We recently shared the launch of Megaphone’s 12th annual special literary anthology of Voices of the Street, which showcases the voices and vision of marginalized writers and photographers. This week we are pleased to highlight another one of their programs we have been excited to support with prizes and gifts for the participants: The Hope in Shadows Photo Contest.
Megaphone is a not-for-profit organization that strives to change the story on poverty by promoting social equity, amplifying marginalized voices and creating meaningful work. One of their projects is the Hope in Shadows calendar. The photos featured in the calendar are taken during an annual photography contest where Megaphone vendors use single-use disposable cameras to capture images of their communities. The top photos are selected by a community jury, vendors and supporters, and published in the award-winning Hope in Shadows calendar, which is sold on the streets of Vancouver and Victoria by Megaphone’s low-income vendors.
This past May, over 80 participants attended a photography workshop that – for the first time this year – was facilitated by two Megaphone storytellers with the mentorship and support of professional photographer Diana More. After learning about lighting, composition and connecting with photo subjects, the participants headed out the door with their single-use cameras to try to capture an award-winning photo.
After receiving 1500+ photo contest submissions, a community jury was engaged in the challenging task of narrowing them down to the top 30 photos that best portrayed the theme of “celebrate.”
And now, with your vote, we’d like to help Megaphone find the winning 13 photos that will be featured in their 2022–2023 20th anniversary edition of the Hope in Shadows calendar.
To learn more about Megaphone and how you can support them please visit their website.
