Photo Series: A Mormon Image

In an effort to increase the beauty-to-blather ratio around here, we’d like to kick off a new series of posts featuring photos and other images which carry meaning to us because they resonate with our Mormonness. And we’d like to include all of you in this project. That is, we’re inviting you all to send in submissions for the new T&S series, A Mormon Image.

What is a Mormon image?

It should be a photograph or other image which relates to the Mormon experience in your own life. It can be an image explicitly tied to religious ritual, such as a picture from before a baptism. It can be a family photo outside the temple, or a picture of the temple at sunset. It can be a picture from your mission. It can be a picture of nature — sunrise, flowers, birds — but if so, these should have some expressed link to a theme within Mormon life, broadly construed.

Your image should have a title as well, and should have accompanying caption. The text can be simple description — “my son before his baptism.” It can tie the image to a Mormon theme — “this sunset reminds me of the glory of creation.” It can be a line from a hymn, or a scripture text. It should be related in some way to the image, but again we’re willing to read that requirement broadly.

We hope that this series will allow us to showcase images that illustrate beauty in Mormon life, from the variety of perspectives of our many readers. There is no requirement that people submitting images be members of the church, but the images and messages should be ones which invoke a Mormon sensibility.

All images should be sent to mormonimage (at) gmail (dot) com . All submissions should clearly set out the image title, caption, and of course the image itself. Images should be of sufficiently small size to be received by e-mail.

As we receive them, we will post them to the blog, on an intermittent basis. Posts will be minimal and will convey only the basic information of the title (e.g., “A Mormon Image: The Washington Temple at Sunrise.”); the image itself, and the caption. We will also invite readers to comment.

Now, some nuts and bolts:

1. You may only submit images in which you own the appropriate intellectual property. DO NOT submit someone else’s photo, please. If we become aware that a submission violates this rule, we will remove it.

NEW: 2. If your image contains other people, you must affirmatively state that you have received consent from those people (or their legal guardians) to post the picture online.

3. We may edit captions or titles for brevity or clarity. In addition, we may make size adjustments to images (compressing them to fit better onto the web page). We will not make editorial changes (cropping out that ugly flower on the left).

4. Images and captions should be appropriate for a general LDS audience.

5. By submitting an image, you consent to its use on the blog. You retain all copyright and intellectual property rights in the image; we will not take your copyright.

6. In general, images will be posted with comments open. You may participate in that discussion, of course, and any personal attacks in comments will be removed. If you would like the image to be posted with comments closed, please so indicate. We will try to honor such requests.

7. Please use good sense with regards to privacy issues. If you are not comfortable with family pictures on the web, then don’t send them in.

8. Multiple submissions are welcome.

9. If you have a blog or website, you may include it in your submission, and if appropriate we may link it. E.g., “Tom at TomBlog (link) sends in this picture of a Norway Rat.” We will generally favor links to blogs or family websites, rather than to professional websites (“buy your own copy of this photo for only $39.99!”).

NEW: 10. Requests for anonymous posting will be honored. However, your e-mail submission must contain sufficient identifying information that you can be contacted in case of any issues regarding copyright or consent.

NEW: 11. Pictures previously posted at photo sharing websites such as Flickr or on personal blogs may be submitted.

Any questions or other feedback should be sent to mormonimage (at) gmail (dot) com .

We look forward to participating in this project with all of you.