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One Scotland photography competition
25/10/2006
The Executive's One Scotland anti-racism campaign has joined forces with stv to launch a competition aimed at capturing Scotland's many cultures in a photograph.
stv presenters John MacKay and Isla Traquair had a crash course in beginner photography from well-known Scottish photographer Andy Hall today (Wednesday 25 October) when they met to launch 'One Scotland in the picture'.
Budding amateur photographers are being invited to submit an image which they think best represents a modern, diverse Scotland. The image can be of any subject - people, places, events or objects - taken within the last six months, which offers and inspiring or thought-provoking image of One Scotland.
A panel of judges, including Andy Hall and representatives from the Scottish Executive and stv, will shortlist images in three categories - under 18; over 18; and mobile phone camera - and one overall winner in each category will be selected by public vote on www.stv.tv, with the winning image announced on St Andrew's Day.
Each winner will receive a digital camera worth £500 and a full-day skills session with Andy Hall. In addition, the winning entries will feature as part of a 'One Scotland in the picture' exhibition at The Burrell Collection in Glasgow. Short listed entries will also be part of the exhibition.
Communities Minister Malcolm Chisholm said: "As the saying goes, a picture paints a thousand words. As we go about our daily lives we encounter thousands of different images - on our streets, in our schools and workplaces, on the bus or train, in the park, and of course on the TV and in our newspapers and magazines.
"We each have a view of life and the world around us and this competition with STV is a great opportunity for people to be able to capture what they see, feel or experience of Scotland's rich diversity. This is an exciting, creative way people can get involved in One Scotland, their Scotland, and I very much look forward to seeing the photographs."
Andy Hall, who gained international recognition for his book, A Sense of Belonging, believes photography is an excellent way of tackling social issues.
He said: "I've spent the last six years through my project, A Sense of Belonging to Scotland, exploring the often indefinable link between people and place and I found that Scotland is a very diverse country, both in its rural and urban landscape and its people.
"This competition is about finding a single image that will capture that diversity and in the process, allow us to celebrate the integration of cultures in this wonderful country of ours - One Image for One Scotland.
"Anyone can enter this competition as there is no need for sophisticated equipment; even an old film camera that hasn't been used for ages will work fine. My advice to entrants would be to keep it simple and keep it spontaneous."
John MacKay from stv's Scotland Today said: "This competition is fantastic in the sense that it's open to everyone and people can even submit photos via their mobile phone, which is a definite sign of the times. I'm looking forward to seeing the entries and am thrilled to be involved."
Isla Traquair from stv's North Tonight said: "Images can be incredibly powerful, something we're only too aware of working in television. There's so much talent in Scotland and so many opportunities to create amazing images, I'd definitely encourage people to have a go."
The One Scotland campaign aims to raise awareness of the damaging effects of racism and promotes Scotland's cultural diversity. The competition is an opportunity for people to get involved with the campaign and offer their visual interpretation of multicultural Scotland.
Further detail on how to enter 'One Scotland in the picture', including full terms and conditions, can be found at www.stv.tv/onescotland.