Launch of #VisionFirst photo competition

IAPB, with support from Bayer, is back with its fifth online photo competition on the theme “Vision First!” ending on World Sight Day (10 October 2019). Prizes include a DSLR camera and a cash prize! Find out more at http://photocomp.iapb.org (Do use the hashtag #VisionFirst!)

After the immense success of our four successive photo competitions starting in 2015, the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB) invites amateur and professional photographers from around the world to join us in celebrating the diversity of stakeholders and patients we reach. With support from Bayer Health Care, the theme for the international Photography Competition this year is “Vision First!”.

Joanna Conlon, Director of Development and Communications said, “The photo competition allows us to celebrate the small victories—a smile on the face of a child after cataract surgery, and highlight why we need to put vision first. The fact that the images are being used for advocacy by organisations like WHO, World Bank etc. is an added bonus. And to top it all–this is 5 years of the photo competition with our wonderful partner, Bayer! Hope you have all enjoyed it as much as we have.”

Theme

We know now that 1.2 billion people don’t have access to glasses. Over 3 out of 4–more than 75%–of the world’s vision impaired are avoidably so. The photo competition is a great tool to draw a spotlight on eye care issues across the globe and those who are vulnerable to sight conditions—young children, persons with diabetes, older people, people with limited access to health services etc. With the theme, “#VisionFirst!”, IAPB encourages you to share images that highlight the impact, and strength of our partnerships and most importantly highlight the importance of vision everywhere in the world.

World Sight Day (10 October 2019) is an international day of awareness about avoidable blindness and its prevention and is an important advocacy and communications opportunity for the eye health community. It is a great time to engage with a wider audience – a patient’s family, those who seldom get an eye exam, diabetics – and showcase why eye health needs everybody’s attention.

Participation in the competition is open worldwide – upload a photo that best exemplifies eyecare everywhere, give it a title or caption; clearly note your name, profession and contact details on the competition micro-site: http://photocomp.iapb.org. You can read the competition guidelines, here.

Prizes

All individuals interested in the theme are welcome to participate in the photo competition. Send us your photos with the theme “Vision First” before World Sight Day (10th October 2019). Every week, we will pick “Editor’s picks” and showcase them on IAPB’s social media accounts. Finally, winners will be selected from these Editor’s picks after World Sight Day (the last day of the competition).

The IAPB Council of Members 2019 delegates will be asked to vote for their favourite picture from a shortlist of Editor’s picks. The winning picture will receive a certificate.The competition will be open till 10 October 2019 – World Sight Day, after which we will pick two winners and 5 runners-up. Winners will be announced on 14 October 2019. The Amateur prize will be a professional camera: Canon 1200 D DSLR camera. The professional prize this year will be a cash prize of USD 1000.

For more information do visit the micro-site: https://photocomp.iapb.org

Image on top: In Pakistan, a school girl poses to have her photo taken / Photo credit: Mohammad Omer