Curating with Code: Crowdsourcing Photography

I'm excited to announce my upcoming art show on November 7 ! I’m inviting you to help curate the final gallery. Join Me in Curating My Art Show! Over the past few weeks, I’ve been building a photo voting app — https://voting.chrismcnulty.net — that lets you compare photo pairs and vote for your favorites. It’s a simple, user-friendly experience designed for mobile. I built it using Replit , PostgreSQL , and a custom vibe-coded UI that reflects the aesthetic of my work. How It Works Here’s how it works: You visit the site — no login required. You vote on photo pairs (landscape vs. portrait, color vs. black & white, etc.). Your votes help determine which images will be featured in the show. This is more than just a tech demo — it’s an experiment in community-powered curation . I want the final gallery to reflect not just my vision, but yours. Plus, I have a contest running now! If you signup , the person who submits the most votes by September 30 can win their choice of a free 12” print or 20% off any metal print in my store. I’ve also launched a store at https://www.chrismcnulty.net where you can purchase prints of your favorite images. It’s a way to bring the show home — or gift a piece of it to someone else. Your Help Matters So if you have a few minutes, I’d love your help: 🗳️ Vote at https://voting.chrismcnulty.net 🛍️ Browse the store at https://www.chrismcnulty.net 📅 Save the date: November 7 I’ve been impressed with the depth of features I’ve been able to add to this app. To be fair, it helps that I have a technical background. I know what to ask for when debugging, creating security, data schema, conditional logic, UX, deployment, and more. Features for End Users (Voters) Core Voting Experience No login required : Start voting immediately without creating an account. Unlimited voting : Vote as many times as you want with no restrictions. Smart photo pairing : An intelligent algorithm prevents duplicate pairs and ensures diverse comparisons. Multiple viewing modes : - Standard desktop view with stacked photos. - Focus Mode for distraction-free side-by-side comparison (desktop). - Rich mobile interface with swipe gestures and full-screen viewing. Interactive Features Personal leaderboard : Track photos you've voted for across sessions (stored locally). Contest participation : Join quarterly contests to win prints (registration required). Real-time progress tracking : See your voting count and contribution. Purchase integration : Direct links to buy prints of photos you love. Mobile & PWA Features Progressive Web App : Install on your phone like a native app. Offline capability : Continue viewing cached content without internet. Touch-optimized : Swipe gestures and mobile-first interface. Share functionality : Easy sharing via SMS, email, and social media. User Account Benefits (Optional) Contest eligibility : Compete for quarterly prizes (12" print or 20% off metal prints). Persistent stats : Track your total votes and rankings. Favorites system : Save photos to your personal collection. Purchase history : Track your print orders. Features for Photographers/Admins Photo Management Bulk upload : Add multiple photos at once via drag-and-drop. Inline editing : Edit titles, descriptions, and purchase URLs without leaving the dashboard. Category management : Organize photos into themed collections. Hide/show controls : Temporarily remove photos without deleting. Pairs feature : Link related photos (e.g., color vs. B&W versions) for special comparisons. Analytics & Insights Comprehensive statistics : - Total votes and unique voters. - Win/loss ratios for each photo. - Underperforming photo identification. - Date range filtering for trend analysis. Test data management : Purge test votes while preserving real data. Export capabilities : Download voting data as CSV for external analysis. Contest Management Quarterly contests : Automated tracking of voter participation. Contest reporting : Detailed leaderboard with winner determination tools. CSV exports : Download contest participant data. Winner marking : Official winner designation system. Custom contest text : Personalize contest rules and prizes. Communication Tools Announcement system : Display important messages to all users. RSS news integration : Pull in photography news or blog posts. Email notifications : Welcome emails and contest communications (when configured). Privacy/Terms links : Customizable legal pages. Security & Access Control Master admin system . Co-admin management : Grant/revoke admin privileges. Two-factor authentication : SMS-based 2FA for admin accounts. Backdoor access : Emergency admin access with a special code. Business Features Commerce integration : Link photos to your online store. Configurable purchase URLs : Per-photo or global purchase links. User registration toggle : Enable/disable signup based on your needs. Multi-instance architecture : Prepared for expansion to text-based voting (Synozur). Technical Advantages PostgreSQL database : Robust data storage with backup capabilities. Checkpoint system : Rollback to previous states if needed. Mobile-responsive admin : Manage your app from any device. Real-time updates : Changes reflect immediately for all users. SEO optimized : Built for search engine visibility. Thanks for being part of this journey — and for helping me shape what goes on the wall. Your involvement means the world to me!