Formula version 1.0
How ShootGuide rankings work
ShootGuide rankings are reproducible platform metrics, not a guaranteed or objective declaration of who is the “best” photographer.
Eligibility
- Approved, current Verified Professional status and verified country.
- At least 12 public photographs spanning at least 90 days.
- At least 3 qualified expert and 5 qualified community ratings.
- No unresolved serious fraud, copyright or moderation restriction.
Signals
- 25% confidence-adjusted Expert Score
- 20% confidence-adjusted Community Score
- 15% portfolio consistency
- 15% trusted contribution
- 10% professional verification/profile completeness
- 10% deduplicated audience value
- 5% sustained current activity
What never affects rank
Payments, course purchases, subscriptions, advertisements, manufacturer relationships and sponsored placements have zero ranking weight.
Confidence and abuse prevention
Bayesian weighting prevents a few perfect ratings from overpowering established records. Suspicious linked accounts, reciprocal rings and rating bursts may be invalidated with an audited reason. Professionals may appeal ranking-data errors.