How should the rating be read?
The number in a profile is an editorial score across ten verifiable criteria, not an average of user stars. It's best read together with the profile text: that's where you can see which conditions a photographer looks stronger in and where the editors leave a caveat. If a score seems debatable, you can dispute it on a specific criterion instead of arguing with a black box.
What does the rating not show?
A lot of what gets decided on the shoot itself. The published work won't tell you whether a photographer turned up forty minutes late or arrived early, how they hold up when a client is tired and changes the plan on the fly, how evenly the whole client gallery is shot (only the best frames make it into the feed), or how they respond to a request to reshoot or tweak something. So a high score means strong verifiable signals, but it's no guarantee that one particular shoot will go perfectly.
Does the editor's personal taste affect a score?
An editor may have a subjective opinion of one photographer or another, but the methodology is applied to everyone the same way. The style score is the one genuinely human judgment in the whole method, and it has to stand up to comparison: if someone is given a five for style, that decision is checked against other work that scored a five.
Why don't you count reviews and Google stars?
Reviews on Google, TripAdvisor, and similar sites are usually polarized — either five stars or one — and are often written in the heat of the moment, right after a shoot. In the end they measure customer service and the client's mood, not the quality of the photography itself, which is why they don't count toward the rating.
Can a place in the ranking be bought?
No. An ad banner, a paid profile, or a promise of leads won't change anyone's position: places in the ranking aren't for sale. The directory is funded independently; otherwise the rating itself would quickly lose its meaning.
Do you take a commission on bookings?
No. We don't take a cut of shoots booked by readers who found a photographer here. The client pays the photographer directly, and we play no part in that deal.
What do the editors do, and what don't they?
The editors describe Pattaya photographers from publicly available material (portfolios, websites, social profiles) and help readers work out more quickly who looks stronger under the particular conditions of a shoot in a resort town. What they don't do: book shoots, negotiate on the client's behalf, guarantee any given photographer's results, or sell places in the ranking.
Who is behind the directory, and why are the editors anonymous?
The editorial team is made up of working photographers, attentive viewers, former art assistants, and people from the tourism world. We deliberately don't publish names: the directory doesn't build its authority on biographies. For us a transparent method matters more than personal credentials. You can check for yourself how the editors arrive at each score, using the same public sources the editors used.
What is the directory for?
Above all, to teach people to look: the articles break down how to read light, a route, and a portfolio, and they speak to both sides — the client making a choice and the photographer who's still growing. And a rating built on verifiable signals gradually nudges the local market toward more transparency and order.
Do the editors respond to requests?
The editors read every message, but a reply depends on what the message is about and whether the information can be checked. A request with a specific link, a fact, or a new public series is usually more useful than a general plea to raise a score.
Why isn't a photographer I know in the directory?
The directory only finds people who leave a public trail: a website, social media, listings in other directories, a visible body of work. A photographer who works only through private channels (messaging apps, closed groups, referrals passed along by hotels and agencies) leaves almost no such trace and may not turn up here. This isn't a judgment on their work; it's a limit of the method. If you know a photographer like that, you can tell us about them through the form on the contact page.
Why are there no photographers from Phuket or Samui here?
This is a Pattaya directory, so a photographer is listed only if they have a real tie to the city: they shoot here or name Pattaya among the places they work. We don't list photographers who work only in other parts of Thailand and have no presence in Pattaya. That isn't a low score; it's simply outside the directory's scope.
How can a photographer request a profile review?
Use the form on the contact page and tell us exactly what has changed: a new series of work, a newly acquired command of controlled lighting, a wider range of genres or locations, additional languages. The editors will go back over the public signals. A request doesn't buy a position. It only gives us a reason to look again; sometimes the score changes after that, sometimes it stays the same.
How do I fix a factual error in a profile?
If a profile lists the wrong years of experience, work area, or languages, write to us through the contact form, and we'll correct it after checking against public sources.
How do I remove my profile from the directory?
You can ask to have your profile removed. We'll do it, no questions asked, and the score is deleted along with it. Just use the form on the contact page.