January 13, 2021
HUGHE DILLON/for PhillyVoice
Did you take any powerful photos in Pennsylvania during the coronavirus pandemic? You can submit them to be considered for the state's upcoming virtual COVID-19 history exhibit, 'One Lens: Sharing Our Common Views.' The photo submission period will open on Monday, February 8, 2021 and remain open until Monday, March 8, 2021.
The sights and scenes of the coronavirus pandemic have run the gamut from eerie and chilling to heroic and uplifting, from the desolation of lockdowns to the front-line and essential workers who have held society together during an unprecedented time.
Pennsylvania first lady Frances Wolf has issued a call to photographers, whether professional or amateur, to submit photos for a statewide virtual exhibit that will document the story of Pennsylvania throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
The projected, called One Lens: Sharing Our Common Views, aims to preserve the state's experience of the pandemic through three themes:
• Our Heroes: Paying homage to the pandemic heroes who cannot stay home
• Our Lives: Looking at how we spend our time when no one is watching
• Our Communities: Showcasing Pennsylvanians uniting in the face of a global health crisis.
“We are living through an extraordinary moment right now,” said First Lady Wolf. “How we live, how we communicate, and how we educate our children have changed drastically since last March, but we all still yearn for a sense of community because that’s what reminds us of our own strength and tenacity."
The photo submission period will open on Monday, February 8, 2021 and remain open until Monday, March 8, 2021. The full exhibit will be released to the public on Friday, March 19, 2021.
The project is not a competition and there is no entry fee to submit a photo. Participants may submit a maximum of three photographs for consideration.
Once a photo is submitted, it becomes the sole property of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, which may publish, distribute, alter, sell or otherwise make use of the photo as its own property.
Photo submission eligibility and requirements are as follows:
• Photographer must be a current resident of Pennsylvania, 18 years of age or older
• Content must have been captured during the COVID-19 pandemic (March 2020 through present).
• Digital file resolution must be at least 300 dpi, or 1600×1200 pixels. Images should be no smaller than 1 mb and no larger than 5 MB. Images should be a JPEG or PNG files.
• Submissions must include contact information (name, phone number, email address, and county) and a brief caption with entry.
• By submitting a photograph, you confirm that each person depicted in the photograph has granted permission to be portrayed as shown. However, any photos depicting individuals under 18 years of age must be accompanied by express written permission from the parent/guardian in order to be considered for inclusion in the exhibit.
Photo submissions must not contain the following:
• Profane/vulgar language
• Nudity/sexual content
• Illegal activity
• Name-calling, threats, defamatory statements, or personal attacks towards an individual
• Hate speech targeting an individual’s race, color, religious creed, ancestry, age, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, AIDS or HIV status, or disability
• Commercial content promoting or soliciting service or products
• Promote political organizations
• Information that could reasonably compromise public safety
• Other content that the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania deems inappropriate
Photo submissions are not guaranteed to be featured and will be reviewed by the First Lady’s Office and the Pennsylvania Tourism Office. Project partners also include the PA Council on the Arts and the PA Historical & Museum Commission.
"The One Lens exhibit is an extended community for Pennsylvanians, one where we can share our stories with our neighbors from every corner of the state, inspire each other, and help each other heal while creating our history of this time," Wolf said.
