BB-10-y
November 9, 1978
Memo: Photographic Dept., Lack of Organization, Community Needs
To: Administration, Johnny Jones
From: Legal Dept., Gene Chaikin
The photo department is one of the unsupervised areas left in our structure. The inefficiency of this arrangement is seen in lost equipment (no central supply or checkout), duplication, lack of co-ordination, confusion in ordering, and ill feelings among the “photographers.”
Photography here has the following functions (among others):
- Security
- Publicity
- Public Relations, including Medical
- Identification (passport, drivers license photos)
- Pacifying relatives.
I have the following suggestions to make:
- That the program be centralised under one supervisor, who would assign out all work, and control all equipment and supplies;
- That all equipment and supplies be centrally maintained under lock and key, and be distributed by the Supervisor either daily or on a long term check out system;
- That all photographic assignments be given out by the Supervisor and that no equipment or supplies be issued for any other purposes.
- That the dark room be formally set UP under the control of one operator, only, or two on a rotating basis so that responsibility for the use of supplies and equipment is clearly defined;
- That an identification photo system be set up at once to do passport photos and other I.D. photos for people here as we need them for newborn infants and also for passport renewals which are starting to come up. This will involve bringing over some of our equipment from S.F., but only the purchase of supplies.
There are several persons here who like to do photography and are reasonably competent, but who have been “taken off” and “put on” projects, generally causing ill will and jealousy. I think that there are enough varieties of work so it can be passed around to all, and yet keep the work that requires higher degrees of skill in the hands of those best trained.
If there is any way I can help please let me know.