The Department of Spanish and Portuguese invites you to participate in our Fourth Annual Photo Contest 2025.
Our goal is to share a variety of cultural perspectives from the Hispanic or Luso/Brazilian community through photography, promoting language learning, showcasing linguistic diversity, exploring the relationship between language and culture, fostering creativity and self-expression, raising awareness about language-related issues, to provide an opportunity to enhance creativity and the use of the language and develop your skills as a photographer and as a student.
| Participants |
The Department of Spanish and Portuguese Photography Contest is open to all current undergraduate and graduate students of Spanish and Portuguese. All photographs must focus on the Hispanic and/or Luso-Brazilian communities at Yale, the Greater New Haven area, other towns or cities in CT or the cities of the participant’s usual residence. Inspiration can come from nature, its context and its landscapes, from urban art or street art, social groups, from interculturality and cultural manifestations, events and festivals, from travel exploration, social media campaigns, personal experiences and stories, from organizations related to the language and the university. |
| Themes |
The Fourth Photo Contest consists of three themes: THEME 1: BICYCLE AND CITY How would you capture, through your lens, the integration of bicycles into urban life? We look for photographs that capture the dynamic relationship between bicycles and the city. Show us how bicycles interact with urban architecture, how they navigate busy streets, or how they provide a sense of freedom and joy to cyclists. Highlight the benefits of cycling in cities, such as sustainability, reducing traffic congestion, and improving air quality. THEME 2. NATURE PRESERVATION How can human actions, both positive and negative, impact the delicate balance of our ecosystem, and what role can individuals play in mitigating damage and promoting sustainability? We are looking for critical images about the complex relationships between human activity, the environment and sustainability, that show a perspective on the impact of human actions on the ecosystem and that highlight possible solutions. Some possible photography topics that could answer this question include: 1. Contrasting images of contaminated and pristine environments 2. Document green practices, such as renewable energy, sustainable agriculture, or waste reduction. 3. Capture the impact of climate change, such as sea level rise or extreme weather events. 4. Show innovative technologies or designs that promote sustainability. 5. Highlight community-led environmental initiatives or activism. THEME 3. CULTURAL HERITAGE THROUGH THE LENS How do traditions and cultural heritage continue to shape and influence contemporary life, and what role do they play in defining our sense of identity and community? Cultural heritage allows us to understand the history and forge the identity of a society, it allows us to learn from the experiences of past generations and apply that knowledge to the present and the future. Heritage or cultural heritage includes beliefs, artistic expressions, knowledge, values, social practices, traditions and customs. It is also evident in objects and places, that is, in everything that differentiates one nation from another. We want to see images that show the richness and diversity of cultural heritage and the unique traditions that make our communities vibrant and diverse. Photographers could capture moments that: 1. Document the transmission of traditions and cultural knowledge from one generation to the next. 2. Capture the mix of different traditions and cultural influences in contemporary life. 3. Show how cultural heritage is reinterpreted and reinvented in modern contexts, such as art, fashion or architecture. 4. Document how cultural heritage and traditions shape and define a sense of community and identity. 5. Use photography to challenge and subvert stereotypes and misconceptions about cultural heritage and traditions. |
| Submissions |
Each participant may submit up to one (1) digital photo for each of the three themes. All photographs must have been taken between summer and fall 2024 and spring 2025 in the Yale campus, the Greater New Haven area, or any other place or city of USA. Submissions must be uploaded using the online submission form provided at https://forms.office.com/r/75CAnWGCkH. Form will open for submission on February 1st. • Photographs must be the original work of the person submitting them. 1. First initial of your name, followed by your Last Name 2. Contest Theme: Name of the Theme of the contest in which you are participating with the production. 3. Title of his photographic production (Author-theme-title of the photo) Example: SDiaz - Cultural Heritage - Traditions and customs in an Afro-Caribbean Family. • Photographs will not be accepted in which all the identifying fields on the participation form have not been completed. Email submissions or printouts will not be accepted. Photos showing the use of alcohol, cigarettes, drugs or any inappropriate content or behavior will be disqualified. |
| The Jury | The photographs will be evaluated by a jury made up of photography professionals of recognized prestige in the field of arts, culture and photography who provide their services in different areas of the Yale University. It will be up to them to interpret these rules, as well as to present the proposal for the award of the prize for best photography. |
| Judging Criteria | The judges will analyze the technical merit, composition, artistic expression, creativity and quality of the image, and the correspondence of the photograph with the theme of the contest. The award for one of the themes may be declared void if the number of photographs submitted is not sufficient or when the jury considers that none of them meets the requirement of the theme. In no case may the prize be awarded to two works ex aequo, that is, there will be no possibility of a tie and awarding the prize to two contestants because the two works are of equal merit. |
| Deadlines | The submission period opens on February 1st and closes on April 16th at noon. |
| Decision of the Judges | The decision of the winner will be made public on this contest page. Winners will be notified by email by April 23rd. |
| Intellectual Property | Participants authorize the reproduction, distribution and public communication of the images presented, as well as their adaptation to the support necessary for the purposes of their communication. These images will become part of the archive of the Department of Spanish and Portuguese, which may only use them for informational, academic, and non-profit purposes. This authorization does not imply exclusivity towards the Department of Spanish and Portuguese and the author may use their images at their discretion. In the event that the Department of Spanish and Portuguese uses an image in public or academic communication events, it will always mention the name of its author. |
| Awards |
The judges will award 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place in the three themes. a) The winners in each theme will receive the following prizes: FIRST PLACE PHOTOGRAPH: $100 SECOND PLACE PHOTOGRAPH: $75 THIRD PLACE PHOTOGRAPH: $50 * Yale will award the prizes through Zelle, so winners will need a Zelle account that is connected to their YALE email address. We cannot pay anyone whose Zelle account is not connected to a Yale email address. b) All winners (1st, 2nd, and 3rd place) will receive a CERTIFICATE of recognition for their best photographs. c) All winning photographs (1st, 2nd, and 3rd place) will be displayed at the Department of Spanish and Portuguese (Humanity Quadrangle at 320 York Street, fifth floor). d) All winning photographs (1st, 2nd, and 3rd place) will be displayed on the Department of Spanish and Portuguese website for one year. The jury may consider granting a special mention per category consisting of a diploma. |