A shared editorial process

How a photograph becomes Featured

Every Featured publication is shaped by three complementary voices: the community, the selection algorithm and the ARTFreeLife editorial team. None of them works alone. Together they bring attention to photographs capable of creating interest, conversation and lasting visual impact.

The community begins the selection. Likes and meaningful comments reveal how strongly a photograph connects with viewers. This participation forms most of the final result—usually around 80–90%—and sustained engagement may give a work an additional lift of up to 8%.

The algorithm brings these signals together. It follows the response received by each photograph and translates it into a clear eligibility index. This percentage is a guide to the work's progress, not a prediction. Below 60% a photograph is still developing; between 60% and 82.9% it is approaching selection; at 83%—equal to 83 points—it is automatically published as Featured.

The editorial team adds context and responsibility. When a photograph is close to selection, the editors may recognise its artistic value with either a 10% or 20% contribution. These two contributions cannot be combined. An AI-assisted editorial analysis may also apply a 10% reduction when further caution is appropriate. Every intervention remains visible in the photograph's information panel.

Voting stays open while a photograph remains among the latest 24 publications considered by the selection. The green dot identifies the six newest works, which are still gathering attention. The red dot identifies the four works approaching the end of their voting period. The coloured line beneath each image offers the same information at a glance. When the final row is incomplete, up to two recent works from the Featured archive may appear only to complete the layout; they are clearly marked as already published and do not take part in voting.

The final choice is therefore collective: viewers create the response, the algorithm gives it a consistent form, and the editorial team protects the identity and quality of ARTFreeLife. Featured is not decided by a single vote or a single editor, but by the balance between participation, evaluation and curatorial vision.