The work that goes into the South Carolina Picture Project truly takes a village! Our state has an infinite amount of history to preserve, and we depend on your knowledge, your time, and your love to make the South Carolina Picture Project an unparalleled gift to future generations.
If you would like to volunteer, please send a quick note to Robin at share@scpictureproject.org.
Some volunteer opportunities require as little as 10 minutes a week, while others allow a deeper investment. No matter which you choose, they are all fun! Thank you, and we can’t wait to hear from you!
Volunteer Opportunities
Website
Social Media
Photography
Research & Writing
1. Adding Images – Perhaps our greatest need is help in adding image submissions to the South Carolina Picture Project itself, right here on this website. With just one part-time employee, we have an almost never-ending backlog of amazing photos waiting to be added to the archives. Volunteers for this position need a basic familiarity with WordPress. Training is provided. This is a great opportunity for those who enjoy instant gratification!
Time involved: 30 minutes per week (or more, as time allows)
2. Editing Images – Quite often, an image will need to be edited in some small way so that it meets our archival requirements. For example, an image may need to be cropped, and it will almost always need to be resized. Since many of our images are donated by amateur photographers, we also occasionally have to correct color and/or lighting. Volunteers for this position need to have access to Photoshop or another Adobe product. They will also need to have at least some photo editing experience. Training is provided.
Time involved: 30 minutes per week (or more, as time allows)
3. Creating Landmark Entries – Though the work is fun and fulfilling, creating landmark posts for our archives takes time. This is an ideal opportunity for someone who enjoys careful work and copyediting. The position can be tailored so that it includes creating basic entries from a template, or it can be expanded to include research and writing as well.
Time involved: 30 minutes per post
4. Researching Historic Landmarks – As important as photographs are to our mission, thorough and accurate research matters just as much – and perhaps more. Researching a landmark can take anywhere from an hour to a week, depending on how much information is available and how much time the researcher is able to give. Researchers do not have to be trained historians. To help guide researchers, we have created an “Adopt-a-Landmark” survey. This survey simplifies the research process by targeting key information like the owner’s name, the date the landmark was built, etc. This is an excellent project for “armchair historians” and those who have connections to a particular South Carolina landmark.
Time involved: 1 hour per landmark (or more, as time allows)
5. Adding Amazon Affiliate Links – One of the ways we make the money we need to survive and grow is by adding Amazon links to history books that our reader’s might enjoy. We typically make about $75/month from these links, but there is a lot of potential for us to increase that amount. If you enjoy shopping and are looking for a fun, easy project, this is the one for you!
Time involved: 5 minutes per landmark
We have two Facebook groups – South Carolina Picture Project: Historic Landmarks & Iconic Landscapes and South Carolina Picture Project: Nature & Wildlife – and both are integral to our work and our community. They also take a lot of time! All of the following opportunities would involve becoming an editor or admin on Facebook.
1. Creating Posts – Create daily or weekly posts which feature a South Carolina landmark we have already documented. This fulfilling outreach work allows members to learn about our state’s history and beauty while also spreading the message of our work and purpose.
Time involved: 10 minutes per post
2. Providing Member Feedback – One of our dreams is to be able to provide feedback to all those who take the time to share their images and stories on Facebook. They deserve it! Sometimes providing feedback can be as simple as liking or loving a post, and sometimes it can involve providing more detailed feedback – perhaps a note saying how much a post or comment means to us or how much it impressed us! Another example would be asking for more information about a particular landmark in an effort to expand the information we can provide others. This opportunity is ideal for someone who writes well, loves to build friendships, and has the time to engage with individual posts and comments.
Time involved: 15 minutes per day
3. Photographer Outreach – Members often submit incredible images that we’d love to add to this website’s archive, and we need help reaching out to them for permission. This enjoyable opportunity involves building relationships based on appreciation and also teaching photographers where to find our upload tool and release form.
Time involved: 15 minutes per day
1. Taking Pictures – This website currently features images of over 2,500 South Carolina landmarks, but believe it or not, there are at least 10,000 more we need to add! Photographers are invited to submit photos of any historic site in South Carolina. We also love and appreciate images of our state’s iconic landscapes – rivers, waterfalls, beaches, and more. If you are a photographer and looking for ideas, please visit our Wish List of Missing SC Landmarks. This guide contains the names of many of the landmarks that either (A) we are still missing or (B) are not yet fully covered.
Time involved: 10 minutes (or more, as time allows)
2. Editing Images – Quite often, an image will need to be edited in some small way so that it meets our archival requirements. For example, an image may need to be cropped, and it will almost always need to be resized. Since many of our images are donated by amateur photographers, we also occasionally have to correct color and/or lighting. Volunteers for this position need to have access to Photoshop or another Adobe product. They will also need to have at least some photo editing experience. Training is provided.
Time involved: 30 minutes per week (or more, as time allows)
1. Creating Landmark Entries – Though the work is fun and fulfilling, creating landmark posts for our archives takes time. This is an ideal opportunity for someone who enjoys careful work and copyediting. The position can be tailored so that it includes creating basic entries from a template, or it can be expanded to include research and writing as well.
Time involved: 30 minutes per post
2. Researching Historic Landmarks – As important as photographs are to our mission, thorough and accurate research matters just as much – and perhaps more. Researching a landmark can take anywhere from an hour to a week, depending on how much information is available and how much time the researcher is able to give. Researchers do not have to be trained historians. To help guide researchers, we have created an “Adopt-a-Landmark” survey. This survey simplifies the research process by targeting key information like the owner’s name, the date the landmark was built, etc. This is an excellent project for “armchair historians” and those who have connections to a particular South Carolina landmark.
Time involved: 1 hour per landmark (or more, as time allows)