JN Foundation launches photo advocacy competition to mark Jamaica’s 60th

The JN Foundation recently launched its ‘Greatness through the lens’ photo-advocacy competition, which invites persons passionate about photography and community advocacy to enter.

Claudine Allen, general manager of the JN Foundation, said the competition was conceptualised to celebrate Jamaica’s 60th year of independence under the national theme “Reigniting a Nation for Greatness”.

“This competition will encourage Jamaican photographers to bring awareness to the unseen ‘helpers/advocates’ whose voluntary service engenders positive change for vulnerable communities and advances the preservation of our environment,” she noted.

Allen said the competition is aimed at recording, capturing, and documenting imagery drawn from several locations and experiences common to the Jamaican people and to provide space and opportunity for Jamaicans to celebrate, express, or advocate issues and elements echoed in Jamaican society using photography.

The JN Foundation general manager said the intention is to build the competence of photographers across the island and equip them with technical skills to effectively advocate by capturing and showcasing their unique interpretations of the theme.

“We hope to create a catalogue of 20 to 30 images that tells our story in an impactful way … depicting greatness of our people through the lens,” she disclosed.

Deadline for entries is October 31. Students and adult photographers are invited to register and participate in the competition at the following link: https://www.jnfoundation.com/jamaica-60-photo-competition/#register.

Participants must be Jamaican, whether by birth or naturalisation, and must submit, along with an application, a test photo. They will also be required to commit to attending two training sessions. Student entries will be adjudged in the primary and secondary categories.

Cleveland-based photojournalist, specialising in editorial and environmental portraits, Radcliffe ‘Ruddy’ Roye, will be one of two master photographers who will help entrants to improve their skills during the competition.

Roye, who is Jamaican, has more than 20 years of experience and is inspired by the raw and gritty lives of grass-roots people, especially those in Jamaica.

He has worked with magazines such as National Geographic, Time Magazine, Vogue Ebony, ESPN, and Essence, and honed his skill as a photojournalist by working as an Associated Press stringer in New York. He is also known for his documentation of the dancehall scene.

Stuart Reeves, a seasoned educator with years of experience in Jamaica and his native country, England, is the other trainer for the competition. A former school principal, he is an established trainer and has previously worked with the JN Foundation in a similar capacity.