User:Geraldshields11/sandbox/WikiConference 2015

Gerald Shields, inspired by Minerva, seeks a volunteer position as the official still photographer to improve Wikimedia; one photograph at a time.

Hello, I am Gerald Shields, a hopeful attendee of WikiConference 2015. I am primarily active on the English Wikipedia and on Wikimedia Commons. I'm member of Wikimedia DC since 2012 and, at one time, was the event promotion coordinator for Wikimedia DC. Since 2012, I am a photographer of the Wiki Loves Monuments movement. I am an active member of the North Korea Group and, when information becomes available, turn DPRK stubs into start articles.

This will be my third Wikimania after previously attending WikiConference 2014 and the drinking session of the Wikimania DC event.

I'm very excited about this Wikimania and I'm already planning to:

• Volunteer as the official still photographer for this wonderful event.
• Apply for a scholarship.

Please see my user page on the English-language Wikipedia at geraldshields11 to contact me.

Application for Volunteer Position and WikiConference 2015 Scholarship

I volunteer to work as the official still photographer of WikiConference 2015.

Personal information of w:en:user:geraldshields11

I was the volunteer Wikimedia DC event promotion coordinator and have taken an active part in numerous Wiki events, such as being the photographer of the WikiConference 2014 in NYC..

I am a member of several Wiki Projects, such as The Wikipedia Library, Women's History, Taxation, and Open Knowledge Foundation. I am involved with other open cultural projects, such as being a Distributed Proofreader in support of Project Gutenberg. I created the article the Smithsonian Gardens on w:EN:Wikipedia and received an autographed book signed by the executives at the Smithsonian Gardens for my efforts. For the Wikimania 2014 event, I volunteered to be the official still photographer and a member of the Programme Committee, with James Forrester, Deror Lin, and Orsolya Virág Gyenes. For the 2014 Wiki Conference USA, I volunteered to be the official still photographer.

I am a full time employee of the US Department of the Treasury. I am not afraid of using my real name to give credence to my edits and I stand behind my edits. I was interviewed by the New York Times for my work with Wikipedia on feminism and on North Korea.

I understand that the WikiConference 2015 position is a significant time commitment so I am willing to take annual leave from my regular job to focus on this position.

Photography

I edited a photography textbook, The Art and Craft of Digital Photography by Professor Kristi Eisenberg. The photography book focused on several types of subjects, such as landscape, portrait, and design. Professor Eisenberg autographed her book with a special dedication to me.

I am Geraldshields11, the former volunteer Wikimedia DC event promotion coordinator, an EN Wikipedia editor since 2004, who has contributed photographs of notable monuments and notable people in Washington, DC, USA; Shenyang, China; and Dandong, China. Also, I have taken photographs of the waterfront of Sinuiju, North Korea on a quest to get a photograph of Ri Sol-ju.

I am a prolific but efficient user of Wikimedia Commons and my photographs are used across Wikis in different languages. One of my photographs is used across the same topic in 48 different languages. When I add a photograph to Wiki Commons, I added it with the realization that each photograph may only be seen by a small subset of people. But, if I can inspire at least one person into STEM or becoming a contributor, then "it is a far far better thing I do than ever before".

Some of my Wiki-inspired photographs have been used in the Business Insider magazine, US National Archives promotion material, London events, Wikimedia DC promotions on Twitter, Smithsonian Institute promotion material Secretary Presents E-book on Future of Museums near the end of the video, and events where “the Board wears nice clothing.” I worked at numerous GLAM projects as the photographer, as part of my volunteer duties at Wikimedia DC.

See the small sample photographic works, below, and various links for explanation.

Gallery

<gallery caption="Gallery of photographs by Gerald Shields" widths="160px" heights="100px" perrow="6"> File:WikiMedia DC 2013 Annual Meeting 08.JPG|The Wikimedia DC Board of Directors in nice clothes standing in front of the Encyclopædia Britannica (with Gerald Shields far left). File:Giants in the field of Women in the Arts 2.jpg|A neo-feminist photograph, during the Women in the Arts GLAM event, inspired by Djembayz and used by Bathlander and Sarasays, theWikimedia District of Columbia activity report for the second quarter 2012–2013, and was used in the magazine Business Insider, when the magazine discussed Women in Wikipedia. Also, w:en:user:Sarasays used this photograph in London. File:Luce Edit-o-thon 30.JPG|A statue admiring two Wikipedia editors at the Luce Center during a GLAM event. File:WikiMedia DC 2013 Annual Meeting 88.JPG|The 2013 annual meeting group portrait, was used by the Wikimedia DC chapter Meetup.com webpage. File:G W Clough at July 19, 2013 Luce Lunder Edit-o-thon 05.JPG|President G W Clough (standing right), Sarasays (standing left), and another Wikipedia editor at Luce Lunder Wikimedia DC edit-o-thon. Sarasays use a different one of my photographs of her on her user page. File:Museum of Women Art Wikimedia DC Edit-o-thon 020 Edited.JPG|A Wikipedian joining the festivities in the picture behind her at the DC Museum of Women Art Wikimedia DC Edit-o-thon. File:18 August 2014 Cato Institute panel discussion 01.JPG|Wikipedian Slowking4, at the lectern, discussing Wikis and digital freedom. File:Feminism and the Arts 016.JPG|Paelo-feminist, at the 2014 Feminism and Arts Edit-a-thon, and other DC Wikimedians at the National Museum of Women in the Arts at the Betty Boyd Dettre Library and Research Center. File:2014 WikiConference USA (Group A) 48.JPG|At the WikiConference USA 2014, Kirill Lokshin (left) and James Hare (right). In the past, President Hare used a different one of my photographs of him on his Wikimedia DC member page. As of August 28, 2015, Kirill Lokshin uses a cropped version of one of my WikiConference 2014 photographs of him on his Wikimedia DC member page File:2014 WikiConference USA (Group A) 44.JPG|At the WikiConference USA 2014, Jennifer Baek (left) and Sumana Harihareswara (right). A cropped version of this photo is used w:en:user:Sumanah, which is Sumana Harihareswara's wiki editor page. File:2014 WikiConference USA (Group H) 14.JPG|Prof. Andrew Lih giving a presentation at the WikiConference USA 2014. At one time, Prof. Lih used this photo in one of his social media messages and the photograph is used on the EN Wikipedia article about Prof Lih. File:Wikimedia DC Asian Pacific American 2014 editathon 07.JPG|Uncommon fritillary, on 10 May 2014, at the Wikimedia DC Asian Pacific American 2014 edit-o-thon to increase the awareness of articles about Asian Americans. At one time, she uses this photo on her Wikipedia user page. File:2014 WikiConference USA (Group F) 15.JPG|The presenter, in the middle of his speech, about D.C. VITO. w:Meta:user:Pine used a variation of this photograph for the WikiConference 2014 image. File:2014 WikiConference USA (Group H) 07.JPG|Impromtu breakout session at the WikiConference USA 2014. File:2014 WikiConference USA (Group B) 34.JPG|Wiki Editor Newyorkbrad, in the middle of his presentation, at the WikiConference USA 2014. File:Feminism and the Arts 012.JPG|Standing: Wikimedia DC President Harej and 2014 Feminism and the Arts Event Organizer Heatherslania. File:Feminism and the Arts 018.JPG|Sarasays with another Wikipedia editor in the background. File:2014 WikiConference USA (Group C) 13.JPG|Wiki Editor Levendowski, in the middle of her speech, at the WikiConference USA 2014.