But fun 
But if the point is to make a wall of member photos then it won’t happen because people won’t be bothered. Do pin hole photography as a workshop but not as a way to make a wall of photos.
It’s not fun when it becomes a drag for the _n_th member. But equally having somebody take the photo doesn’t make it too complicated – it might actually be thing that makes it happen, as there’s some social agency on the part of the existing members. Regardless, I’d say it’s having the kit set up and ready on demand that’s the critical enabler.
So on that, yes to a printer and a bright flash.
A thought while we’re on our way to getting something done properly here. Be good to have a photo with each shutter request post. Well, where I say ‘be nice’ I really am suggesting ‘be absolute policy’. Names get mixed up, and it would be nice to have a chance to recognise members vs. not if you’ve been on Discourse more than the space.
A general drive to reduce the random letter avatars would be nice, but It shouldn’t be mandatory IMO.
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I’ve started working on this again, @pip do you know if the Pi Camera 2 is actually any good?
Ahh, just walked out the office I could have borrowed one. Hopefully I’ll remember tomorrow, you going to be at electronics night?
I’d say they are good, wholly sufficiant for mugshots, though it’s a bit subjective picture quality, what’s the yard stick?
Lighting is key to a flattering photo, diffused is best just above the camera, easy done with acrylic and leds.
Depth of field you don’t get with picam obviously, but slr is chunk of change. You could get canon second hand and control with gphoto2, is what I do at work. But probably overkill for now
The word Polaroid springs to mind…
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We’ve bought the printer now!
Polaroid don’t exist anymore and the Impossible Project film and Fuji Instax films are relatively expensive.
Ok then… looking foraward to see the Makerspace redesigned and new improved Makeroid!
It’s not about being new and improved… I am already printing photos on demand, but this is about making a way to grab photos automatically when people get their welcome tour.
Sorry, I think you misunderstood, I meant that from the conversation above it sounded like you guys were talking about making a new and improved version of the Polaroid in a sense not that the process will be new and improved. I think it’s all in all an awesome idea! Tom I thought your initial photo wall in the first instance was a fantastic idea…
It’s just a box on the wall, it could be that when you join you put a blank tag up, it links to your member profile and grabs a photo, prints it and uploads it to discourse, or that it just has a button to print a photo with your details under it, but it’s a stationary kiosk that takes a decent photo and prints it.
So I am continuing to work on this, have managed to knock a script together that generates a PDF and sends it to print via IPP and CUPS.
I’m going to divide the work into three:
-
Printer
Script checks a folder for new JSON files and prints them, they include the data and photo. -
Web Interface
Creates a web interface so people can upload their own photo and details from any where inside the network. -
Photobooth
A kiosk utility that grabs a nice photo with lighting and some how collects your details.
This way it keeps the photo capturing and GUI bit separate.
Plan would be to use some of them white LEDs and a white perspex diffuser for lighting, a small 5-10" LCD, raspberry Pi, Webcam/Pi Cam and build a box for it all that can be fitted in the space.
I imagined we fit a post from floor to ceiling at the end of the book shelf / kitchen that would support the thing without attaching it to the book shelf.
Costs:
£50~ Screen
£10~ White Perspex
£30~ Pi Camera 2
£40~ Raspberry Pi 3
Will get it working on my Mac first.
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I don’t like the idea.
I don’t see why people have to have there photo taken. And I don’t see why they have to have it linked to their account.
I don’t think this has been agreed at any point or properly discussed further than a few people that are enthusiastic about doing it.
Do a smell Do-Ocracy at work?
And ti some extent I’m playing devils advocate.
But genuinly hate having my photo taken like this.
Privacy issues?
Needs wider agreement.
Also it should be optional at the very least. Optional to do it. Not optional to not do it.
As in “would you like a photo” rather than “we’re now going to take your photo” and letting them opt out if they protest.
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Just for info.
I’ve got a working Polaroid. Just need the film.
But as you say hard to get hold of and a bit pricey.
Technically prefer your idea to a Polaroid.
Just don’t really like the idea of taking mug shots of people. To me it reminds me of Raising Arizona or The Usual Suspects where criminals get catalogued or those naff work ID photos.
Jokes aside I think there’s some non technical issues issues that need ironing out before its rolled out.
@jonathanjo @jackiekeane help me out here, your much more eloquent than me and have raised objections in the past to this kind of thing.
we have a projection screen that rolls down tha can provide a neutral enough backdrop
https://uk.impossible-project.com/
These are bringing polaroid back
If members don’t want to be on the wall then of course they don’t have to be.
It’s all about making it easier for members to get to know who other members are, in order to make the place more welcoming. Nothing more.