What is Digg?109 Comments
- NickyBatts, on 10/12/2007, -27/+47Think anyone will mind if I photoshop larger breasts onto all of the women I restore?
- megaton, on 10/12/2007, -2/+13I'd like to help, but I can't see how to get involved?
- u2wedge, on 10/12/2007, -9/+20Everyone, here is the entire email... please digg to front page so we can get more volunteers...
All,
There's no need to respond to this email, I just want to update you
all about where we're at in the distribution process.
I had hoped to begin distribution today (Wed 5/03), but to say that
we have been swamped is an understatement. During the whole week that
we intially spent in Pass Christian, MS, we gathered 500 photos from
around 50 or so families.
On Monday here in Metairie, we collected that many in a single day.
Yesterday, we collected from 43 families.
Today, we have collected from (best guess) 70 families. We still have
nearly an hour to go and people are still coming in. This is by no
means an accurate count, but my gut feeling has me thinking that
we've already collected around 1,000 photos since Monday. We still
have two days to go.
Anyway, that's the quick update. Thanks to all who responded in
readiness. We'll start distributing soon, but with the way things are
going we may have to wait until we close up shop here at the end of
the week.
In the meantime, I'll keep you all posted.
Dave Ellis
Operation Photo Rescue - moosebumps, on 10/12/2007, -0/+7I lost all of my old pictures when my house in Bay St. Louis was destroyed by Katrina.
I'm shocked to hear people say that I should leave my photos in their dilapidated post-Katrina state. I don't need anymore reminders about what happened. Losing my hometown has had such a grave impact on my life that it tends to overshadow any favorable memories I've had in the past. Having them preserved would mean a great deal to me. - Monamo, on 10/12/2007, -1/+7For others interested in volunteering, here is the email response I got from David Ellis (posted with his permission) - I've modified the email address due to spam harvesters, but you can do the math:
----
Thanks for volunteering and providing me with the link to the posting on digg.com. There's some interesting comments there.
We're willing to give anyone and everyone a chance to help. Our issues with quality control are very specific cases and not necessarily the norm of what the work that's being produced.
We don't send the original photographs to our volunteers due to the fragile nature and mold contamination of the images. What we are doing is digitally copying the images with Nikon D2X's mounted on copy stands. After sizing the images, we email them out to our restoration volunteers.
Like the post on digg.com mentioned we're really busy out here this week. In the meantime, I'll add you to our network of volunteers and send you some work as soon as we start distribution.
Thanks again for stepping up to the cause. Feel free to post this to digg.com if you think it will better inform the members there.
Please have anyone wishing to volunteer to send an email to OPRvolunteer *** gmail *** com.
Dave Ellis
Operation Photo Rescue - bitt3n, on 10/12/2007, -19/+25while you're at it, photoshop some competent FEMA officials and bigger levees into the background, so that maybe the pictures won't get damaged in the first place.
- beckysell, on 10/12/2007, -1/+7Hello all,
So I've now registered with digg.com as well! Thanks to those who passed this information along to us. I know this is long, but taking the time to read it will hopefully answer some questions.
I am one of the organizers of Operation Photo Rescue (the subject of this thread). We appreciate the help and amazing support more than we can possibly say, and I only wish I could put into words what this means to people in the area.
Operation Photo Rescue began out of covering the aftermath of Katrina and the desire to do something to help after reporting on so much. One of the first things I heard from every family is, "I even lost my photos." So Dave Ellis came up with the idea and we planned it out, and now it was a little monster that has grown into a Frankenstein! More information from this can be found on our blog, linked from www.operationphotorescue.com (we have gotten more space to accomodate the additional hits :) Apparently there is a limit.
A group of seven, including Dave and myself, along with Mike, Lisa (from Florida), Robert (from California), Hal (from Atlanta) and Joey (from Wisconsin) (THEY ARE WORKING THEIR TAILS OFF :) are now in Metairie, Louisiana (part of the New Orleans area), working out of the East Bank Regional Library. This is our third trip to the Katrina affected area collecting photographs (Dave and myself made the first, another North Carolina volunteer made the second). Also, thanks to another volunteer in Tennessee, we are gathering photographs affected by the tornados that struck there.
How the process works is that we find a location to base ourselves from, then send information to let people know what we are doing before we get there, then copy the photographs using digital cameras and copy stands (scanners are options, but many photos are so fragile (and also covered in mold/debris), that copying with cameras saves the photos and scanners). Once we have the files digitally, we distribute them to restorers based on level of difficulty to level of skill. Once we have them back, we print them then ship them back down to the owners (after calling to make sure their address has remained the same). They receive one photograph in the size they brought in. The owners of the photographs never let go of their originals, but simply have them copied and receive their new ones. Due to the number of photographs we have taken in, this tends to be a long process, but we work constantly at it.
So here's how to get involved:
• There are many ways to volunteer:
- Restorations: taking photographs to retouch using Photoshop.
- Copy work: we copy photographs on location as mailing the originals could damage them. We are always in need of photographers to travel to do the copy work, or copy in their home area if they are somewhere affected. We can help with places to stay/work and getting the information out so people know.
- Donations: we are an official non-profit organization and need all the help we can to keep up and running.
• If interested in volunteering, e-mail oprvolunteer@gmail.com with how you want to help, the level of difficulty you are able to take (the different levels can be found on our blog) if volunteering for restorations. For other questions not volunteer related, direct to operationphotorescue@gmail.com.
• What you can expect if volunteering for restorations:
- In time, you will receive photographs via e-mail (500 volunteers and 2,000 photographs are a lot to keep up with for many reasons). Yes, we know ftp is a great source as well and are working on establishing that as another system. Once you have your photo, restore it to the best of your ability without damaging the integrity of the original photograph (ex: please do not replace backgrounds, smiles, eyes, etc. with something totally different). E-mail it back to us in full file-size, and if willing, you will receive another photograph to restore.
From there, we handle the quality control and final color correction to give owners back the best possible product.
• What we remember throughout the process:
- Most people are happy to hear "We'll try", even if we tell them there is nothing we can do to make their image better.
- Many images are crumbling, falling apart, molding, etc. and will eventually be lost forever if not at least preserved. We take whatever people bring, and there are many last photos of parents, wedding albums, baby pictures, etc. They are the memories people value most.
- People bring in their images in hopes of having something better than what they have at the moment. We can't promise perfection, and don't pretend to return a photograph that is the same quality as the original. Some restorations turn out better than others. We have yet to receive a complaint on what people have gotten back, but many many tears of thanks.
- We talk to every person we take photographs in from so we can give back something they will like - ex: sepias become black and whites off of their request, not just our decision.
- Those doing the restorations put many hours of work and minutes of not blinking to do the best job that they can.
We are so excited at the response that this has gotten from people such as yourself. It started as two people, and we now are a non-profit organization with four officers and 500 volunteers from around the WORLD (that's right... we've hit every continent except Antartica).
All four officers have full-time jobs, second jobs, families, etc, as do most of our volunteers. We do our best to keep up with the responses to e-mails, questions, handing out photos, you name it. If you haven't received a response yet, it is not because we are not interested or have forgotten, but are working on it. It takes us some time to get the proper photograph to you, and right now we are on location taking them in at the same time. For example, thanks to this thread, we received over 100 volunteers THIS MORNING!! Woo-hoo!!
So thank-you so much for your help and support!!!!!
We hope to, in the future of OPR (we are a four month-old organization) to help with photographs from any region and any disaster, whether a house-fire to a hurricane. We know we can't do much, but we try.
Best,
Becky Sell - zweben, on 10/12/2007, -4/+9I'm going to do this. I sent them an email.
I believe this is a pretty good cause. Thanks for posting it. - bitcloud, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5Can someone set up an open source type forum for fixing these photos? this "email list" thing seems a little isolated for really building a community and having it feel like its making a real contribution.
A simple forum with a topic per photograph would do, but I'm sure it could be done even nicer. - markr, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4Chewy:
not outside the usa... to be fair... but thanks for the info... - u2wedge, on 10/12/2007, -3/+7There's an email address on the OPR website where you can ask to volunteer. I'd post it here, but I don't want to feed the spambots.
- Badfish, on 10/12/2007, -5/+9Spoonicus, they aren't really interfering. The families want it done, so I think its an open invitation for them to interfere.
Besides, it's digital work, so the original is still in it's "katrina condition". Only positive results can come out of this. - genericwhiteguy, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4I'm in California and had no idea what a NOLA was... National Organization of Latino Americans? NOrth Los Angeles? It would be nice for submitters to take a couple seconds as they type to make sure the post will make sense to everyone, not just their little corner of reality.
- ionbattle, on 10/12/2007, -12/+16Well, that was only slightly tasteless...
- venusian, on 10/12/2007, -3/+7Direct site: http://www.operationphotorescue.com/
- PaulOwen, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3La la la la NOLA, lalal~lalala NOLA
oh no, wait ... - pointaken, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3NOLA = Can't spell Luisiana
- darque420, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3I was born in Sarasota Florida and I didn't even know what NOLA was!
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3besides, they need something to remind them of the NOLA flood, which I'm sure is pretty significant to them too.
- jadez03, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3Yay! Photo-restoration!
I'm signing up right now, If i were someone who'd been effected like this, I'd sure want people to help me out.
The golden rule, right? - triforcer, on 10/12/2007, -2/+5anyone else think that example picture was kind of bad? pretty much a lot of smudge and blur, they could have done a lot more to recreate the wrinkles in the clothes and skin value rather than just "vaseline" those parts over.
- Spoonicus, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3Badfish, i dont have a problem with it if that is the wishes of the families. Personally i'd frame the original photographs, damaged emulsion and all. There is something about them that i find beautiful.
check out http://www.foundmagazine.com/ its the same kind of thing.. its sublime - frem001, on 10/12/2007, -3/+5this is cool, pitty my photoshop skills are *****
- psyanyde, on 10/12/2007, -2/+4These people are giving their damaged photos to be restored, so why wouldn't they want them to be fixed? Also, the person who posted this is just a volunteer, not the organizer of this project. He isn't going out and retreiving the photos.
- nogami, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2That's sort of along the lines of what I was thinking, it would be nice to have a revision-control system of some sort where people could check-out photos to work on, then check-back in their uploaded versions.
While checked-out, the photo would be unavailable for other retouchers until it was checked back in, the retoucher cries "uncle", or until a specified time (a week?) had elapsed. Once the pictures had been "approved" by the staff, both the original and the retouch would move to a gallery.
I'd actually think that this sort of thing would be reasonably easy to code-up as well. Make a few limits so people need to register with a verified email address, and only can check-out a certain number of photos per-day. - audiojack, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3I'm on it..signin' up! This should make it to Diggnation!
- retral, on 10/12/2007, -4/+6Good cause, I will be sure to check it out (at school and the site's blocked for some odd reason)
- triforcer, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2but i can add a shine to it in photoshop.
- Badfish, on 10/12/2007, -3/+5try posting it at worth1000.com :P
- drumt, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3@ djdole and jerbaker
Let's leave the rhetoric at home and get to work helping these people out. Your wasting time and air. Let's get 'er done!
*to self..." I can't believe I said 'get 'er done'." - Chewy, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3Most people fully understand NOLA is short for New Orleans
- Digichrome, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2@jerbaker
Thank you (aside from the Republican crack)! I couldn't believe what I was reading. In many families their pictures are their most prised asset and are often cited as the thing they would grab first if they had to evacuate their homes. - samuelcotterall, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3Well, the 771 people who have dug it so far, for a start...
I think it's a really nice idea - people are using technology and their skills to help people out. - u2wedge, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3This just in from OPR:
John,
Yeah, Digg.com is in full effect. If you're a member there, would you add a post telling everyone that we appreciate their willingness to volunteer and we will be in touch with them as soon as we can?
Dave Ellis
Operation Photo Rescue - Ian_Dass, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2wtf? does .mac have a limit? doesn't that service cost considerable money to subscribe? oh well dugg and good cause. thanks for helping my home state.
- Bigopinion, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2Dugg to remember this - don't have my Digg history RSS at school like I do at home! Going to sign up (and contact a few other friends about it) and see what I can do!
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -2/+3tsunami needs some photoshop lovin' too :(
- hunterk2, on 10/12/2007, -3/+4I just posted this at soonerfans.com fark central. They have some Pshop skills.
- rekrapt, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Bay St. Louis got it bad. I'm in West Gulfport. I was shocked to see how bad downtown BSL got hit. We only got a little bit of damage where I am (my house, anyway - others in my neighborhood were not so lucky.)
I hope you salvaged your memories before the bulldozers came. - CyBrShRk, on 10/12/2007, -2/+3Great cause!
- InternetUser, on 10/12/2007, -4/+5Image -> Adjustments -> Auto Levels.
If that's not good enough, play around with "Curves..." - drumt, on 10/12/2007, -2/+3diggo...I mean ditto :{}
- griz, on 10/12/2007, -4/+5Being able to pShop a composite for worth1000.com doesn't make you a restoration expert. It is an entirely different pShop Skill.
- mjaleo, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I offered my services. Will do my best if contacted with any work. I'm pretty good so hopefully you guys will send something my way!
- mwilke, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Great Project, I sent my email in..
u2wedge, I am assuming you guys are swamped with emails and such. When can we expect to hear back from you guys so we can start helping? - skoles, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2New Orleans and Louisiana
NOLA - nogami, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I've offered to help-out as well - I actually enjoy photoshop retouching more than creating stuff for Fark photoshop contests and the like.
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -3/+4Question: How many Photoshop 'experts' does it take to enhance a picture of a lightbulb?
Answer: 300. One to sharpen, one to add masking effects, and 298 more to add drop shadow and lens flare - skoles, on 10/12/2007, -6/+7I'm gonna sign up for this. I used to do it professionally at a local photo lab.
- conorryan, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2Aww Community Service for Geeks
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