2009 Photography Contest Photo Essay

Here are some photographs by Nick Grossman. Nick is from Germany and was studying photography at Emily Carr. He volunteered to give a photo workshop for contestants on the day of the camera handout. You can see more of Nick's photos on flickr. 

The day had begun early and already when the first volunteers arrived, there was a mass of people waiting. By the time volunteers began the enrollment there were hundreds of people waiting. Here Max Stockholder asks a woman her name and contact details in case she wins. Many people who are homeless give a local community centre as their contact place. Over 100 people were turned away after the tickets were handed out.

Volunteers were busy throughout the whole event, with each person being allocated to a different task. Here the volunteers arrive with the cameras and the coffee. There were six tables for cameras to be picked up at and the handout was divided into two groups: one started at 10:30 and the second at 11 a.m. The coffee was donated by Salt Spring Coffee.

The contestants are shown how the camera works and how to fill in the subject consent form. They are told the importance of asking permission from people before they take their picture. If a subject (or subjects) of a photograph is in the top 40, they get $20 (shared between more than one person). They also get to be interviewed for the captions in the exhibition and calendar.

The first photo is of the contestant. It is used in case the documentation gets separated from the cameras and it is also used in the calendar if the person has a winning image chosen for it.

Many children from the neighbourhood take part in the contest. Inside the palstic bag is a FujiFilm camera, a consent form and a pen. The contest began on Saturday June 6 and ended three days later.

After the photo has been taken, contestans are able to leave and begin their journey into their own community in hopes of discovering what this year's theme, Heart of Our Community, means to them. The photos, come judging, will not only be valued for their artistic merit, but also for their ability to capture the theme, so contestants have to make every shot count!

See more Hope in Shadows on Flickr:

All above photographs copyright Pivot Legal Society, photographer Nick Grossmann. See the full set on Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/nickgrossmann_hopeinshadows//

See Blackbird's Hope in Shadows photos here (with links to the past few years): http://www.flickr.com/photos/blackbird_hollow/3601800886/

A local group called AHA Media also took 100s of photos on June 6: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ahamedia/sets/72157619350888586/