creators especially for VIP participants.
    2. Since the creator can change or delete the exclusive content offered at any time, the sponsor can create a backup copy for private purposes.
      There is no right to restoration by the creator or by STRKNG.
      Creators are encouraged to follow our philosophy (below).
      We ask for notification if the creator does not comply with these agreements.
    3. Cancellation: A monthly subscription payment for a creator can be canceled at any time in the dashboard. The possibility of accessing the subscribed exclusive content is no longer available. VIP membership is regulated in the general conditions of participation. Payments will not be reimbursed.
    4. Positive votes for exclusive content can be identified by name for the creator.
      A creator can also allow comments under their exclusive content.
      Please note a general netiquette when commenting (good, appropriate and respectful behavior).
      Infringements, malicious and / or illegal violations lead to termination for good cause without reimbursement of contributions already made.
    5. On the central page »For sponsors only« there is an overview of the accessible exclusive content .

  5. STRKNG - Philosophy

    1. It is our goal to give the visitors of STRKNG the feeling of a high-quality gallery visit. The feeling should of course also be reflected in the content offered. From our point of view, this of course includes:
      • Truthful descriptions
      • Exclusivity and legality of the content
      • Reliability for consistency, quality and frequency with recurring content
      • Uncomplicated contact options and quick response times
      • Compliance with a general netiquette (good, appropriate and respectful behavior)
    2. Negative feedback on the content offered by the sponsor (s) can lead to the closure of the »For sponsors only« area in your portfolio or, in deliberate cases, to the immediate closure of the portfolio (see termination for good cause in the General Conditions of Participation).
    3. You undertake to act in accordance with this philosophy.

  6. Legal basis

    1. STRKNG is a portal based in Germany, i.e. we are committed to German law. Everyone is responsible for following the laws of their country and paying taxes properly.

    2. Limitation of Liability

      1. According to the statutory provisions, STRKNG is liable for intent and gross negligence on the part of STRKNG, its legal representatives, executive employees or other vicarious agents. The same applies to the assumption of guarantees or any other no-fault liability as well as to claims under the Product Liability Act or in the event of culpable injury to life, limb or health. STRKNG is fundamentally liable for simply negligent breaches of essential contractual obligations caused by STRKNG, its representatives, executives and simple vicarious agents, i.e. those obligations that the user regularly trusts and may rely on to be fulfilled for the proper execution of the contract, but in this case the amount after limited to the typically occurring, foreseeable damage.
      2. Any further liability on the part of STRKNG is excluded.
      3. As far as the liability of STRKNG is excluded or limited, this also applies in favor of the personal liability of its legal representatives, executive employees and simple vicarious agents.

    3. Exemption

      1. The user exempts STRKNG from all claims that other users or other third parties assert against STRKNG due to infringement of their rights through offers and other content posted by the user using the STRKNG services or due to their other use of the STRKNG services. The user assumes the costs of the necessary legal defense by STRKNG including all court and lawyer costs in the statutory amount. This does not apply if the user is not responsible for the infringement. In the event of a claim by third parties, the user is obliged to immediately, truthfully and completely provide STRKNG with all information that is necessary for the examination of the claims and a defense.