Talk:Learning patterns/Plan a Wiki expedition

Questions

What, if anything, do you do to improve quality of photography through Wiki Expeditions?

Kruusamägi, can you share some advice or lessons you have learned in planning Wiki Expeditions in and around Estonia? I understand that you have been successful in getting quality images from these trips. --KHarold (WMF) (talk) 04:36, 27 August 2015 (UTC)

I'll think about this in weekend. Maybe I'll have some comments. Kruusamägi (talk) 13:36, 27 August 2015 (UTC)

For example:

• plan the trips so that you can get the maximum out of perfect light conditions (like being on the object during golden hour);
• consider who and why you'll the take to the expeditions;
• having a lot of good photographers on exactly same places at the same time doesn't help -- better have small teams and spread them out;
• just have fun.

Kruusamägi (talk) 10:21, 30 August 2015 (UTC)

Planning advice from Polimerek

1. What are the steps involved (or most important steps) in planning a Wiki Expedition?

First of all leader or a group of people willing to organize this create a page on our WIkimedia Polska wiki - with proposed dates, area and then list of objects/places to visit and photograph. Then they are trying to ffind participants, and finally they must create a project of budget and finally apply for money to Wikimedia Polska Board. Then, the Board can suggest some changes (both in budget or proposed route) and finally vote for financing the project. If application is succesfull the leader can then start organizing the journey with help with our office.

2. Are there lists of things that must be photographed?

Maybe not a list of thing which "must be" but rather list of desired places and objects. Sometimes - only list of places is enough - when it is hard to predict what can be found on place (for example small villages which have no photo at all on Commons, but there is nothing particularly interesting there - just usually several farms). The selection of places/objects must be based on analysis of pictures which are already available on Commons. The selected places/areas are those which are poorly covered in Wikipedia/Commons. Nowadays after several years of Wikiexpeitions it is harder and harder to find such places in Poland...

3. What makes for a successful Wiki Expedition?

Good leader and well defined goals. And of course good team.

4. What, if any, expenses does your organization usually cover?

We cover travel costs (for cars it is 0,74 PLN per km, for trains - it is for just tickets), basic food (no more that 60 PLN a day if they have bills or up to 30 PLN without bils), and reasonably cheap accommodation. Also basic insurance. It is also accepted to cover some additional costs - such as tickets to museums, paper maps and guides, pre-paid mobile access to internet etc. We do not cover photo and computer equipment.

5. How do topics or locations get chosen?

It is been explained in p. 2.

6. Are there any basic requirements for people participating?

Not a well defined ones. In general - the minimum is to have a good camera + a good record of uploads to Commons. If there is excess of volunteers - the leader decides whom to approve. However we encourage those rejected to apply for small wikigrants for shorter journeys organized by themselves. People who were once accepted but then did not proved to be useful (for example did not uploaded pictures or were troublemakers during the expeditions) are simply not accepted next time.