The main skills and knowledge that I am using from my coursework for my photography internship include mostly digitization and metadata experience. My photography internship primarily consists of cropping archival photographs through Adobe Photoshop and uploading them into the Digital Asset Management System, DAMS, and describing derivatives through metadata. The experience is very similar to coursework with the exception of learning how to navigate a new system. I have just finished ingesting the full-page spreads of the Ledger book of William Bache to be displayed on the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery website. The work is in the public domain. My ingests will eventually replace the current photographs listed here. I have cropped 166 photographs into the DAMS and uploaded the entire Bache album of approximately 85 pages. My next project is to review the Out of Many Exhibit workbook spreadsheet to analyze and identify what new photographs need to be cropped or edited for the in-person exhibit currently in renovation. I look forward to continuing work on my Omeka site to showcase the photographs I have cropped that are in the Public Domain as a part of the Smithsonian NPG Open Access Initiative. I look forward to meeting with Alex and Mark this Friday to discuss new projects and the next steps as my internship continues.
I have not noticed a significant difference between the theory and practice of digitization and metadata. The only major difference is that my internship work is conducted on a larger scale than in the previous graduate certificate classes. The work has given me access to additional Smithsonian employees both inside and outside the NPG to conduct informational interviews with. I am currently in the process of scheduling them for March or April. My goal is to speak with as many museum professionals in exhibit technology, photography, curation, collections management, and other departments before my internship concludes in late May.
The skills of digitization and metadata are essential for digital humanities work as they allow digital humanists to display their work online. The skills that I improved have inspired me to create new Omeka sites and broaden my skills as I continue to apply for federal employment through USAJobs after joining the Society for History in the Federal Government, SHFG. I am excited about new opportunities with this internship, learning more about photography, and conducting informational interviews with Smithsonian employees to prepare myself for a future career within the federal government.
