Same But Different Photo Contest Celebrates People With Rare Diseases

Same but Different, a U.K. nonprofit that uses the arts to bring communities together, is holding a calendar photography competition to raise awareness for rare diseases.

Under the theme “A Glimmer of Hope,” the competition is a means to “visually express the hope that exists for people affected by rare disease,” the organization states on the competition’s website.

How to express such hope in images is left entirely to participants. As suggestions, Same but Different mentions places, activities, and times that hold special significance, but these are not meant to limit imagination, as long as these images revolve around the theme of hope.

The competition is open to anyone except professional photographers, and runs through Sept. 22. Participants can make as many submissions as they like. The organization only asks that images be made in landscape mode suitable for a calendar, and be taken at high resolution — between 1 MB and 10 MB in size. Permission must be obtained from all people featured in photographs. Entrants younger than 18 need to have the permission of a parent or guardian.

According to the competition’s terms and conditions, all entries must be original work, but may be digitally enhanced. Composite photographs with two or more images may be accepted.

The group also asks that participants include a title and a brief description of each submission.

Photographs will be judged for their composition, skill, originality, public appeal, relevance to the theme, and suitability for inclusion in the calendar.

A panel of judges will select 13 winning photos; 12 for each month and one cover image. The overall winner will be put to a public vote, and will have their photo featured on the cover and receive a Polaroid Snap with film.

Results will be announced on Oct. 6, when the calendars will also become available for purchase. Although participants will retain copyright of their work, Same but Different will have the right to publish and exhibit the photographs.

The nonprofit has presented images in publications reaching tens of millions of people, and has exhibited works in 37 events or locations over the past two years. These exhibitions, the organization reports, have been attended by over 10,000 people.

Several past exhibitions also focused on rare disease, such as Rare Beauty and the similarly named Beauty of Rare.

Submissions can be made using this link.