You don't need technical skills in order to contribute here. Be bold when contributing and assume good faith when interacting with others. This is a wiki.
Dear fellow member of the Commons Photographers User Group,
At our last meeting end of August, we talked about getting in touch with the Wikimedia Foundation and offering our help for improving Wikimedia Commons. Today, I invite you to provide your input on a draft open letter to the Foundation. Over the course of the next ten days, we'll further improve the text together, before inviting people to sign it. If you're interested in providing input, please engage in the discussion on the talk page of the draft.
In the meanwhile, I hope you're well and have a great time taking photos! All the best, --Frank Schulenburg (talk) 08:42, 20 September 2022 (UTC)
Hello. This is a reminder for you that it is important to address the identified issues instead of simply removing legitimate warnings and notices from your talk page. Removing messages does not remove them from the talk page's history. You are encouraged instead to archive past discussions according to our community guidelines. You can have this done automatically for you -- simply place {{subst:User:Jeff G./usertalksetup}} or {{subst:autoarchive resolved section/usertalksetup}} at the top of your user talk page and then old messages will be archived after 1 month (see User:MiszaBot/usertalksetup for more details).
If you have received warnings for copyright issues, please familiarize yourself with our policy on licensing. You can also ask for help at the village pump or the help desk if you need assistance.
I hope you're well. All the best, --Frank Schulenburg (talk) 19:50, 5 October 2022 (UTC)
Question from the CPUG Board
Dear user group member,
I'm writing you to today on behalf of the board of the Commons Photographers User Group. The past year has been a busy one for us. In 2022, we've had more activities than ever before in the history of our group and you'll find an overview on our group's page.
With that being said, 2022 was also a year of learning for the current board members. Most of us hadn't been involved in running the Photographers User Group and we spent quite some time on getting used to our new roles. We all feel it was a steep learning curve.
That's why, at our last board meeting, we decided to ask our members whether they'd be ok with us serving for another year. Extending our board duties to the end of 2023 would allow us to continue the work we've started this year, and to benefit from the knowledge we've built over the past twelve months.
However, in the end, it's up to you and the other members of our group to decide whether such an extension of our board term should be granted. I invite you to voice your opinion on this page:
Dear member of the Commons Photographers User Group,
I wish you a Happy New Year! As it has been our tradition at the beginning of the new year for a while, we're sharing our most memorable shots of the past year with each other. I invite you to share a picture that is particular meaningful to you and to describe why that's the case. Also, as Wikimania 2023 will be here before we know it (August 16 to 19), please consider adding your thoughts on our planning page, where we gather ideas for how we can make Commons photography more visible than in the years before.
All the best to you, your family, and friends! --Frank Schulenburg (talk) 21:01, 2 January 2023 (UTC)
Thanks for uploading File:Umm Kulthum 06.jpg. This media is missing permission information. A source is given, but there is no proof that the author or copyright holder agreed to license the file under the given license. Please provide a link to an appropriate webpage with license information, or ask the author or copyright holder to send an email with copy of a written permission to VRT (permissions-commons@wikimedia.org). You may still be required to go through this procedure even if you are the author yourself; please see Commons:But it's my own work! for more details. After you emailed permission, you may replace the {{No permission since}} tag with {{subst:PP}} on file description page. Alternatively, you may click on "Challenge speedy deletion" below the tag if you wish to provide an argument why evidence of permission is not necessary in this case.
Please see this page for more information on how to confirm permission, or if you would like to understand why we ask for permission when uploading work that is not your own, or work which has been previously published (regardless of whether it is your own).
The file probably has been deleted. If you sent a permission, try to send it again after 14days. Do not re-upload. When the VRT-member processes your mail, the file can be undeleted. Additionally you can request undeletion here, providing a link to the File-page on Commons where it was uploaded ([[:File:Umm Kulthum 06.jpg]]) and the above demanded information in your request.
Thanks for uploading File:Umm Kulthum 03.jpg. This media is missing permission information. A source is given, but there is no proof that the author or copyright holder agreed to license the file under the given license. Please provide a link to an appropriate webpage with license information, or ask the author or copyright holder to send an email with copy of a written permission to VRT (permissions-commons@wikimedia.org). You may still be required to go through this procedure even if you are the author yourself; please see Commons:But it's my own work! for more details. After you emailed permission, you may replace the {{No permission since}} tag with {{subst:PP}} on file description page. Alternatively, you may click on "Challenge speedy deletion" below the tag if you wish to provide an argument why evidence of permission is not necessary in this case.
Please see this page for more information on how to confirm permission, or if you would like to understand why we ask for permission when uploading work that is not your own, or work which has been previously published (regardless of whether it is your own).
The file probably has been deleted. If you sent a permission, try to send it again after 14days. Do not re-upload. When the VRT-member processes your mail, the file can be undeleted. Additionally you can request undeletion here, providing a link to the File-page on Commons where it was uploaded ([[:File:Umm Kulthum 03.jpg]]) and the above demanded information in your request.
Thanks for uploading File:Umm Kulthum 05.jpg. This media is missing permission information. A source is given, but there is no proof that the author or copyright holder agreed to license the file under the given license. Please provide a link to an appropriate webpage with license information, or ask the author or copyright holder to send an email with copy of a written permission to VRT (permissions-commons@wikimedia.org). You may still be required to go through this procedure even if you are the author yourself; please see Commons:But it's my own work! for more details. After you emailed permission, you may replace the {{No permission since}} tag with {{subst:PP}} on file description page. Alternatively, you may click on "Challenge speedy deletion" below the tag if you wish to provide an argument why evidence of permission is not necessary in this case.
Please see this page for more information on how to confirm permission, or if you would like to understand why we ask for permission when uploading work that is not your own, or work which has been previously published (regardless of whether it is your own).
The file probably has been deleted. If you sent a permission, try to send it again after 14days. Do not re-upload. When the VRT-member processes your mail, the file can be undeleted. Additionally you can request undeletion here, providing a link to the File-page on Commons where it was uploaded ([[:File:Umm Kulthum 05.jpg]]) and the above demanded information in your request.
You are receiving this message because we noticed that you voted in Round 1 of the 2022 Picture of the Year contest, but not yet in the second round. Wikimedia users are invited to vote for their favorite images featured on Commons during the last year (2022) to produce a single Picture of the Year.
Hundreds of images that have been rated Featured Pictures by the international Wikimedia Commons community in the past year were entered in this competition. These images include professional animal and plant shots, breathtaking panoramas and skylines, restorations of historical images, photographs portraying the world's best architecture, impressive human portraits, and so much more.
In this second and final round, you may vote for a maximum of three images. The image with the most votes will become the Picture of the Year 2022.
Commons photographers: next virtual meeting on August 5
Dear member of the Commons Photographers User Group,
I'm inviting you to our next virtual meeting on Saturday, August 5th. We'll have two speakers: Poco a poco will provide us with an update on his underwater photography and George Oates from the Flickr Foundation will talk about the Flickr-to-Commons bridge (“Flickypedia”) that is currently in the works. If you're interested in attending, please sign up on this page: Virtual Meeting on August 5, 2023.
I hope you're having a great time taking photos and I'm looking forward to seeing you on August 5th.
Quick reminder: Commons Photographers meeting this Saturday
Dear member of the Commons Photographers User Group,
This is a quick reminder that our next meeting will happen on Saturday, August 5th. If you haven't registered yet and you're interested in learning more about underwater photography and “Flickypedia”, please sign up on this page. Also, I invite you to fill out this survey created by the people who are working on the Flickr-to-Wikimedia Commons software. Your input will make a difference.
We haven't had a virtual meeting in a while and I'm so looking forward to this weekend!
I hope this message finds you well. As you might already know, the Flickr Foundation has been busy creating a new Flickr-to-Commons bridge (“Flickypedia”) this year. After a successful demo at the GLAM Wiki Conference in Montevideo, the Flickr Foundation team is now inviting all members of the Commons Photographers User Group to be the first to review their alpha, reporting any technical issues or other feedback via the Flickypedia project talk page.
At the same time, this message is an opportunity for me to thank you for your trust and support over the past couple of years. Since 2017, we've grown into being one of the largest user groups in the Wikimedia universe. I've tremendously enjoyed interacting with all of our members when it came to joint photowalks at Wikimanias, virtual Zoom meetings where we covered a wide variety of photography topics, as well as our annual “Most memorable shot of the year”, among many other events. As I'm not running for an official position in our current board election, this will be my last message on behalf of the user group to you. Thanks for all the happy moments we shared together over the years! I hope you'll continue creating free images for the millions of people we serve through Wikipedia and Commons.
Deadline Approaching for Most Memorable Shot Submission!
Hello TOUMOU!,
Camera1 mgxCommons-Photographers User Group-logo-en
Just a quick reminder that the deadline for submitting your most memorable shot of 2023 is swiftly approaching! As tradition holds, since 2018, we've been sharing our favorite captures from the past year with each other. This year marks the sixth iteration of our beloved "Most Memorable Shot" tradition, and we're excited to see what everyone has to share.
Whether you're a member of the Commons Photographers User Group or not, you're warmly invited to participate. Your unique perspective adds to the richness of our community, and we'd love to see the world through your lens.
So, if you haven't already, take a moment to pick out your most cherished picture of 2023 and share it with us on the designated page. The deadline is February 29th, so don't let time slip away!
Let's keep this wonderful tradition alive and celebrate the beauty and diversity of our collective experiences through photography.
Commons photographers: next virtual meeting on April 13, 2024
Dear member of the Commons Photographers User Group,
I'm inviting you to our next virtual meeting on Saturday, April 13, 2024 at 9.00 UTC ( start time in your timezone (via zoneStamp!) (expected duration for 2 hrs).
The primary agenda of this gathering will revolve around discussions regarding the Movement Charter. Your valuable input and participation in these discussions would be highly appreciated. If you're interested in attending, please sign up on this page: Virtual Meeting on April 13, 2024.
I hope you're having a great time taking photos and I'm looking forward to seeing you.
Round 1 of Picture of the Year 2023 voting is open!
2022 Picture of the Year: Great Cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo), Little Egret (Egretta garzetta) and Gadwall (Mareca strepera) in Nepal.
Dear Wikimedian,
Wikimedia Commons is happy to announce that the 2023 Picture of the Year competition is now open. This year will be the eighteenth edition of the annual Wikimedia Commons photo competition, which recognizes exceptional contributions by users on Wikimedia Commons. Wikimedia users are invited to vote for their favorite images featured on Commons during the last year (2023) to produce a single Picture of the Year.
Hundreds of images that have been rated Featured Pictures by the international Wikimedia Commons community in the past year are all entered in this competition. These images include professional animal and plant shots, breathtaking panoramas and skylines, restorations of historical images, photographs portraying the world's best architecture, impressive human portraits, and so much more.
For your convenience, we have sorted the images into topical categories. Two rounds of voting will be held: In the first round, you may vote for as many images as you like. The top 30 overall and top 5% of most popular images in each category will continue to the final. In the final round, you may vote for just three images to become the Picture of the Year.
You are receiving this message because we noticed that you previously voted in the Picture of the Year contest. Wikimedia users are invited to vote for their favorite images featured on Commons during the last year (2023) to produce a single Picture of the Year.
Hundreds of images that have been rated Featured Pictures by the international Wikimedia Commons community in the past year were entered in this competition. These images include professional animal and plant shots, breathtaking panoramas and skylines, restorations of historical images, photographs portraying the world's best architecture, impressive human portraits, and so much more.
In this second and final round, you may vote for a maximum of three images. The image with the most votes will become the Picture of the Year 2023.
Happy New Year! As always at the beginning of the new year, I'm inviting you to share your most memorable shot of the past year. Which of your photos stood out in 2024? Which image created special memories that you'd like to share with others? On behalf of the Commons Photographers User Group I wish you, your family, and your friends all the best for 2025. Warmly, --Ailura (talk) 18:05, 14 January 2025 (UTC)
Wiki For Minorities in the Middle East and North Africa Contest – Join Us!
An initiative aimed at highlighting the cultural, religious, and ethnic diversity of the region through photography. The contest seeks to crown the best and most beautiful images that document the lives of minorities in the Middle East and North Africa, showcasing their traditions, customs, and unique environments. This competition provides photographers with an opportunity to capture and share the stories of these communities through images that reflect their identity and heritage, contributing to greater awareness and appreciation of the region’s rich social fabric.
How Can I Contribute?
It’s simple! Grab your camera, smartphone, or recording device, and start capturing photos, videos, or audio that tell the story of Minorities in the Middle East and North Africa. Once you’ve collected your media, head over to the Wiki For Minorities in the Middle East and North Africa Contest page and click on the Upload Now icon to submit your entry.
Timeline
Submission Period: March 15, 2025, 00:01 (UTC) – April 30, 2025, 23:59 (UTC)
Countries
Iraq, Jordan, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Algeria, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Somalia, Kuwait, Morocco, Yemen, Tunisia, Oman, Syria, Palestine, Qatar, Lebanon, Libya, Egypt, Mauritania, Turkey, Iran, Cyprus
Prizes
The best 4 images:
1st prize: 300 USD
2nd prize: 200 USD
3rd prize: 100 USD
4th prize: 50 USD
Join us now! and upload your images
Warm regards, On behalf of the Wiki For Minorities team --Rotana (talk) 07:19, 13 March 2025 (UTC)
Round 1 of Picture of the Year 2024 voting is open!
2023 Picture of the Year: Incense plays an important role in Vietnamese life. It is considered as a sacred bridge to connect the visible life of human beings and the world of heaven, earth, and gods. Photo taken in Quang Phu Cau village, on the outskirts of Hanoi, Vietnam. In this picture, incense sticks are being set out to dry, after being dipped in the incense solution.
Dear Wikimedian,
Wikimedia Commons is happy to announce that the 2024 Picture of the Year competition is now open. This year is the nineteenth edition of the annual Wikimedia Commons photo competition, which recognizes exceptional contributions by users on Wikimedia Commons. Wikimedia users are invited to vote for their favorite images featured on Commons during the last year (2024) to produce a single Picture of the Year.
Hundreds of images that have been rated Featured Pictures by the international Wikimedia Commons community in the past year are all entered in this competition. These images include professional animal and plant shots, breathtaking panoramas and skylines, restorations of historical images, photographs portraying the world's best architecture, impressive human portraits, and so much more.
For your convenience, we have sorted the images into topical categories. Two rounds of voting will be held: In the first round, you may vote for as many images as you like. The top 30 overall and top 5% of most popular images in each category will continue to the final. In the final round, you may vote for just three images to become the Picture of the Year.
Thanks,
the Wikimedia Commons Picture of the Year committee
You are receiving this message because you voted in the 2023 Picture of the Year contest.
Round 2 of Picture of the Year 2024 voting is open!
Dear Wikimedian,
You are receiving this message because we noticed that you previously voted in the Picture of the Year contest. Wikimedia users are invited to vote for their favorite images featured on Commons during the last year (2024) to produce a single Picture of the Year.
Hundreds of images that have been rated Featured Pictures by the international Wikimedia Commons community in the past year were entered in this competition. These images include professional animal and plant shots, breathtaking panoramas and skylines, restorations of historical images, photographs portraying the world's best architecture, impressive human portraits, and so much more.
In this second and final round, you may vote for a maximum of three images. The image with the most votes will become the Picture of the Year 2024.
Thanks,
the Wikimedia Commons Picture of the Year committee
Commons Photographers User Group Virtual Meeting, October 2025
Hello TOUMOU!
You are receiving this message because you are one of our esteemed members of the Commons Photographers User Group.
You are invited to the next virtual meeting of the Commons Photographers User Group! This is a great opportunity to connect, discuss important updates, and plan for the future of our group. Please register for the event using the link below!
Camera1 mgxCommons-Photographers User Group-logo-en
As we step into a new year, we’re happy to invite you to take part in “Your Most Memorable Shot 2025.”
Since 2018, photographers from across the Wikimedia community have come together at the beginning of each year to share the photographs that meant the most to them over the past twelve months. Now in its eighth iteration, this tradition continues to be a space for reflection, storytelling, and celebrating meaningful moments through photography.
Whether you are a member of the Commons Photographers User Group or not, you are warmly welcome to participate and invite others too. Every image carries a story, and your perspective helps enrich this collective showcase.
Whenever you’re ready, please select your most cherished photograph from 2025 and share it on the designated page.
The deadline for submissions is 28 February 2026, so we hope you’ll join us before then.
We look forward to discovering the moments that made your year memorable and to continuing this wonderful tradition together.
Unsubscribe / opt-out:' If you do not wish to receive further notifications related to the CPUG Board Elections 2026, you may remove your name from the mailing list
Unsubscribe / opt-out: If you do not wish to receive further notifications related to the CPUG Board Elections 2026, you may remove your name from the mailing list.
Round 1 of Picture of the Year 2025 voting is open!
2024 Picture of the Year:Mundari man polishing the horns of one of his Watusi cows using a mixture of cow urine and ash as a ritualistic and protective practice in a temporary cattle camp in Terekeka, South Sudan.
Dear Wikimedian,
Wikimedia Commons is happy to announce that the 2025 Picture of the Year competition is now open. This year is the twentieth edition of the annual Wikimedia Commons photo competition, which recognizes exceptional contributions by users on Wikimedia Commons. Wikimedia users are invited to vote for their favourite images featured on Commons during the last year (2025) to produce a single Picture of the Year.
Hundreds of images that have been rated Featured Pictures by the international Wikimedia Commons community in the past year are all entered in this competition. These images include professional animal and plant shots, breathtaking panoramas and skylines, restorations of historical images, photographs portraying the world's best architecture, impressive human portraits, and so much more.
For your convenience, we have sorted the images into topical categories. Two rounds of voting will be held: In the first round, you may vote for as many images as you like. The top 30 overall and the top 5% of most popular images in each category will continue to the final. In the final round, you may vote for just five images to become the Picture of the Year.
Round 2 of Picture of the Year 2025 voting is open!
Dear Wikimedian,
You are receiving this message because we noticed that you previously voted in the Picture of the Year contest. Wikimedia users are invited to vote for their favourite images featured on Commons during the last year (2025) to produce a single Picture of the Year.
Hundreds of images that have been rated Featured Pictures by the international Wikimedia Commons community in the past year were entered in this competition. These images include professional animal and plant shots, breathtaking panoramas and skylines, restorations of historical images, photographs portraying the world's best architecture, impressive human portraits, and so much more.
In this second and final round, you may vote for a maximum of five images. The image with the most votes will become the Picture of the Year 2025.
File:Couverture L europe et l islam.jpg has been marked as a possible copyright violation. Wikimedia Commons only accepts free content—that is, images and other media files that can be used by anyone, for any purpose. Traditional copyright law does not grant these freedoms, and unless noted otherwise,everything you find on the web is copyrighted and not permitted here. For details on what is acceptable, please read Commons:Licensing. You may also find Commons:Copyright rules useful, or you can ask questions about Commons policies at the Commons:Help desk. If you are the copyright holder and the creator of the file, please read Commons:But it's my own work! for tips on how to provide evidence of that.
The file you added has been deleted. If you have written permission from the copyright holder, please have them send us a free license release via COM:VRT. If you believe that the deletion was not in accordance with policy, you may request undeletion. (It is not necessary to request undeletion if using VRT; the file will be automatically restored at the conclusion of the process.)
This file is a copyright violation for the following reason: copyrighted book cover
Warning: Wikimedia Commons takes copyright violations very seriously and persistent violators will be blocked from editing.
User who nominated the file for deletion (Nominator): Moumou82.
I'm a computer program; please don't ask me questions but ask the user who nominated your file(s) for deletion (shown above) or at our Help Desk. //Deletion Notification Bot 2 (talk) 07:15, 26 April 2026 (UTC)
Announcing the Winners of Picture of the Year 2025!
Hi everyone,
Wikimedia Commons is pleased to finally announce the winners of this year's Picture of the Year 2025 contest! We had some truly incredible finalists to choose from, but the community has spoken.
Here are your top three winning images:
First place: The aftermath of an Israeli airstrike in Gaza City on October 9, 2023, leaving widespread destruction in the Rimal area. Attribution: WAFA (Q2915969) / CC-BY-SA 3.0
Second place: Baby cape fur seal (Arctocephalus pusillus) sleeping at Cape cross, Namibia. Attribution: Giles Laurent / CC-BY-SA 4.0
Third place: A gigantic jet photographed from the International Space Station by astronaut Nichole Ayers. Attribution: public domain
You can view the full results and see where all your favorite images placed here: Full 2025 Results
I also want to highlight what an incredible turnout we had. In the second round, we saw a massive jump in both the number of users voting and the total votes cast. We had exactly 13,979 votes cast by 3,509 users! To put that in perspective, last year we had 7,403 votes from 2,837 users. It is amazing to see that level of growth and community engagement.
Thank you to everyone who voted, helped organize, and generally made the contest such a huge success this year!
Dear member of the Commons Photographers User Group,
I hope you’re well and enjoy your time as a photographer on Wikimedia Commons. In my role of the new chair of the user group, I have a couple of updates to share with you.
After the election, the new board met for the first time on March 21 and immediately got to work. We elected the organization’s officers and decided to move from quarterly to monthly board meetings. We believe meeting more frequently will create more opportunities to serve our members effectively and help move the group forward.
We also successfully applied for a pre-conference at the upcoming Wikimania in Paris (July 21–25). If you’re planning to attend the conference, please consider joining us on July 21th for a day full of conversations about photography and Commons. Please sign up here if you’re interested.
And finally, it’s my pleasure to invite you to our first online meeting, which will take place on May 31. Our member Wojciech, an experienced concert photographer, will give a talk on photographing orchestras during live performances. I’m especially excited that we’ll have the opportunity to meet online again and am very much looking forward to this event.