NSS
3rd Annual
Conference
Courage, Credibility, and Collective Action:
A Visual Celebration of Sustainability
Photography Showcase
& Awards
Submit your photo celebrating our theme:
Courage, Credibility, & Collective Action
Photos will be showcased at the 3rd Annual NSS Conference
Organized alongside the 3rd Conference of the National Sustainability Society, this exhibition will bring the conference conversations into a visual space, exploring these ideas through images and stories that capture sustainability in practice. We welcome photographs that reflect collaboration across communities, cultures, and generations—moments where people, landscapes, and initiatives intersect to create meaningful and lasting change.
Photography offers a powerful medium to spark dialogue, foster empathy, share resilient experiences and highlight both the challenges and breakthroughs within sustainability practice and research. You are invited to submit to a photography exhibition celebrating sustainability through the themes of courage, credibility, and collective action.
Outstanding photos will receive special recognition
Conference participants will have the opportunity to vote for the following categories:
-
Best representation of themes linking to courage, credibility and collective action
-
Best photo-narrative cohesion in storytelling
-
Best visual impact (most creative / original)
Submission Guidelines
SUBJECT MATTER
Submissions can capture local stories, global connections, challenges and solutions, individual efforts, and collective movements that resonate with the program’s thematic pillars.
NARRATIVE
Please include a 250-word narrative about your photo. Some questions that you might want to consider:
- What inspired you to take this photo and how is it related to sustainability?
- What stories of resilience and restoration do you want to convey?
-
Which aspect(s) of the conference theme is/are reflected through the photo?
-
Courage — moments that show resilience, choices, or perseverance in sustainability efforts.
-
Credibility — authentic depictions of environmental, social, or economic sustainability actions.
-
Collective Action — scenes of collaboration across communities, sectors, or disciplines to address sustainability challenges.
-
REQUIREMENTS
-
Images must be the entrant’s own work.
-
The submission should be in the PDF format, in either landscape or portrait orientation.
-
Images must be at least 2160 pixels on the shortest axis (vertical or horizontal).
RELEASE AND USE
-
With acceptance into the exhibition, your photo will be showcased at the 3rd NSS conference and be entered into a contest at the conference (e.g., audience favorite, best reflection of conference themes, etc.)
-
With your permission, your photo may be featured in NSS outreach channels (newsletters, social media, collection, video, etc.).
-
You may participate in the exhibition without agreeing to further NSS use of your work.
Timeline
-
August 1: Submission deadline
-
August 10: Online viewing and voting opens
-
August 20: Online viewing and voting closes
-
August 26: Winners announced
Showcase Evaluation Criteria
Your photo will be screened by the NSS Programming Committee for showcase suitability, based on these criteria:
-
Relevance to Theme: Photographs should meaningfully connect to courage, credibility, or collective action in sustainability.
-
Visual Creativity: Ability to convey insight, emotion, or perspective through composition and artistic elements.
-
Narrative Depth: The written description enhances understanding of how the image embodies the contest theme.
-
Technical Quality: Clarity, framing, lighting, and overall presentation.
