You will find below answers to some of the more common questions we are asked. If you can't find an answer to your question then please contact us with your questions.
Please see the About Us section.
Q: Why does my "Quick Search" return no results?The quick search requires words of at least 4 characters in length. Words with 3 or less characters will not be used in the search. Certain common words are also excluded from the search. For a full list of excluded words click here. A Quick Search does not search all fields in the database.
Q: What fields does the "Quick Search" function search?When performing a quick search the follwing fields are searched: Image Reference, Image Title, Country Taken, Product Name, Product Type, Product Details, Notes, Keywords. To perform a more specific search please use the Search Images page.
Q: Why does my "Keyword Search" produce no results?The keyword search box suggests words which have already been inputted onto the database as keywords. Due to this, your keyword search will always produce results as long as a suggested word is chosen. If you choose to over-rule the suggestion however, your search will produce no results.
Q: I want to search "Keywords" for images of "Batons" but I keep getting a lot of images of "Baton Rounds" in the results. How do I exclude all the unwanted images?Rather than searching for "baton" search for "baton," Note the comma after the word. This will just pull out all images with the keyword "baton" and exclude "baton rounds". Alternatively you could search keywords for "baton" and sub-search with NOT "rounds", OR you could search using the categories filter.
Q: Why does my Keyword / Quick Search bring up so many irrelevant pictures?A keyword or quick search will bring up anything that is related to the subject. So a search for "small arms" may bring up components for small arms and production machinery as well as actual pictures of small arms. Try using the categories option to narrow your search down, that way you can be more specific about exactly what it is you're looking for.
Q: I'm searching in the Manufacturer / Supplier field but I can't find the company I'm looking for. What do I do?It's always worth doing an extra search in the Notes field because sometimes a company is linked to a product but isn't necessarily the manufacturer or supplier.
Q: What is a Boolean Full Text Search?Please click here for more information about Boolean full text searching.
Q: What is the difference between "Manufacturers" and "Suppliers" on Mispo?A company is inputted as a manufacturer if we are 100% sure that the company has manufactured the item it is selling. If we are unsure or know for definite that they are just selling the item on behalf of another company, then they are entered in as the supplier. Therefore, it is best to search in both the manufacturer and the supplier fields to ensure you achieve a comprehensive search result.
Q: I only want photographs from photojournalists out in the field and not from Manufacturer or Suppliers' websites. How do I get the best out of my search?The best way to search to exclude images from manufacturer or supplier websites is to use the Date Taken search filter. The majority of images taken from company websites have the date taken field left blank as it is rarely clear when a promotional image has been taken. If you want to view images taken by photojournalists in the field regardless of date then you can set the date search filters from after the earliest possible date to before the most recent date.
For example:
Date Taken
After: 01/01/1900 Before: (Today's Date)
Although this will not produce every single result from photojournalists in the field (as we do not have the date for every single image), it will produce the majority of them without having to trawl through company images as well. If you know a specific year then that could be used instead. You can also narrow your search down by using the other search filters such as Country Taken, Category etc...
Electroshock Equipment is a huge category and of particular interest to a number of organisations and individuals. To do it justice, we decided it needed its own category rather than being combined with the Less than Lethal category where all the sub-categories would be lost.
Q: I have some information about an image on your site, who should I contact?Please Contact Us here.
Q: I have some photos that I think would be great on Mispo. What shall I do?Please see the Contribute section for further information.
Q: Who holds the copyright for the images on Mispo?Mispo does not hold the copyright for any of the images on Mispo.org. The copyright remains with the original holder be that the photographer, agency or supplier / manufacturer.
Q: Do you make any money from the sale of the images?No. Mispo does not make any money from the sale of images, we simply put interested parties in touch with the copyright holder.
Q: How do I compare images?Add the images you would like to compare to your My Images section. Please note, at this time only two images can be compared at any one time but up to 12 can be held in My Images. Tick the box under the two images you would like to compare. Scroll down to the bottom of the page and click the Compare Selected Images link.
Q: How do I remove images from My Images?Click the red cross under the image(s) you would like to remove.
Q: I have closed my browser without logging off and now I cannot log back in. What do I do?By closing your browser without logging off you have locked yourself out of Mispo! You will be able to log in again 10 minutes after you shut your browser down.
Q: Why are some of your "Link to Source" links broken?We endeavour to have up-to-date links on our site but as the majority of our images are linked to external sources which are forever changing, it is inevitable that some of these links will be broken and may be noticed by users before we can pick up on them. Sorry.
Q: I have noticed an error on your database. Who should I contact?Please Contact Us here.
Q: How much are the subscription charges?Our charges vary depending on the size of organisation and its resources. Please Contact Us for further information.
Q: I can't afford to pay the subscription charge but would like to access Mispo, is there anything you can do for me?Please Contact Us and let us know your situation. We may be able to help.
Q: What does my subscription pay for?Mispo.org is a not-for-profit organisation which uses subscription funds to pay for running costs such as web-hosting and checking of images.
Q: I would like to donate some money to Mispo.org. Who should I contact?Please Contact Us here.
Q: How do I buy an image?Once you have chosen an image you would like to purchase, you can click on the "Buy Image" link above the photo on the left hand side of the screen. This will take you to an online form for you to fill in which will then be sent directly to the person / organisation who holds the copyright for the image. It is then up to the recipient of this email to contact you directly and discuss the terms of sale. If you urgently need a copy of the photograph and the person / organisation has agreed for us to display their contact details on Mispo, you can then contact them directly using the information provided.
Q: I want to buy an image from a Manufacturer / Supplier but Mispo does not have their contact details?There are a number of images on the database whose copyright is held by a manufacturer or supplier. The majority of images on Mispo are hyper-linked to external websites where contact details can be found. Mispo cannot assist with contacting companies.
Q: I have sent a request to buy an image but have had no response. What do I do?It is up to the copyright holder of the image to get in touch with you once your request has been sent. Unfortunately there is little we can do if you have not received a response. Please do take into consideration that many of the photographers contributing to our site work in some of the most dangerous parts of the world and can be away on assignment (and away from a reliable internet connection!) for months at a time. However, please Contact Us to let us know if you have any problems with buying an image.
Q: How long do you have to leave Mispo idle before it automatically logs you out?10 minutes.
Q: Can I link Mispo to my website / personal webpages?Please Contact Us to arrange this.
Q: Can my site be included on Mispo's "Links" page?Please Contact Us to arrange this.