Wikipedia, often regarded as the go-to resource for information, harbors a persistent flaw: poor-quality images, especially of celebrities. This issue has prompted a collective of amateur photographers to take a stand through a new initiative called WikiPortraits. The initiative, founded by photography enthusiasts Kevin Payravi and Jennifer Lee, seeks to recruit volunteers globally to capture better representations of notable personalities attending events like film festivals and conferences.
The current state of Wikipedia portraits leaves much to be desired, with many celebrities depicted through outdated or unflattering images. Payravi noted, "This issue has always been in the back of our minds as Wikipedia editors." Their aim is to replace these subpar images, which have even inspired dedicated Instagram accounts highlighting the worst offenders.
WikiPortraits began in early 2024, and while photographers are not compensated, they have gathered volunteers from around the world, many of whom are avid Wikipediausers or photography enthusiasts themselves. Bryan Berlin, a high school photography teacher and stand-up comedian, shared how his involvement with the project initially began while performing at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and has since expanded to events like the New York Film Festival and Sundance.
Their efforts have already resulted in the improvement of images for various celebrities, including Elijah Wood and Florence Pugh. The project's photographs receive considerable attention, averaging around 100 million views per month. Furthermore, it aims to capture images for underrepresented figures in the industry who have yet to have a Wikipedia page photo.
Looking towards the future, WikiPortraits hopes to garner more photographers to document events in their regions, and while their focus is to enhance still images, they remain enthusiastic about the glitz of high-profile red carpet events, with aspirations to gain credentials for significant gatherings such as the Met Gala and the Oscars.
