04 - Photos

<p>In this video we explain how to upload photos to the platform. Here are tips around getting the best photos for your city in the system. </p><p>TAKING YOUR OWN PHOTOS</p><p>Going out on a "mission" to take photos is a great experience. You get to look for less obvious things in the city, and that can be eye-opening! Suddenly, the bread mill, trash collecting trucks, or stormwater drains become very interesting! If you take your own photos, here are some suggestions:</p>

  • Have a look at Open Street Maps or Google Maps before you head out, to see what kind of infrastructure may be available around you. There is often more than you would think!
  • Everything that tells a story about resource consumption, production, stocks, and infrastructure is useful! And remember that something that may be very common to you may be very interesting to see for people from other places.
  • If you photograph something that is likely the same everywhere (say, a road), then try to take it at a place where it gives a local touch. Somewhere that shows relevant scenery, buildings, etc. in the background, for instance.
  • Avoid getting people's faces in the photographs - unless you have their permission to do so.
  • Mornings and afternoons are often best for photos - during the so-called golden hour.
  • If you are able to take a photo from the air - perhaps by using a drone? - then you can get some spectacular shots, especially of infrastructure. <br>
<p>FINDING PHOTOS ONLINE</p><p>A lot of material is of course already available online. You are encouraged to use existing photos. But one word of caution: unless the opposite is specifically stated, every photo posted online is copyrighted by the author! So you can not freely use every photo out there. You should find photos that are published under a permissive license (creative commons, public domain, etc.). Here are some tips to find these photos:</p>
  • Wikipedia is a great source, with photos that can be used in our platform! You can search for relevant pages (e.g. a page on a particular power plant or railroad that pertains to your city), and then use the photos there. Or go to the Wikimedia Commons, where you will find all the photos used on Wikipedia.
  • There are a number of photo repositories out there with stunning photos, free to use! Some useful sites include:
  • Unsplash
  • Pixabay
  • Flickr - be sure to review the license of the photo you select!

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