Volunteer Position Description
Title/Position:
Position Goal
The primary task of this position is to photograph objects in the Museum's Artifact and Teaching Collections as part of the documentation process. You may also photograph Museum staff for museum publications. This position combines artistic talent with technical skill.
Sample Activities
List of Sample Activities
- Using props and lighting to enhance the quality of images
- Editing images using Adobe Photoshop software
- Importing images into a Filemaker Pro Database
Time Frame
List of Time Frame Information
- Length of commitment: Minimum of 1 year.
- Estimated hours: Minimum 6 hours per week.
Scheduling
Volunteers need to be available to work between the hours of 9-4, Monday through Friday with 2-3 hour blocks of time. A weekly schedule will be arranged with the Assistant Registrar for Collections.
Location of Worksite and Equipment to be Used
Volunteer will be doing photography using a Nikon D200 camera in the Museum's photo studio and photo editing will take place in the Museum's workroom.
Qualifications Sought
We are seeking people with knowledge of the photography process, experience in commercial, fine arts, or portrait photography, and an understanding of how to use lighting and props to create quality digital images. A required in-house training workshop on proper artifact handling techniques will be provided.
Benefits
Volunteers in this position will learn to properly handle museum objects, enhance their photo editing skills, and have the rare opportunity to work first hand with the Museum's Collections. Most important, volunteers will be contributing to the documentation and preservation of an important resource for use by present and future generations of students, staff, scholars, and museum visitors.
Supervisors
Cheri Vitez, Assistant Registrar for Collections is the primary supervisor. Amy Heggemeyer, Assistant Registrar for Acquisitions and Jennifer White, Registrar, are secondary supervisors.
Contact
For questions or to apply, contact Brian Cudiamat, Volunteer Coordinator, at cudiamat@illinois.edu (email link) or 333-0889.
Download application form (application.pdf).