Learning resources for photgraphers and visual artists using free software are often grouped according to the various projects. Interactions take place in communities and mailing lists that are specific to those programs with only the occasional cross communication to other projects (and usually done by developers). These communities tend to be focused less on the craft and more on the software itself.
As such there is a lack of learning resources approaching the overall practice of photography. There are resources such as Phlearn, KelbyOne, and Lynda.com that look at various aspects of learning photography but they are a) focused on proprietary software mainly, and b) lock away the "good" content behind paywalls/subscriptions. There are also workshops and seminars available but they suffer from the same problem as the previous resources (expensive, proprietary).
PIXLS.US is an attempt at rectifying this environment by approaching photography and learning with a similar outlook as free software. The project aims to:
- Produce open, freely accessible learning materials for anyone to use and leverage without compromise in the quality and presentation.
- Foster a community for inclusion of everyone to discuss and learn all aspects of photography as well.
- Focus on photography first (craft-centric) followed closely with free-software use and its application to photography.
This presentation will look at the overview of building this community. Including an overview of the material and people who have created and shared resources, the implementation of a modern forum (discourse) to support discussions, and some of the projects that have been created. This presentation will also look at the overall results so far and where the community can hopefully go in the future to help continue promoting Free Software photographers and their work.