THE Jamaica National Building Society (JNBS) Foundation's annual photography competition, conceptualised in 2004 for rural schools in Jamaica's Cornwall County, is expanding to embrace rural schools islandwide this year.

Organisers of the competition said its expansion will give more students in rural schools exposure to the career opportunities that exist in photography, as well as an introduction to advocacy skills.

Photographer Michael Chen displays samples of portraits during the Jamaica National Building Society Foundation's photography workshop last Thursday. (Photos: Pat Roxborough-Wright)

"We have always been concerned about the lack of opportunities that exist for rural school students, and this is one way of empowering young people to get into their communities and highlight issues of concern through photography," said Virginia Turner, regional manager of the Western (JNBS) Foundation.

Entitled 'Youth Zoom', the competition, which closes on April 27, is set to net more sophisticated entries this year as its organisers have teamed up with the United Nations Population Fund's (UNFPA's) advocacy and communications advisor, Althea Buchanan, and other experts such as photographers Michael Chen and O'Neil Lawrence.

All three, who attended the JNBS Foundation's photography workshop 'Take Your Best Shot' last Thursday, delivered riveting presentations on the most effective methods of advocacy, the various opportunities in photography, and the technical hurdles to clear in order to produce optimum quality entries.

Leonardo Anderson, a grade 10 student at Anchovy High School in St James, photographs one of the presenters at last Thursday's photography workshop put on by the Jamaica National Building Society Foundation.

The winning entries, which will be assessed on impact, presentation, interpretation of theme, originality, creativity and sequencing of photographs, will receive extensive local and international exposure through exhibitions and tours. Turner said the prizes, which would go to the benefit of the schools' camera clubs, were still being finalised.

Some 50 students representing the Mount Alvernia, Irwin, Maldon, Greenpond, Anchovy and Herbert Morrison Technical high schools attended the workshop, which was held at the Burchell Baptist Educational Centre in Montego Bay.

To keep the playing field level, the JNBS Foundation presented each participating school with a 35 mm manual camera. Competition rules dictate that only pictures taken with the provided cameras will be eligible, with each appearing in any of the three sizes - 8x10, 8x12 or 11x14.

Rules of the competition

. Each school must identify a teacher who will coordinate its involvement
. Entries will be accepted from a maximum of three teams per high school

. Each team should not exceed five members
. Each team must accept a different issue
. Team members and coordinating teachers must attend parish training to be eligible

. Photographs should depict either a problem in your community that you feel needs to be remedied or an achievement that needs highlighting
. Each team is to submit three photographs of the problem or achievement

. All photographs must be mounted on firm, stiff backing with a two-inch plain border on all sides
. The title must be clear, with the entrant's name, age, form and school typed and displayed on the back of the entry
. Each team must submit one paragraph capturing the essence of the problem or achievement depicted in the photographs

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