Digital photography - it's more than a technical revolution, it's a political one too
By Robert Caston - Jul 01, 2009
We all know we are in the midst of a revolution in photography. Kodachrome is gone. A 1-megapixel camera is no longer a sensation. You can now shoot 500 high-quality images on a memory card the size of a stamp.
And if that wasn't incredible enough, with one click, you can also transmit those images to a friend on the other side of the globe.
But there's a deeper revolution taking place as a result of this new technology. Nowhere was this more evident than with the recent protests in Iran.
Students on the streets didn't just have a camera cellphone in their hands. They had a sense of power - the power to show the rest of the world they weren't going to settle for a bogus election. A bogus election where millions of paper ballots were counted in a matter of hours and a dinosaur of a tyrant named Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was kept in office.
The protesters were determined to let their overseas friends on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube know that not everyone in Iran was supportive of the old regime.
Thus began the "Twitter Revolution." Eyewitness accounts from marchers who flocked to the streets in support of opposition candidate Mir-Hossein Mousavi blasted across the internet. As one Iranian wrote, "We students do not chant death to America. We want the American constitution."
WeSay is proud to hear that "Twitter Pics" and digital photographs were a large part of that uprising. (By the way that's our mission - to give a voice to citizens through photography.)
One of our members in Dallas sent us a gallery of photos showing Iranians demonstrating in support of their countrymen.
While things have settled somewhat in Iran, that country and the world have changed and won't be going back. Others will now see that they have this strength, this capacity to not only document oppression, but to disseminate what they record to the world, in an instant.
If you don't think this is a powerful weapon, then take a look at this image of a lone Iranian woman standing up to police. She's not only demanding her rights, she risking her life because she knows the rest of the world is watching...and standing behind her.
As Americans are about to celebrate the Fourth of July and the anniversary of their pursuit of freedom, here is this incredible photograph of hopefully another long-lasting revolution about to take place.
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Summer photo contest - cool categories and cold cash
By Robert Caston - Jun 18, 2009
During those frigid winter months, as a photographer didn't you just yearn for the summer when the days were long, the light was bright and you didn't have to risk frostbite? Well, summer is here and WeSay will help you make the most of it with our Best of Citizen Photojournalism V Summer Photo Contest.
We had some very interesting entries with our last news photo contest, so we decided to stray from the usual path and come up with some crazy categories for this one.
The first one that is bound to catch your attention is "Hottest Sports Fans." Enough of the photos of those overpaid, overpraised and bound-to-leave-you frustrated athletes. What about all the fanatics supporting them in the stands? It's their turn.
We want to see the craziest, sexiest photos of sports fans you can find. From baseball stadiums to racetracks to beaches. Let's honor them for their selfless devotion, long hours baking in the sun and emptied wallets.
The next category is "Water Fun." You need water to survive. You need water in the summer to have a good time.
Summer is the time for "Festivals," our next category. Many outdoor concerts give you a good opportunity to get close to performers.
"Sports" is an obvious one, if you include baseball. But we're looking for other feats of athleticism - volleyball, surfing, kite-boarding, skateboarding, wake boarding - as long as its not boring.
Just when you are about to take that prize-winning photograph, it's bound to start pouring. That's okay, we're also looking for "Storm" photos and there's nothing more spectacular than lightning or a really nasty-looking cloud.
Finally, if you see a hot breaking news photo, a celebrity or just something interesting, as the web's leading citizen photojournalism site, WeSay will take it.
Grand prize is $300 cash. Second place overall gets a cool photo book from dotPhoto. There's $100 for the top prize in each of these categories and $25 for second place. 14 prizes in all - a very good chance for you to get something this summer besides a sunburn.
Contest ends July 31. Put on your sneakers and your shorts, get out there and enter your photos here.
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One month, 1,000 photos, 13 cash winners
By Jason Geil - Jun 15, 2009
Those are the final numbers in the most recent WeSay Best of Citizen Photojournalism Photo Contest. And the big winner is ...
Goncalo Figueiredo of Braga, Portugal who submitted a gripping photograph of firefighters battling the flames from a car explosion.
Goncalo wins $300 for his grand-prize winning entry!
Of course, there were other great photos and we have plenty more awards and cash prizes to hand out. You can view all of the prize-winners here!
Don't worry if you didn't win this time.
We'll be launching our next photo contest June 17, so keep shooting those photos and congratulations to all of the winners.
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