idea's and improvements

[Phil]

I have to admit, I'm really, really new to the whole running a messageboard so I was wondering if anyone had any idea's on how to improve the board.

what sections you'd like to see that type of thing.

thanks

Phil

[brooksykes]

Hi Phil
Not sure if this is the right section for this but i've been having some thoughts about how to improve (or more kindly) add to the traveling camera club experience. I don't want to seem to forward so please feel free to ignore all of these ideas.

From what I can tell you've got something special here, people are joining more and more every day because they recognise that this kind of intercultural human connection is what this world needs more than ever. In a world where we can connect instantly to another person on the other side of the planet we... (I) have forgotten what the real world is like and have been caught up in my own little universe for far too long (the internet mainly but also I take for granted my opportunities therefore making nothing from them). While people take photos for art its important that this project not become art for arts sake as I can see clearly it could, and of course this would be nobody's fault, just the way things go. I think as well that although you will have both professional and prosumer photographers out there you will also have people who know next to nothing about photography and who need to be able to take equally amazing photos not because of framing colour or mise-en scene, but because of the content (coming to my first point now).

I'm not sure if you intended this to be the sort of thing that people do again and again throughout their lives or if its the kind of thing you only do once, but if the first option is the one you had in mind I think it would be insanely cool to have different routes doing different things which you can then chose to be part of.

Instead of having rules or whatever I think the message boards could be used as a selection panel (or something more specialised, not the forum) this idea is far to developed, but my idea experience for this website would be:

• Someone links me to your website and I sign up.
  
• Then after seeing some of the photos already taken I decide to do it myself.
  
• I then read the (rules/procedure) which is where my idea comes in: I see many different route options which focus on different interests and different kinds of members (the longer you've been here the further down the list of routes you go (meaning the you do different routes in tern not any kind of hierarchy).
  
• One route for example could be: each person take 5 photos on this ___ subject.
  
• Or each person take 5 photos that show 5 different emotional objects/people/locations that are personal to them and/or their family and/or their culture.
  
• Another example is: each person takes 5 photos that when added to the rest of that routes' photos make up a story or emotional journey etc. (the competition here could be that more than one route are doing he same journey and which ever route gets the most votes gets all their photos printed etc. this would obviously require more funds but after you have been established this might be possible, this way a group of people get to feel like winners and also get a great group experience making photography less of a cliched "loner" activity)
  

Do you see what I mean? I'm not explaining this very well because i'm tired but don't let that deter you.

I think that if I was to do this once and finish it my motivation to do it again or tell other people about it would come from the option to do something different: to interpret a task in my own creative way rather than leaving it all up to me to come up with, this is why things like 48 hour film challenges are so popular, because we have a human urge not only to do be creative but also to win against another idea and how fair can judgement on something abstract and so "eye of the beholder" really be?. the voting system in place at the moment is great but you also want people to come back even if they didn't win, you want them to come back and retry, happily not win over and over because they enjoy the experience and its nice to win but its also nice to create something from the same brief as other people but in your own way, leaving your own mark and your own creativity.

Well I know i've forgotten to say something (still very tired) but I think that's enough for now, I hope I haven't been to imposing and you'll take my ideas seriously because I personally, and the people i've told agree with me that we could do something like this again and again if it changed, if the only brief is that you have to do art then lots of people will feel excluded and if not strait away then they will after a try and not win.

By the way I co-own/Manage a website called youngdirectors.co.uk, we're currently not online due to refurbishment as it were and I'll have to check with my partner but I think we'd both love to be partners with your website, we focus on short films and other small (possibly student) projects and I think our members would love to hear about The Traveling Camera Club and vies versa so if you're interested let me know (you have my email on record) and we can talk more.

Brook Sykes

[brooksykes]

Also i live in london (Harrow and Brixton) we should meet up for a pint if you've got time.

[Phil]

Hey Brook, super quick reply before I go to bed but I love your idea's especially the idea of having themes.

I did try it before but I struggled to come up with any but if you'd be down for helping out that would be amazing.

As for meeting up I'd be down for that, I'm heading out to London tommorow, I'll send you an email with more details later.

Thanks

Phil