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Volunteering to help the Project
Sniper796 Mon Jul 18, 2011 5:04 am
Commonwealth Roll Of Honour Project
Volunteering to help the Project
Thank you for your interest in joining the Commonwealth Roll Of Honour Project. We would be delighted for you to help as a Volunteer Photographer.
Please remember that the following is a guide – if there are things which you are unsure of, please drop Mike Symmonds an email or your regional Co-ord an email and let us know what the concern is.
To get you started we normally send out an 'Assignment List', taken from our Commonwealth War Grave Commission archive and based near where you live. You can also let your regional Co-ord or Mike know if you'd like to choose exactly where you want to go (He’ll need the church, town and Region).
We also photograph the headstones of servicemen from 1948 to the present day, which we don’t hold lists for (yet!) - so some searching about may also be required. We forward these to the Ministry of Defence to assist in their grave management programme as well as using them on the Project web site.
We are also hoping to capture any inscriptions on private memorials to any serviceman that died abroad ‘In memory of Tommy Atkins died in France…’, so any of these would be a welcome addition to the site.
Once we know exactly where you live, you’ll be sent an Excel spreadsheet of local cemeteries – let us know if this format is ok for you, we can do others. No one else will be assigned these graves whilst you have them.
Taking Photos
With regard to image requirements we need the images in about 200-300kb’s and not altered at all with any software you might have except to turn them to the upright position on your screen. The reason for this is that they are 'batch processed' on this end. If they have already been altered (sharpened, cropped or colour corrected) they will distort and look strange. Although we do not use the high-resolution files on the web site, they are needed to provide 'real' photographs should they be requested and also may be used in local newspapers to highlight the project. We understand that with digital cameras it is not always possible to take lots of high-resolution photos, in this case smaller file sizes are acceptable – please just send a sample to check though.
Naming the Pictures
A very important but time-consuming part of the Project is the correct re-naming of the images. If done correctly by the volunteer it dramatically speeds up the process of getting them online.
Each file needs to be named as the serviceman whose headstone is pictured. So for example ‘Mike Symmonds’ would become ‘Symmonds_Mjpg’. Where there are lots of headstones with the same name (Jones and so on), please insert their service number at the end of the name, for example: ‘Symmonds_M_25075340.jpg’ so that they can be separated.
Return a copy of the Excel spread sheet marked up iaw the Annex along with the images (CD or e mail). A copy of this should be sent to your regional Co-ordinator as well to update his / her files.
Sending the photographs
Images can be sent by email (up to 4mb in size) but where lots are taken in I do ask that they are put on a CD (or DVD)- details are on the Annex. Many volunteers use a digital camera and send the images by email (in batches) after a shoot - this works quite well. Others take hundreds of photos using a conventional or digital camera and put them on a CD, which they should post to Mike Symmonds
I always ask new volunteers to take two trial images and send them to me before they go out and take lots (perhaps a portrait for the Volunteers page!). Just to make sure you’re happy with what’s needed and that you can get it to us ok.
Types of graves
Although it is stated on site, the project is collecting ALL Canadian military graves and memorials from WW1 to Present day. Many volunteers still ask if the project wants:
· Private / family memorials – Yes. Any private grave that commemorates ‘Tommy Atkins died in France 1916’. These are not listed but required. For larger graves take a total view and a close up of the inscription. Name them (eg) Atkins_T1 and Atkins_T2
· Private memorials on top of listed CWGC plots – Yes. Families had the choice of private stone or CWGC variety. Therefore you may not find all CWGC stones on your list.
· Private memorials on internal church plaques – Yes. But remember WW1 to present day.
· Local Town / Village War memorials –Yes
·
· Other Commonwealth Graves –Yes.
· Other nationality war graves – Maybe! Send them in a separate folder with names and we may be able to forward to sites as and when they come on line.
In the meantime, if there's anything I can do to help or you have any further questions, please drop Mike, your regional co-ordinator or I an email.
Warm regards,
Mike Symmonds
Coordinating Volunteers for
Commonwealth Roll of Honour Project
Volunteering to help the Project
Thank you for your interest in joining the Commonwealth Roll Of Honour Project. We would be delighted for you to help as a Volunteer Photographer.
Please remember that the following is a guide – if there are things which you are unsure of, please drop Mike Symmonds an email or your regional Co-ord an email and let us know what the concern is.
To get you started we normally send out an 'Assignment List', taken from our Commonwealth War Grave Commission archive and based near where you live. You can also let your regional Co-ord or Mike know if you'd like to choose exactly where you want to go (He’ll need the church, town and Region).
We also photograph the headstones of servicemen from 1948 to the present day, which we don’t hold lists for (yet!) - so some searching about may also be required. We forward these to the Ministry of Defence to assist in their grave management programme as well as using them on the Project web site.
We are also hoping to capture any inscriptions on private memorials to any serviceman that died abroad ‘In memory of Tommy Atkins died in France…’, so any of these would be a welcome addition to the site.
Once we know exactly where you live, you’ll be sent an Excel spreadsheet of local cemeteries – let us know if this format is ok for you, we can do others. No one else will be assigned these graves whilst you have them.
Taking Photos
With regard to image requirements we need the images in about 200-300kb’s and not altered at all with any software you might have except to turn them to the upright position on your screen. The reason for this is that they are 'batch processed' on this end. If they have already been altered (sharpened, cropped or colour corrected) they will distort and look strange. Although we do not use the high-resolution files on the web site, they are needed to provide 'real' photographs should they be requested and also may be used in local newspapers to highlight the project. We understand that with digital cameras it is not always possible to take lots of high-resolution photos, in this case smaller file sizes are acceptable – please just send a sample to check though.
Naming the Pictures
A very important but time-consuming part of the Project is the correct re-naming of the images. If done correctly by the volunteer it dramatically speeds up the process of getting them online.
Each file needs to be named as the serviceman whose headstone is pictured. So for example ‘Mike Symmonds’ would become ‘Symmonds_Mjpg’. Where there are lots of headstones with the same name (Jones and so on), please insert their service number at the end of the name, for example: ‘Symmonds_M_25075340.jpg’ so that they can be separated.
Return a copy of the Excel spread sheet marked up iaw the Annex along with the images (CD or e mail). A copy of this should be sent to your regional Co-ordinator as well to update his / her files.
Sending the photographs
Images can be sent by email (up to 4mb in size) but where lots are taken in I do ask that they are put on a CD (or DVD)- details are on the Annex. Many volunteers use a digital camera and send the images by email (in batches) after a shoot - this works quite well. Others take hundreds of photos using a conventional or digital camera and put them on a CD, which they should post to Mike Symmonds
I always ask new volunteers to take two trial images and send them to me before they go out and take lots (perhaps a portrait for the Volunteers page!). Just to make sure you’re happy with what’s needed and that you can get it to us ok.
Types of graves
Although it is stated on site, the project is collecting ALL Canadian military graves and memorials from WW1 to Present day. Many volunteers still ask if the project wants:
· Private / family memorials – Yes. Any private grave that commemorates ‘Tommy Atkins died in France 1916’. These are not listed but required. For larger graves take a total view and a close up of the inscription. Name them (eg) Atkins_T1 and Atkins_T2
· Private memorials on top of listed CWGC plots – Yes. Families had the choice of private stone or CWGC variety. Therefore you may not find all CWGC stones on your list.
· Private memorials on internal church plaques – Yes. But remember WW1 to present day.
· Local Town / Village War memorials –Yes
·
· Other Commonwealth Graves –Yes.
· Other nationality war graves – Maybe! Send them in a separate folder with names and we may be able to forward to sites as and when they come on line.
In the meantime, if there's anything I can do to help or you have any further questions, please drop Mike, your regional co-ordinator or I an email.
Warm regards,
Mike Symmonds
Coordinating Volunteers for
Commonwealth Roll of Honour Project
Sniper796- Admin
- Posts : 14
Join date : 2011-07-18
Age : 65
Location : Oxford -
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