Wiki Loves Living Heritage/Living Heritage photo contests
Living Heritage photo contests
Wiki Loves photo contests gather high-quality, freely licensed images on Wikimedia Commons, the repository for open images hosted by Wikimedia Foundation. The campaigns to document built heritage (Wiki Loves Monuments), landscapes (Wiki Loves Earth), folklore (Wiki Loves Folklore) or life in Africa (Wiki Loves Africa) and many more encourage photographers of all skill levels to participate.
The contest typically takes place during a designated month or period annually. Participants are invited to upload their images to Wikimedia Commons, and a panel of judges evaluates the submissions based on technical quality, composition, and adherence to the contest rules. Prizes are awarded to the best images, which can include recognition, photography equipment, or other incentives.
The contests take place in several countries simultaneously, and the winners of each local contest compete for the nomination for best images in the international competition.
Specific issues for living heritage[edit]
Photographing living heritage presents some unique considerations and ethical concerns that photographers need to be aware of and respect:
Cultural sensitivity: Living heritage practices are deeply rooted in cultural traditions, beliefs, and identities. It is essential to approach these subjects with respect, cultural sensitivity, and a genuine interest in understanding and preserving the traditions. Be aware of local customs, protocols, and sensitivities related to photography, as some practices may be considered sacred or private.
Cultural appropriation: Strive to represent the practices accurately and avoid misrepresentation or exoticization. Respect the integrity of the cultural expressions and avoid staging or altering the scenes for aesthetic purposes. Consider the potential impact of your photographs on the preservation and continuity of the living heritage practices. Avoid exploitative or voyeuristic approaches that might trivialize or commodify the traditions.
Informed consent: When photographing individuals engaged in living heritage practices, it is important to obtain their informed consent. Explain the purpose of the photography, seek permission from the individuals or community leaders, and respect their wishes if they decline to be photographed. Always prioritize the dignity, privacy, and well-being of the subjects.
Copyright, sharing and attribution: When sharing your photographs, it is important to provide accurate and contextually relevant information about the living heritage practices depicted even if it would be considered public domain from the legal perspective. Include captions, descriptions, and tags that offer insights into the cultural significance, location, and the communities involved. Provide appropriate attributions to the individuals or communities whenever possible.
Example rules[edit]
Add rules from your local contest freely to the list
Timetable[edit]
Contest starts: <start date>
Contest ends: <end date>
The rules[edit]
- The photo will be published on Wikimedia Commons, Wikimedia Foundation’s free online multimedia repository, with Creative Commons BY-SA 4.0 or more open license.
- The photo follows best practices in ethical sharing, which will also be developed during the project. Photos submitted to the competition must at least have the consent of the individuals or entities depicted in the photo.
- The photo may have been taken at any time, but it will be downloaded to Wikimedia Commons during the competition period <start date – end date>.
- The photo must be taken by the participant themself.
- The participant agrees to give their email address when registering with Wikimedia Commons so that they can be contacted if they would win.
- Members of the Jury, staff and board members of <the organizers> cannot win prizes or participate in an international competition through the Finnish competition.
- The jury shall have the right to apply the rules if necessary.
Note[edit]
All Wikimedia Commons requirements apply to the competition photos. Photos must be either in the public domain or licensed under free licenses, such as Creative Commons licenses. Their use must not be restricted by other means, for example, by a watermark. The object of the photo must not be subject to copyright either, but a copyrighted work may appear in a small or insignificant part of the image. Technically low-quality photos are discarded. Read more about the practices of Wikimedia Commons.
Wiki Loves Living Heritage places strong emphasis on ethical sharing principle for the photos submitted to the contest. This includes obtaining consent from the individuals and communities depicted in the photos, even if their intellectual property is not protected by copyright. Distribution of sacred or secret subjects without documented authorization is strictly prohibited. To learn more about best practices for ethical photo sharing, please refer to our guidelines.
Using the photos[edit]
All photos or videos submitted during the competition are stored in Wikimedia Commons, where they remain publicly accessible after the competition. The images are licensed under the open Creative Commons BY-SA 4.0 license, which allows others to share and modify the photos, as long as they provide attribution to the creator and release any derivative works under the same license. The creator retains the copyright of their photos or videos and can continue to make use of them.
Prizes[edit]
<the prizes and possible categories>
The Jury[edit]
<the composition of the jury>
Related activities[edit]
Add your related activity! Hit enter next to the heading above, and add a template Wiki Loves Living Heritage/Highlight. Fill in title, date, your name, introductory text and an image from Wikimedia Commons.
