Accurate and inclusive representation in the photography industry matters, the creative community must strive for diversity at all times. The Share the Lens campaign was created to help work towards a fair playing field in honor of Black History Month.
With a talented creative jury of black photographers on board the 500px team created three unique Quests focused on celebrating Black culture with the aim of driving inclusivity and equality in the creative community.
Our Jury consisted of Segun-Kabir Sani, Tope Adenola and Dhayembi Joi Neal. They each judged specific Quests relevant to their respective practices, and today we are thrilled to announce the winners.
The Quests
Representation through Portraits
Photo by Moreno Pregno
What drew me instantly to this portrait was the gaze the subject had, this set the mood for the image. The top-down view gives us a glimpse of our subject’s environment, I adore photos with depth, especially ones that make good use of foregrounds. Moreno also drew me in with his earthy tones, they are friendly, contemporary, and inviting. Amazing work overall.
A note from Segun-Kabir Sani:
Judging this quest has been such big honor, picking a winner was tough, there were a lot of amazing portraits that showed the beauty of black skin. I have been inspired by the photos shortlisted for this campaign.
Browse the rest of the shortlist here
Documenting Equality
Photo by Naty
Koffi Anan once said; “Gender equality is critical to the development and peace of every nation”. In this image I see a young lady who is ready to lead, change narratives, live (not just live, but leave a mark saying we matter too). It is a very strong image that conveys powerful messages.
A note from Tope Adenola:
It was such a beautiful experience judging this Quest and the great work submitted. I am quite impressed by the submissions and had a couple of entries that got me really analyzing. I am happy to be part of this generation, how we have been able to tell our stories and narrate them to the rest of the world. also if your images were not selected, trust me you still have a very good narrative, just that there can only be one winner. Wishing you all the best.
Browse the rest of the shortlist here
Diverse Voices
Photo by Aleksandra Lemke
‘Boys Will Be Boys’ was the image that caught my eye almost immediately. It is not only a beautiful image, but it was exactly what I envisioned for this quest in diversity. Diversity is more than just skin deep, it’s unity, uniqueness, environment and such much more. This photo exemplifies the chemistry that I was looking for, the creativity of using an array of different people in one frame while being able to unify them. Along with the beautiful contrast and color tones used. Aleksandra did a wonderful job with this image and being able to display diversity so beautifully.
A note from Dahyembi Joi Neal:
The Share Your Lens campaign was an honor to be able to judge. It was an opportunity for me to have a voice in how I view art and also our diverse society. There were many submissions that illustrated diversity so beautifully and showed how diversity comes in many forms. Diversity in any medium is vital because there are so many different people with different stories and perspectives. Therefore, I am happy that I was able to highlight an artist’s story and perspective and share it with this community.
Browse the rest of the shortlist here
