Wikipedia:Wikipedia Takes Columbus/2016

Wikipedia Takes Columbus
Photography Week

Facebook Event Page

#WikiTakesCbus

Wikipedia Takes Columbus is a ten-day photography event hosted by Wikipedia Connection. The goal is to take photos of Columbus and Ohio State to help illustrate our city on Wikipedia.

Wikipedia's sister project, the Wikimedia Commons, is home to over 30 million educational media files that help illustrate our world - and Columbus could use your help! There are many things to take photos of in our city: buildings, museums, artifacts, outdoor areas and parks, events, city vehicles, notable faculty, and more. By contributing photos to the Commons, you'll be contributing to one of the world's largest repositories and archives of free media.

Sharing photos or event details on social media? Use hashtag #WikiTakesCbus

Event information

Wikipedia Takes Columbus will take place from Sunday, April 10 to Saturday, April 20. Everyone is invited to participate! See the sections below for things to photograph, and instructions for uploading your photos to the Wikimedia Commons.

Note that photos don't have to necessarily be taken during the week; photos you've taken in the past are accepted! You also don't need a fancy DSLR camera to take photos; quality photos taken with your mobile device or point-and-shoot camera are welcome.

Sub-Events

Wednesday, April 6 @ 5:30 PM

Join us at our weekly workshop in room 350A of the 18th Avenue Library to receive a presentation by Ohio State photographer Philip Arnold! Philip will be providing photography tips and guidance.

Wednesday, April 13 @ 5:00 PM

Members of Wikipedia Connection will be meeting up to take pictures of the new buildings on Ohio State's campus together. Meet in room 350A of the 18th Avenue library! Drinks and snacks will be provided.

Prizes

In recognition of our contributors, we prizes to give away at the end of the event!

• Anyone who contributes at least 15 media files during the event will be entered into a raffle to win a Wikipedia scarf.
• Wikipedia Connection's Board of Trustees will select the best photos, rated for quality, uniqueness, and creativity. The winner will receive a Wikipedia water bottle, and two runner ups will receive a notebooks.

Things to photograph

There are plenty of things to photograph and illustrate around campus. All of the Wikimedia Commons' current media related to Columbus can be found at Category:Columbus, Ohio, and media related to Ohio State can be viewed at Category:Ohio State University. Keep in mind that just because something already has a photo doesn't mean you can't upload another one - things are always changing, need updating, and there are always multiple angles to photograph something at.

Here are some ideas of things to photograph - and don't be limited to this list!

• Buildings
  • See what's missing on the list of Ohio State buildings
• Building interiors (notable halls, libraries, etc.)
• Museums and contents
  • Check that photography is allowed within museums, and that you're not violating copyright by photographing copyrighted artistic works.
• Outdoor areas (the Oval, Mirror Lake, parks, etc.)
• Ariel shots
  • At Ohio State, consider taking photos from the top of Thompson Library, the CBEC building, the medical center, etc.)
• Ohio State and city vehicles
• Notable faculty and people.

When taking photos, remember to respect peoples' privacy.

Instructions

Want to upload a picture that you took? Great!

• Head over to the Wikimedia Commons, Wikimedia's repository of free images.
  • If you already have a Wikipedia account, you can log in at the Wikimedia Commons with the same account.
  • If you don't already have an account, creating one takes just a minute!
• Click the 'Upload file' link in the left sidebar, or click here.
• Select the photo you'd like to upload and fill in all the proper details.
  • Make sure the photo is one that you have taken yourself.
  • Note that by sharing your work on the Wikimedia Commons, you grant anyone permission to use, copy, modify, and sell it without notifying you.
  • The file's name should identify the subject of the image.
  • The date should be the date that the photo was taken.
  • Add your file to Category:Wikipedia Takes Columbus. You can also add your file to Category:Columbus, Ohio or Category:Ohio State University. If you would like, check for any sub-categories your image might better fit in.
• Upload your photo, and you should be done!

Photography tips

• Use Category:Wikipedia Takes Columbus to count your contribution.
• Consider taking photos in the morning or evening when the sun is shining on the side of your subject, instead of from directly above.
• Make sure your camera is metering on the subject.
• Try using HDR if your photo has a large range of light (e.g. light sky and dark building).
• Position your subject using the rule of thirds.
• Try including people or other objects in your photos to help show the scale and size of the subject.

Results

In total, we had 7 participants upload 135 photos to the Wikimedia Commons! All photos can be found at Category:Wikipedia Takes Columbus.

Sign up

Participants:

1. AddisWang (talk · contribs)
2. Briangainer (talk · contribs)
3. IronSphere97 (talk · contribs)
4. LilNors (talk · contribs)
5. Rimmel.Edits (talk · contribs)
6. shftin2gear (talk · contribs)
7. SuperHamster (talk · contribs)

Our event also has a Facebook event page that participants can join.