Through the Lens

The Prompt

Photography is more than just capturing images—it’s about freezing moments in time that tell a story, evoke emotion, or reveal a new perspective. In this challenge, we invite you to showcase your own photograph and share the story behind it.

Your photo could capture the beauty of nature, the emotion of a candid moment, or the energy of a bustling city. What makes the moment meaningful? Why did you choose to capture it? Let your lens—and your words—showcase your unique vision of the world.

Remember, the photo must be one you’ve taken yourself—no borrowing someone else’s work. Everyone has a camera in their pocket these days, so show us what your unique perspective looks like!

In order for your submission to qualify, it must be:

• A story between 600 and 2,000 words in length.
• Submitted to the Photography community. Your story will be disqualified if it is submitted to any other community.
• Submitted before January 22, 2025 at 11:59 PM EST
• The photo must be your own original work—using someone else’s is not allowed.

The Prizes

• Grand Prize: $500
• Second Place: $200
• 15 Runners-Up: $15 each
• 10 Honorable Mentions: Badge

For your story to be eligible, it must be between 600 and 2,000 words and adhere to our Community Guidelines.

Stories published on Vocal and entered into the Challenge up until January 22, 2025 at 11:59 PM EST will be entered for consideration. Official Rules for the Challenge can be found here.

The Through the Lens Challenge is is exclusive to Vocal+ members. To learn more and upgrade to Vocal+, visit https://vocal.media/vocal-plus.

To be eligible to win the grand prize, second place, or runners-up prizes, you must be over the age of 13 and reside in a country where Stripe is available at the time of entry. A complete list of countries where Stripe is available can be found here—winners will need a Stripe account created and connected to receive prizes. Entrants located outside of these countries will not be eligible to win.