Crowdsourced Photography Projects: 4 Interesting Examples

The Power of Collective Contribution in Photography

It's noteworthy that a significant number of photography platforms rely on crowdsourcing to expand their image libraries. For those unfamiliar, crowdsourcing involves leveraging the skills and efforts of a large group of people to address challenges or complete projects.

Essentially, it’s inviting participation from anyone willing to contribute their resources. A prime illustration of this principle is Wikipedia, which thrives on the collective knowledge and financial support of its user base.

How Photography Websites Utilize Crowdsourcing

Photography websites are uniquely positioned to benefit from this approach. The proliferation of camera phones has effectively democratized photography.

Scenes from daily life and global landmarks are now readily captured and shared. When strategically harnessed, this widespread image creation can yield exceptional outcomes.

This is particularly evident in several photography websites that stand out not only for their innovative concepts but also for their success in utilizing crowdsourced content.

These platforms demonstrate how the collective contributions of many can be amplified to create something truly remarkable.

Showcase Your Surroundings

The website’s appealing design immediately captures attention. Complementing this is the inclusion of ambient nature sounds. The core concept of this photographic endeavor was straightforward: to assemble an extensive online repository of panoramic images, ultimately reaching a total of 250,000 submissions.

This initiative functioned as both a promotional campaign and a contest, incorporating elements of social engagement. While the contests themselves are currently inactive, the accumulated photographic collection remains accessible. The project’s origin is noteworthy, being spearheaded by a footwear manufacturer.

Merrell, known for producing durable hiking boots and other outdoor gear, leveraged a travel and adventure theme to drive participation.

The campaign’s objective centered on inviting the public to contribute their preferred outdoor photographs. These submissions were intended to form the world’s most expansive, interconnected, and geographically-referenced panoramic photo collection.

A key aspect of the project was its philanthropic component. Each submitted photo was designed to support organizations dedicated to the preservation of public lands globally, including the National Parks Foundation, the American Hiking Society, and the Conservation Alliance.

Campaign Details

The ambitious target was to gather 250,000 photographs. In response, Merrell pledged a matching donation of $250,000 to these conservation efforts.

Picture Post

Following the visually striking nature of a previously featured photography platform, Picture Post may initially appear less flamboyant. However, its practical impact within the real world is considerably substantial.

Picture Post functions as a component of the Digital Earth Watch (DEW) network. DEW represents an unofficial initiative dedicated to supporting environmental observation through the contributions of citizens, students, and local groups, utilizing both digital photography and satellite data.

Origins and Funding

The development of Picture Post was made possible through financial support provided by NASA.

Participating in the Project

Participation is straightforward, requiring only a digital camera – or even a camera phone. A Picture Post contribution consists of a photograph, or a sequence of photographs, captured from a stationary location, often an elevated platform.

These images document environmental shifts occurring over a period of time. Standardized sets of these photographs are then submitted to the Picture Post website and made accessible to fellow citizen scientists.

Impact and Contribution

The crowdsourced images play a vital role in environmental monitoring efforts and foster greater awareness regarding our planet. They contribute significantly to understanding changes within the Earth’s systems.

The collective data gathered helps to build a broader understanding of environmental trends and supports ongoing research.

WhatWasThere: A Journey into the Past Through Crowdsourced Photography

While Picture Post focuses on future photographic endeavors, WhatWasThere delves into history. This innovative project functions as a digital time machine, constructed using contributions from the public in the form of historical photographs.

How the Project Works

Users can contribute to WhatWasThere by uploading old photographs of their local areas. Each submission requires two key pieces of information: the Location where the photo was taken and the Year it was captured.

The platform aims to amass a substantial collection of images for each location. Once sufficient photographs are gathered, the project can construct a photographic timeline, effectively allowing viewers to travel back in time.

Experiencing the Past

The historical photographs are overlaid onto a current street view. This allows for a seamless transition between past and present.

Users can dynamically adjust the transparency, fading between the historical image and the modern view. This feature vividly illustrates the changes a location has undergone over the years.

We previously provided a concise overview of WhatWasThere within our Directory.

TurnHills

For those with a passion for shopping, TurnHills presents a unique online destination. Even individuals who don't actively shop can enjoy browsing the virtual storefronts.

This engaging project invites contributions from community members residing in globally renowned shopping centers. Participants are expected to possess fundamental photography skills.

Project Details

The core task involves capturing images of window displays and subsequently uploading them to the platform. TurnHills anticipates that this crowdsourced photographic approach will cultivate a comprehensive archive of window displays.

This collection is intended for digital exhibition, allowing a wide audience to experience the artistry and creativity on display.

It’s worth noting that this isn’t the sole instance of crowdsourced photography. Projects like the New York Times’ “Picturing 7 Billion” preceded it.

Furthermore, platforms such as Emphas.is consistently host crowdfunded photographic endeavors.

Are you aware of other noteworthy crowdsourced or crowdfunded photography projects? We encourage you to share your thoughts on the broader concept of crowdsourcing.

Join the conversation and offer your perspective!

Image Credit: Raised Hands by anankkml