Through the Lens
Share a photograph that captures a powerful moment and the story behind it.
Prizes
- Grand Prize:
- $500
- Second Place:
- $200
- 15 Runners-up:
- $15
10 Honorable Mentions will receive badges
Status
CompletedTimeline
Submissions opened
Dec 31, 2024
Submissions closed
Jan 23, 2025 4:59 AM CUT
Results
Feb 12, 2025
Prizes
- Grand Prize:
- $500
- Second Place:
- $200
- 15 Runners-up:
- $15
10 Honorable Mentions will receive badges
Status
CompletedTimeline
Submissions opened
Dec 31, 2024
Submissions closed
Jan 23, 2025 4:59 AM CUT
Results
Feb 12, 2025
About this challenge
The Prompt
Share a photograph that captures a powerful moment and the story behind it.
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
How to enter
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://shopping-feedback.today/vocal-plus%3C/span%3E%3C/span%3E%3C/span%3E%3C/a%3E.%3C/p%3E%3Cp class="css-1923z11-Text">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.
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Challenge resources
FPS: The Last Flame Challenge Winners
Welcome to our first Winners Announcement of the year and to the final challenge in the Fall Poetry Series. The Last Flame invited writers to sit with endings, using fire as a central image to consider what remains when something burns out: ash, warmth, memory, silence, or the faint promise of what comes next. The strongest pieces treated endings as gradual rather than sudden, allowing them to flicker, dim, and linger.
By Vocal Curation Teama day ago in Resources
FPS: Villanelle of Regret Challenge Winners
Some feelings don’t fade. They repeat. The Villanelle of Regret challenged poets to write into that return. To let regret, longing, and obsession build with each pass, rather than resolve. The strongest entries trusted repetition to carry the weight.
By Vocal Curation Team28 days ago in Resources
The Forgotten Room Challenge Winners
Some doors stay shut because crossing the threshold changes something. In The Forgotten Room, writers stepped into spaces thick with dust, memory, and silence. What they found there wasn’t always safe or clear, but it was honest, layered, and unforgettable. Here, setting isn’t background noise; it’s the heart of the story, carrying the weight of what’s been hidden or avoided.
By Vocal Curation Team29 days ago in Resources
