Interesting initiative for VG

[matt3o]

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/169 ... ame-museum

would be nice to do the same for KB, I mean having a standard convention for high-quality raw format pictures for keyboards (and possibly whole systems)

[HaaTa]

I definitely have enough keyboards to start something like this

I'd need a photographer though.

[Muirium]

Ah, HaaTa, I was writing about you!

This looks like one man's effort to categorise and open up his own game console collection. Nice, but difficult to coordinate between members of a community, like here. For a start, I've no idea how to take those nice white background pictures (let alone the exploded views) or a good excuse to get more photography gear, which I'm sure is the answer!

He's lucky he's dealing with a limited set of hardware. All it takes is a trip to HaaTa's closet to discover just how endless keyboard history gets. It's crazy to even countenance…

[matt3o]

you definitely need some photography gear... and people willing to lease their precious keyboards... feasible imho

[Broadmonkey]

If we have to do something similar, we would have to elect someone with the right skill set, equipment and location (to cut down on shipping cost) to take the pictures, create some kind of fund that would cover shipping of the various boards to and from the photographer.The biggest win would be high quality pics but also a higher rate of consistency between pictures on the wiki. It is however quite costly in both shipping and time since there is a shitload more different keyboards than consoles.

A cheaper solution would be to create a template/guide for how pictures should be taken for the wiki (which particular shots of each keyboard should be taken, like full shot, close up of PCB, switches, seriel/model numbers etc. and how to achieve even lighting)

[Muirium]

A cheaper solution would be to create a template/guide for how pictures should be taken for the wiki (which particular shots of each keyboard should be taken, like full shot, close up of PCB, switches, seriel/model numbers etc. and how to achieve even lighting)

Good idea. I'd add a bit about white balance to the lighting guide. Like so many things, there's too many mucky brown and yellow shots of keyboards everywhere! But training people photographic know-how may be just as hard as shipping monstrous boards around.

Mind, it is a useful skill to know at least.

[Broadmonkey]

You are right, it is hard to teach and learn how to take good pictures. But for me the most important factor is consistency and a satisfactory amount of different pictures of each keyboard.
So I was thinking that a Picture Guide would be more of a template, so you just have to replicate the pictures in the guide so we have consistent picture set of each keyboard.
Example could be (with picture examples added):
1 picture of full keyboard, top view.
1 picture of full keyboard, turned 45 degrees and from a low view as to see case and key caps (profile) from the side.
1 picture of full PCB, top view.
1 picture of every different switch, close up.
1 picture of sticker with model/serial number.
...and so on, so you always know what shots to take to make a satisfactory wiki album.

[matt3o]

you need a high quality camera and a mini-studio set anyway... I don't know if that could be a solution, but I see no harm in giving good directions for taking pictures.

Another way would be to move just one person with the equipment across Europe instead of moving keyboards back and forward.