Photography project in Helsinki, Finland

VOLUNTEERS WANTED FOR “HELSINKI 4-SEASONS” PROJECT

PROJECT DESCRIPTION Starting from October 2004, WOCE starts a new non-profit project called HELSINKI 4-SEASONS (H4-S). H4-S is designed to create the biggest free picture online gallery of Helsinki city and Finland on the Internet. The goal is to make Finland and especially Helsinki city more attractable for the tourism in all four seasons of the year. The project will start in the beginning of October 2004 and will continue till October 2005. H4-S is a volunteer-based project and all content (pictures) will be made by volunteers. We welcome volunteers both local and from abroad.

H4-S VOLUNTEERS WOCE welcomes volunteers from abroad for a period of two weeks to become a photographer for H4-S project. Volunteers don’t need to be professional photographers, the only requirement is to have a camera and make as much pictures as possible. Solid experience in photography is a big plus, but motivation and enthusiasm is much important for us. During two weeks volunteers will get accommodation and breakfast in Helsinki city what will be provided for free by local activists of H4-S project.

ELIGIBILITY - To be 18 and up - To have own photo camera (digital or film)

START AND END DATE There is no specific start date, it’s open year around. Volunteers decides themselves when they want to start their own project (between Oct.2004-Oct.2005) what will last 14 days.

VOLUNTEER’S WORK SCHEDULE

Daily schedule is pretty flexible and volunteers themselves plan it. They also decides themselves whether they want to work independently or in a group with other volunteers. Basically, volunteer’s work is to explore the Helsinki city and take pictures, what means volunteers can combine their work with having fun, but every evening material should be presented to WOCE stuff.

REGISTRATION FEE

Registration fee is 150€

REGISTRATION In order to register, please fill in online application on our website here: http://www.wocet.org/applyh4-s.html

If you have questions about the project feel free to email us, you also welcome to visit our website for additionla information: www.wocet.org

So let me get this straight---a bloke has to pay 150 euros in advance in order "register" to take photos for two weeks to donate gratis to a supposed tourist scheme? All this in addition to paying to travel to and stay at a notoriously expen$ive european capital city? I checked thier website and I can attest that this WOCE "organization" is "photographically challenged" but methinks something smells fishy in the state of Finland. Can anyone confirm the legitimacy of this organization?

Yes, I was thinking--"Finland, what a nice country. Maybe I'll volunteer a couple of photos from my trip to Tampere a few years ago with 8x10" camera in hand"--until I got to the part of having to "volunteer" 150€ for the privilege of volunteering.

My reaction was that 150 euros seems pretty extreme for 'volunteer' too.

But I see that that 150 euros buys you lodging and breakfast for 14 days, too.

That sort of takes the sting out of it, in a way. I'm not going to fly to Helsinki just for this, but if I were going to be nearby (or in Helsinki) for some other reason, I might at least consider it.

Dear John,

It seems you misunderstood the project goal. We have designed H4-S project to make a FREE picture gallery on the Internet, in order to make Finland more attractable for tourists. Photographers remain all copyrights of their pictures and could sell and use them for their own needs. The only thing we ask to let us publish them on the H4-S website, what is not a commercial project.

We also understand that it's not cheap to stay in Helsinki and we have local activists who will accommodate volunteers for 2 weeks.

Registration fee is collected to confirm seriousness of volunteers(to be sure when a person is registering he/she is planing to come Finland) also some basic food we'll provide for a breakfast and other expenses of WOCE. WOCE is an officially registered organization and you can confirm it using our business ID what you can find on our website, with a patent registration authority in your home country if you are in EU.



Dear John, If you have pictures to contribute for the project feel free to contact me.





Regards,

David Rubben

David,

Thank you for clarifying. Good luck in your project!