wwp@yahoogroups.com:
Re: Broaden the view
Don Bain 2010-Jul-03 00:03:00
On Jul 2, 2010, at 3:17 PM, Martin Sammtleben wrote:
> I've now been through most of the current submissions and have seen a
> lot of great places.
>
> However one thing that has always struck me in every event, is that
> large areas of the globe are regularly underrepresented or not represented at all.
Martin,
This is a very valid observation. Of course there is an inherent problem with the geographic distribution of panos shot on our "quarterly event" schedule - they will usually be taken near where our participants live, unless they happen to be on a vacation trip during a solstice or equinox.
We have been talking for some time about broadening the WWP beyond the original concept of themed events. Implementation has been delayed because we (i.e. the WWP Foundation board and event coordinator) have all been so busy. In particular three of us were deeply involved in the conference in Tucson in April.
? Bostjan made the excellent suggestion that we initiate year-long themed events. We have agreed to do this and make it a permanent part of the program. Markus has worked out the technical details and we are almost ready to put it into place.
The first theme will be the international year of biodiversity, as declared by the United Nations (http://www.cbd.int/2010/welcome/). A formal announcement will be coming soon. A key part of this proposal is that we will allow more than one submission per participant - so long as each one is a distinctly different subject. Please wait for the official announcement (with rules and procedures) before asking detailed questions about this.
? There has also been some discussion of special events tied (or timed) to something happening in the world, such as the lead-up to the Olympic games. Or it could be an event with some special characteristic, such as one where all panos had to shot by students (or with students), or where the subject was local schools. Another possibility is for each participant to shoot the exact same location under different conditions (seasons, night and day) and submit a series of panos. These are just ideas for now, but discussion is welcome.
? We have also talked about opening up the WWP for unlimited contributions - at any time, on any subject. This would be for two reasons: to offer an alternative to commercial sites for those who want to show their work; and to produce an archive of serious panoramic documentation (and artistic endeavor) that will be sponsored and protected by our non-profit educational foundation. It would be similar to current WWP practice in that all entries would have to be accompanied by full documentation and individually approved, and that it would be strictly non-commercial in nature. Obviously this could be a huge undertaking, so we will approach it cautiously.
Don
(on behalf of the WWP Team - Landis, Markus, Bostjan, Keith and Pat)