At the beginning of my WP Credits project, I chose the Photos Team and set a clear goal: contribute enough original photographs to have at least 30 accepted and published in the WordPress Photo Directory.
Photography was already a hobby for me, especially when taking pictures of landscapes, animals, and things that caught my attention, so I believed from the beginning that the goal was realistic.
My original goals
My initial objective was mainly to complete the requirement of 30 accepted photographs.
I also wanted to use the project as an opportunity to do something different from programming and technology-focused work. Photography allowed me to contribute to WordPress while working on something more visual and creative.
As the project progressed, my goal also became more focused on contributing the best photographs I had available and providing images that could actually be useful to the community.
Progress and accomplishments
By the halfway stage of the program, I had already made significant progress on the contribution project.
I submitted a total of 40 photographs, and 33 were approved and published in the WordPress Photo Directory.
This meant that I had already exceeded the original requirement of 30 accepted photographs.
Some of the photographs were images I especially liked, including the spider web with water droplets and the red and black crab. Knowing that these photographs are now available to the WordPress community made the project feel more meaningful than simply completing a numerical requirement.
Comparing my progress with my original plan
I was confident from the beginning that I could reach the goal because I normally take many photographs and already had a collection of images that I could review.
For that reason, reaching the target was not completely unexpected.
However, completing the main contribution requirement by the halfway stage gave me more time to focus on the other parts of WP Credits, such as documenting my experience, completing reflection posts, participating in community activities, and preparing for the final stage of the program.
Obstacles I encountered
The biggest challenge for me was not understanding the Photos Team rules because the documentation was actually very clear.
The main difficulty was preparing the photographs with the correct dimensions and technical requirements.
At the beginning, adjusting dimensions and making sure the files were prepared correctly required more attention. This was probably the most technical part of the project for me.
I also had some rejected photographs. In total, seven of the 40 submitted photographs were not approved. Several of those rejections were related to image quality.
How I handled the obstacles
The issue with image dimensions became easier through practice.
After preparing several batches of photographs, I became more familiar with checking the files and making the necessary adjustments before submitting them.
When a photograph was rejected, I did not spend too much time trying to force that image into the project. My strategy was simple: I had many other photographs available, so I selected another image from my collection, prepared it, and continued submitting.
My general workflow became: take many photographs, select the strongest candidates, prepare them according to the requirements, submit them, and continue with other images if some were rejected.
Work still ahead
At the halfway point, the main photography contribution requirement was already complete.
The remaining work was mostly related to completing the rest of the WP Credits program: documenting the project, publishing the required reflection posts, participating in the WordPress community, attending a WordPress event, completing the forms, and eventually preparing the final wrap-up.
Since then, I have also attended the required WordPress event, so at this stage I am mainly focused on completing the final closure and making sure that all the required evidence and activities are properly documented.
What I need for the second half
The most useful support for me is having someone who can confirm that I am following the correct path and that I am completing the requirements properly.
Most of this project has been completed independently by reading the documentation and learning the process through practice rather than relying heavily on a tutor.
Because of that, what I value most from a mentor is not constant assistance, but guidance at important checkpoints: confirming that the work is correct, identifying anything that may be missing, and helping clarify the final steps.
At this point, I feel that I am very close to completing the program. It has been a process with a lot of valuable learning, especially because I was able to complete most of it empirically by reading the documentation, practicing, and adapting as I progressed.
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