Commons:Wiki Loves Monuments 2016 in the United States/Judging

Wiki Loves Monuments 2016 in the United States Judging Information

Judging for Wiki Loves Monuments 2016 in the United States takes place throughout the duration of October! Photos will be judged by their artistic qualities, perspective, encyclopedic value, and photographic quality.

This year, judging will be split between three rounds, as described below. Judges will make use of the new Montage judging tool. Please note that the specificities and logistics of the judging process may change at any time during the process.

Rounds

Round 1

Judges reviewed over 11,000 photos and voted Accept/Decline regarding whether or not the photo should qualify for Round 2, based on the following judging criteria: 1.) General photographic qualities: is the photo well framed and the monument in focus and sufficiently lit? 2.) Artistic perspective: does the photo show a unique or informative detail of the monument, or evoke a sense of the experiential qualities of being in its presence?

Round 1 had 7 judges and a quorum of 3. The threshold for advancement to Round 2 was 0.666% (meaning: in order to advance to Round 2 a photo needed to receive at least 2 "Accept" votes among the 3 judges who viewed/voted on it).

Round 1 Jury

Judge	Bio
Barrythrew	Barry Threw is an independent technologist, designer, and cultural producer exploring ways the engagement of art and technology can promote transdisplinary understanding and enact systemic change. With over a decade of experience leading forward-looking projects using experiential technologies and immersive media, he consults with individuals and institutions developing tools, processes and platforms to support creative, technical, and protocultural innovation. He is currently Director of the #NEWPALMYRA project, a community driven creative platform reconstructing endangered cultural heritage in the public domain.
Daniel Case	Daniel Case began photographing landmarks for a weekly newspaper in New York’s Hudson Valley he worked for in the late 1990s. On Wikipedia, he has written and photographed articles about historic sites from as close to home as a few blocks to as far away as China. He is an administrator and active member of WikiProject National Register of Historic Places.
Evan-Amos	Evan Amos is a photographer from Brooklyn who has been an active Wikipedian since 2010. He primarily contributes with comprehensive, themed galleries of photos of objects, including food, candy and electronics. His most notable work is his video game hardware gallery, comprised of photos of almost every video game console released in the last forty years.
Frank Schulenburg	Frank currently serves as the Executive Director of the Wiki Education Foundation. He is an award-winning photographer and contributor to the Wikimedia Commons, having photographed in more than 30 countries and winning 2013's Wiki Loves Monuments in the United States.
Paulklein	Paul Klein is Associate Professor and Chair of the Bachelor of Fine Arts Department at the San Francisco Art Institute. His current work investigates the discursive realms of compact and de-centered urbanity as they are reflected in structures of domesticity. Other current projects explore the cultural practices of spectatorship, identity, and xenophobia.
Dreamyshade	Dreamyshade (Britta Gustafson) is based in San Francisco, CA, and she's been editing Wikipedia since 2001. She likes adding photos to articles about local buildings, including non-landmarks, since buildings are important parts of community identity and history. She also works on the Isla Vista LocalWiki, a wiki about non-notable locally-significant topics for a beachside neighborhood in Southern California.
Tess.T.Leon	Tess.T.Leon (Helbe) is a long-time I.T. professional now working freelance while devoting the majority of her time to researching and publishing family history as well as other more artistic endeavors in fabric and paper arts. She is an avid collector and assimilator of digital and written media to support, enhance and further explore these areas of interest. She is Brooklyn-born, Minnesota-raised and is now living in sunny Arizona.

Round 2

Judges reviewed the qualifying photos from Round 1, and ranked them on a 1-5 star scale (where 1 star = 0 points, 2 stars = 0.25 points, 3 stars = 0.50 points, 4 stars = 0.75 points, 5 stars = 1 point). Round 2 had 5 judges and a quorum 3. The threshold for advancement to Round 3 was an average of 0.833 points (meaning: the photo needed to receive at least 2 votes of 4 stars [0.75 points] and one vote of 5 stars [1 point] among the 3 jurors who ranked it), which resulted in a pool of 28 qualifying photos for Round 3.

Judges were directed to base their 1-5 star ranking on their assessment of the photo's photographic quality and encyclopedic value, per the following instructions:

In assessing a photos encyclopedic value, ask yourself: Could this photo function as an important illustrative aid to understanding the monument, its history, and/or the social environment it is situated in?

1 - 5 Star Rating | General Guidelines:

• 1 - Disqualify: Lacks sufficient photographic quality and encyclopedic value to advance to Round 3.
• 2 - Decent: Adequate Photographic quality, but insufficient encyclopedic value (or vice versa).
• 3 - Good: High quality, well-framed photo that aids understanding of its subject.
• 4 - Great: Strikingly well-framed photo that aids understanding of its subject and inspires a desire to learn more.
• 5 - Incredible: Breathtaking photo that aids understanding of its subject and inspires a desire to learn more and share that knowledge with others.

Round 2 Jury

Judge	Bio
Dreamyshade	See bio in Round 1 above
Merrilee	Merrilee (Merrilee Proffitt) lives in Oakland, CA and edits on English language Wikipedia but is most passionate about encouraging closer relationships between Wikipedians and librarians (who she believes were separated at birth).
Sfphotoarchivist	Sfphotoarchivist (Christina Moretta) is Photo Curator at the San Francisco History Center, San Francisco Public Library. Notwithstanding the specificity of her job title, she wears many professional hats: that of an archivist, appraising, acquiring, arranging, and describing archival collections; that of a librarian, unraveling the mysteries of San Francisco just a bit more with each reference query; that of a rights manager, helping filmmakers, authors, and curators use and publish the visual gems of the archives; that of a teacher, sharing the world of primary resources to students of all levels and disciplines; and that of a history nerd, distributing rare facts as she walks around town with indulgent friends and family.
Tess.T.Leon	See bio in Round 1 above
Phette23	Phette23 (Eric Phetteplace) works as Systems Librarian at California College of the Arts. His professional interests include open source software, data visualization, and automating workflows. His engagements with Wikipedia include running Art+Feminism edit-a-thons and teaching with Wikipedia in the context of information literacy.

Round 3

Judges reviewed the 28 qualifying photos from Round 2 and visually ranked them to determine the top 3 photos that won the US competition and the top 10 photos that were submitted to the International Competition. Round 3 had 6 judges, all of whom ranked the 28 photos. The winning photos were those that received the highest average ranking among the Round 3 judges. Judges received the following instructions to guide their ranking:

Rank the following photos based on your assessment of their photographic/artistic qualities and encyclopedic value.

In making your assessment, ask yourself:

• Does this photo function as an important illustrative aid to understanding the monument, its history, and/or the social environment it is situated in?
• Does the photo show a unique or informative detail of the monument, or evoke the experiential qualities of being in its presence? Is it captivating in a manner that inspires you to want to learn more about the monument and its history, and share that knowledge with others?

Round 3 Jury

Judge	Bio
Lauraonsale	LAURA HYUNJHEE KIM is a new media artist who works with video, performance, and the Internet as a medium to render familiar physical experiences into digitally fabricated spaces that reimagine digital culture and authorship. Kim lives and works in the United States, and frequents South Korea.
ArielPate33734	Ariel Pate is Assistant Curator of Photography at the Milwaukee Art Museum. She is interested using digital media to create a deeper understanding of photographs as objects and photography as an artistic practice.
Jameslwoodward	Jim Woodward is a Commons Administrator, Bureaucrat, and Checkuser. He has been a professional and amateur photographer for over sixty years using everything from Crown and Speed Graphics, a Sinar view and two Mamiya Universal Press to Nikon F, F3, F4, D!, and D7100. He has contributed over 500 images to Commons, the vast majority of them being National Register of Historic Places sites.
Sfphotoarchivist	See bio in Round 2 above
Tess.T.Leon	See bio in Round 1 above
Daniel Case	See bio in Round 1 above

Prizes and sendoff

Once round 3 has been concluded, the winners will be announced! Winners of the national contest will be notified via talk page message and e-mail. If you do not have your e-mail added and/or enabled, you may do so here.

The ten best photos will be awarded a certificate. The top three contenders in the United States will also receive the following prizes:

• Best image (1st): $150
• Best image (First runner-up): $75
• Best image (Second runner-up): $75

The United States' top ten photos will also be submitted to the international Wiki Loves Monuments jury. The international jury will determine the winners of the international competition and award their prizes (up to 2,000 Euros). More information on the international jury can be found here