The case for crowdsourcing

On the new Boston.gov, we’ve planned to have more opportunities to showcase our City using photography. The problem? We now have a wishlist of more than 700 locations around the City for which we need fresh, high-quality photos — a full-time job for our small team to capture.

A solution was unexpectedly brought to us by local historian Liz Covart.

.@CityOfBoston displays pic of Copp’s Hill Burying Ground for King’s Chapel Burying Ground. https://t.co/JMcGHtKs6H pic.twitter.com/TDzbgWnwG7

— Liz Covart (@lizcovart) March 29, 2016

After flagging this mismatched photo on the site, the conversation on Twitter led to a great idea: let the citizens of Boston make their own mark on the City’s new site by asking them to share their amazing shots.

So we’re asking everyone from amateur enthusiasts to proud professionals to share their favorite photos of these spots around Boston.

Some notes on these images: we’re trying to show the City from a more human perspective, which doesn’t necessarily mean the most dramatic perspective. Find unexpected angles and interesting things in your composition to focus on. If people are in your photos, they should look candid and genuine — not posed. And while we love seeing residents in shots, please no selfies.

Please include the location in the description. Images should be 17.9 mp at 5184 x 3456 pixels or higher.

Share your photos