Picture the World a Better Place
Yahoo! Photos and Earth Share Team Up to Raise Awareness of Environmental Issues
Taking photographs of our surroundings is one of the most revealing art forms. Whether meticulously crafted or snapped hastily to preserve a moment in time, photos reflect how we view the world in all its beauty, sadness and vastness.
In celebration of Earth Day 2005, Yahoo! Photos and Earth Share are holding a national photo event to celebrate how we each see the Earth, while raising awareness of environmental issues worldwide. Beginning on March 10, 2005, you can submit photos through Yahoo! Photos that you believe best represent what Earth Day means to you. Visit http://photos.yahoo.com to submit your photo by March 30. In honor of the top photographer, Yahoo! Photos will donate $10,000 to the Earth Share member organization(s) of their choice.
“This is a positive way for people around the nation to capture their feelings about Earth Day through photography,” said Kalman Stein, president and CEO of Earth Share (Earth Share of Washington is Earth Share’s local affiliate). “We hope this contest will provide people with an opportunity to share their thoughts about the environment as communicated through the powerful visual medium of photography.”
Photographs will be judged by a panel of experts, including professional photographers and representatives from leading environmental organizations and publications. Ten finalists, chosen by the panel of experts, will be posted on Yahoo! Photos, and users will then be able to vote for their favorite photograph beginning on April 11, 2005. The top photo will be announced on Earth Day, April 22, 2005, when the photo will be featured on the Yahoo! Earth Day web site.
“We are honored to work with Earth Share to further the appreciation for our environment during Earth Day and throughout the year,” said Jeff Stoddard, director of Yahoo! Photos. “With this photo contest, we are elevating awareness for environmental causes by encouraging people to celebrate their natural surroundings through digital photography.”
Many consumers don’t realize it, but using digital photography greatly reduces the negative impact on the environment. Unlike film photography that requires chemical processing and printing, you can enjoy digital photos immediately on your camera, PC or a website. Plus with digital photos, you only print the pictures you want rather than an entire roll. And with the ability to share photos virtually via email and online, the need to print duplicate photos for friends and family goes away.
InfoTrends, a leading analyst firm, says that about 12-15% of digital camera users don’t print photos at all, instead relying on digital files for viewing, sharing and archiving of photographs. Online photo sharing sites, such as Yahoo! Photos (photos.yahoo.com), provide consumers with the convenience of online storage and photo sharing, while also helping to preserve the environment by decreasing the overall quantity of photos printed.
Yahoo! Photos and Earth Share are dedicated to raising awareness of environmental issues and call upon everyone to submit photos to participate in this worthy event.