WordPress Photo Directory: Elevating standards and purpose

I’ve been a contributor to the WordPress Project for a few years, primarily focusing on the Marketing team. However, after leaving Yoast and with the recent rebranding of the Marketing team, I decided to shift my contributions to the WordPress Photo Directory.

Not long ago, I also became a moderator for the photo team, joining a group of 34 moderators who review each photo submitted to the directory. Lately, I’ve had some spicy opinions about the Photo Directory, and it turns out I’m not alone. After talking to several of my peers share similar thoughts, which I’d like to discuss.

A bit about me

To give you some context, I’ve been passionate about photography for over a decade and have sold numerous photos through stock photography sites. One notable example is a photo of Constantine’s hand in front of York Minster. So, I like to think that I have a fair understanding of stock photography.

Please note that these are my personal views and do not reflect the opinions of the hundreds of contributors who have submitted photos to the directory for free use across the internet.

Now, let’s dive in.

The Purpose of the Photo Directory

Let’s begin with the directory’s original intent. According to the FAQ on the WordPress Photo Directory website:

What is the purpose of the WordPress Photo Directory?

The WordPress Photo Directory provides free, high-quality, CC0-licensed, community-submitted photographs suitable for use within WordPress sites and elsewhere.

wordpress.org/photos/faq/

When exploring the WordPress.org site, the term “high quality” frequently appears. However, some photos in the directory don’t seem to meet this standard. Sorry (not sorry).

In my opinion, the Photo Directory (which I believe needs a name change) should be a repository of high-quality stock images freely available through Openverse and the internet for people who need suitable photos for their websites but cannot take them themselves.

My thoughts

Again, these are just my personal thoughts. I believe the directory has the potential to be a valuable resource for high-quality stock photos. While there are already some excellent photos in the directory, many do not meet the necessary standards for stock photography.

Currently, I see three main issues with the Photo Directory, these could be resolved with some effort. I’m willing to contribute, but this largely depends on the team leads and representatives.

Badge collecting

I’ve noticed at recent camps and contributor days that many people participate in the photo table activities primarily to earn a badge. While it’s great to encourage initial contributions, many of the submitted photos are of poor quality and lack practical use. This suggests a need for better training and clearer guidelines for moderators, which would improve the overall quality of submissions.

Photo gallery mentality

With 34 moderators, each with their own interpretation of what should be included, the directory sometimes feels like a personal photo gallery. We need a more consistent editorial approach to ensure only high-quality photos are accepted. This would prevent random, low-quality images, such as poorly lit photos of food taken at odd hours, from cluttering the directory.

Environmental impact

Accepting low-quality photos unnecessarily increases the WordPress.org carbon footprint. To make the project more sustainable, we need to be more discerning about which photos are included.

If the objective is to provide images for use in blog posts and webpages, then photos never need to be 8,000+px wide and 20+MB. There are smarter constraints that we can put on file sizes and dimensions to improve performance, and to reduce the cost on users and infrastructure.

We can do better!

The way forward

While I don’t have all the answers, I’m motivated to take action. I want to create content, celebrate our photographers, and collaborate with other teams to promote the directory. With my background in photography, project management, and marketing, I feel I can significantly contribute to enhancing the project.

So where would I start? Well…

High-quality stock images

Everyone deserves access to exceptional photos for their websites. We need to define what we mean by “high-quality” with clear guidelines and examples.

Utility for websites

Photos should be useful for websites. While there’s a way to take great stock photos of everyday items, an editorial perspective is essential to ensure they meet the quality standards.

Name change

Renaming the directory to something like “WordPress Free Stock Photography” would better reflect its purpose and set the right expectations for contributors and users.

Moderator training

Although we are all volunteers, I was surprised by the lack of training when I became a moderator. Providing training and clear examples of acceptable and unacceptable submissions would significantly raise the quality of photos in the directory.

By addressing these areas, we can transform the WordPress Photo Directory into a premier source of high-quality, useful free stock photography for the WordPress community and beyond.

Conclusion

Okay, this is a lot, and it’s going to ruffle some feathers here and there and yes, who am I to suggest all of this but, I want to improve the directory. The WordPress Photo Directory has immense potential to become a premier source of high-quality, freely available stock photography.

By addressing the current issues and implementing a few strategic changes, we can significantly elevate the directory’s standards and usability. Here are the key action points to move forward:

1. Define high-quality standards: Develop clear guidelines with visual examples to establish what constitutes a “high-quality” photo suitable for the directory.
2. Enhance moderator training: Implement comprehensive training for all moderators, including best practices and specific criteria for accepting or rejecting photos.
3. Rebrand the directory: Rename the directory to “WordPress Free Stock Photography” to better reflect its purpose and set clear expectations for both contributors and users.
4. Implement editorial oversight: Adopt a consistent editorial approach to ensure only photos that meet the high-quality criteria are accepted, preventing the inclusion of irrelevant or low-quality images.
5. Promote sustainable practices: Be more critical in the selection process to reduce the environmental impact and ensure the directory remains a sustainable resource.
6. Celebrate contributors: Create content that highlights and celebrates the contributions of our photographers, fostering a sense of community and encouraging high-quality submissions.

By focusing on these areas, we can transform the WordPress Photo Directory into a valuable resource that provides exceptional stock photography for the WordPress community and beyond. I’m ready to roll up my sleeves and get started, and I invite my fellow contributors to join me in making these improvements. Together, we can create a directory that truly reflects the high standards and collaborative spirit of the WordPress Project.