Voting opens for IYL photo award

14 May 2015

GoPro camera and a prize of $500 to be won in SPIE's 'People's Choice Award'.

Online voting is now open for the People’s Choice Award in the SPIE International Year of Light (IYL 2015) Photo Contest, with the winner set to receive $500 and a GoPro prize on offer for one lucky voter.

Organized as part of the year-long celebration of light and light-based technologies, the competition features 32 dazzling finalists. Each of the short-listed photographs portrays the application of light in daily life – including LEDs, solar panels, adaptive optics, and lasers.

The object of the exercise is to promote the ways in which light, and optics and photonics technologies, offer solutions to global challenges like energy, education, security, agriculture, and health.

Some of the photos raise issues such as light pollution, energy conservation, and sustainable energy, while others celebrate our connection with nature.

Among the recurring themes in the short-list of images are astronomy, solar energy and sustainable lighting technologies.

Solving challenges
SPIE, which is the publisher of optics.org, will announce the People's Choice Award winner in September. In addition to $500 in cash, the winning image will be featured on the cover of SPIE Professional magazine’s October 2015 issue.

The organization, one of the IYL2015 founding partners, says that it organized the photo contest to raise awareness about the vital role that light and light-based technologies play in daily life, and how these can help solve challenges in energy, education, agriculture, communications, and health.

More than 800 images were originally entered into the competition, with a panel of executives and student judges selecting the top 35 photos based on scientific interest, creativity, and how well the photo communicated the contest theme.

To view each of the images and choose your favorite, click here.

Voting for the People's Choice Award runs online through August 15. All voters who provide their email address will be entered into a draw to win a GoPro camera.