Wikipedia:WikiProject Video games/Newsletter/20150701/Interview

Featured editor: Evan-Amos

Interviewed by GamerPro64

This issue we interview Evan-Amos, who has made some of the highest quality video game-related images on the site. While not a member of the Video Game WikiProject, of the twenty-three Featured Pictures the project has, fourteen of them are not only his but are all shots of video game consoles. His work has been seen throughout the internet and magazines, from Game Informer to mental_floss to Zero Punctuation. Currently with the most FPs made for the project, we're going to ask about his knack for taking one of these pictures and more.

You began editing in 2010, replacing images with your own. What got you into editing on Wikipedia?
I started editing because I wanted to fix the bad pictures on articles. I thought to myself, "I could take a much better picture than that" so I just did it and uploaded it. When I saw how easy it was, I just kept doing it, fueled by my desire to clean up pages and to see if I could complete fixing all of the pages.
You focus on adding pictures onto the site rather than write articles. Why is that?
To me, writing is much harder than taking pictures. Also, writing is something that can get you into debates with other editors, and I see a lot of that as a headache.
How do you prepare your subjects before taking their picture?
I clean them. Depending on the item, it can either be a simple wipe-down or a deep cleaning that requires me to take the whole console apart. After cleaning, I position them and hide cords if necessary (sometimes that can be a big challenge). Other than that, it's relatively easy. It's not like food, which requires a lot of managing and more artistic license.
How much of a gamer are you and what type of games do you gravitate toward?
I'm a big fan of games, and have been playing since I was a little kid. I like a lot of adventure games and RPGs. I'm currently playing through Majora's Mask on the 3DS.
What do you think of the projects attempt at increasing their efforts to make more Featured Pictures?
I don't understand the question. Do you mean other projects? I have done almost nothing when it comes to have my pictures be nominated for Featured Picture status. I'm not really involved in the community that does it, or do I nominate my own work. I am grateful to have my work put forward by others, who have then gotten some of my pictures to the featured status.
Back in 2013, you made a successful Kickstarter for "The Vanamo Online Game Museum", which you called "a free, digital archive of video game history made through high quality pictures and articles." This was featured on websites like Polygon. What is there to expect from it?
I want to build a depository of media to preserve the history of gaming. To me, the biggest focus of the project is to make sure that the pictures of the items get taken, and that they're comprehensive, high quality, well indexed and easy to find. That alone is an enormous undertaking, so it's what I'm focusing on accomplishing right now.
Mentioned above, your work has been used in numerous amounts of media. How do you feel about your work used in so many outlets?
It wasn't something I was aware would happen when I started this project. After seeing just how powerful an archive of high quality media could be, it made me realize just how useful and important these photos could be. It really made see the project as much bigger than I originally thought of it. So when I see other outlets use my pictures, there's a lot of feeling of validation, and it pushes me to work harder and better.
What would you say exemplifies your best work on Wikipedia?
I take the pictures in a uniform style under the same conditions, so it's more about consistency than having something stand out. I would say the best work I've done the entirety of the gallery, and how many different consoles I've been able to photograph.
What is the biggest difficulty in taking one of your pictures?
Just having the items in a decent quality. The pictures themselves aren't too hard (unless it's an odd shape, large or has lots of reflective surfaces) so it's mostly about having the item in front of me. That's been the biggest challenge, and it's what pushed me to create the Kickstarter.
What advice would you give a new editor interested in taking photos for video games, or in general?
Use a tripod, don't use on camera flash, upload the full-size picture, take photos specifically for articles rather than dump a bunch of stuff on Wikimedia.
What are your plans for the future? Are there any projects which you are thinking about starting?
The project that I'm doing right now is pretty massive, so I don't know when it will actually end. There's always the possibility for more projects in the future, just focusing on different subjects.

Addendum - On April 30th, an article on the English Wikipedia was made about our interviewee. Congrats to Evan Amos for having a place on this site. And who knows? Maybe his article will have a green plus or a bronze star on it in the future.

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