I'd say that yes, you want uniform pictures, with a uniform idea behind them. For example, all professional, or all slightly informal, or all crazy. It doesn't matter so much about tattoos, but they need to all have the same feel or the page just feels off...
At the moment it does look a bit odd from an external perspective when one staff member has a different style of profile picture to everyone else. If Brandon's picture was a little more focussed on his face rather than his arm, then I don't think anyone would have a huge problem - except that you'd then probably need to change other staff portraits to be informal (or allow staff to pick which ones they want to have), and the changing (and the approval and monitoring of picture changes to ensure that no-one does something stupid) could increase your workload. Who gets the final say in whether a picture is appropriate? Do you need a staff photo policy? Can I change other people's photos if I'm their friend? Could we change Sue's for a laugh on April 1? What happens if a staff member has a photo taken without a shirt on, or with a potentially offensive tattoo, or an NRA (or a political) logo on their baseball cap or shirt? Do we want to run the risk of alienating and upsetting people over such a small thing as a staff photo? How often do donors (including major gifts) see the page? Will it affect them?
There's nothing wrong with a bit of style and a few changes - even lively changes - it's good to make staff appear more like 'normal people'. But it needs a bit of thought behind the scenes to make sure that there's no disruption as a result, and that everyone knows that they can change their picture if they wish. That said, we've got a community with very exacting standards, and even small changes can lead to forty emails on a mailing list quite easily... which is a bit disruptive, regardless of whether the changes are good or bad!
(I also realise that I have written three paragraphs about this issue, which is about the same length as the reports I write at work...)
Yours etc.,
Richard Symonds Wikimedia UK 0207 065 0992
Wikimedia UK is a Company Limited by Guarantee registered in England and Wales, Registered No. 6741827. Registered Charity No.1144513. Registered Office 4th Floor, Development House, 56-64 Leonard Street, London EC2A 4LT. United Kingdom. Wikimedia UK is the UK chapter of a global Wikimedia movement. The Wikimedia projects are run by the Wikimedia Foundation (who operate Wikipedia, amongst other projects).
*Wikimedia UK is an independent non-profit charity with no legal control over Wikipedia nor responsibility for its contents.*
On 14 July 2013 23:37, Victor Grigas vgrigas@wikimedia.org wrote:
This is all a style/composition question -
Do we want to aim for uniform portraits on the staff page or not?
On Jul 14, 2013, at 11:47 AM, geni geniice@gmail.com wrote:
On 14 July 2013 00:44, Lucas Teles salvadorense@hotmail.com wrote:
Is that [1] the photo? I was expecting something worse per the opening
of
this discussion. It seems to be fine for me (in a manly way of saying a photo of another man is fine), expect for the removal of Brandon's
fingers.
--Teles
[1] -
https://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/File:Brandon_Harris_courage.jpg
Its not fine. Look at the colour blotching under the arm. I wouldn't
expect
that from the 5DII even at ISO 640. Looks like its been pushed a bit too far in post. That said looking at Matthew 's other photos the camera
seems
to be struggling to get the light levels right when that EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro lens is used. Not sure why though since thats a pretty good lens camera combination. Perhaps if the WMF is going to insist on taking
photos
of people indoors under ambient light they should get him a EF 85 mm
f/1.2L
II.
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