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The winning entry for the All the World Photographic Competition 2011 had a national twist—the photographer is a Salvationist from USA Central Territory who currently lives in Korea.
“I was brought up in The Salvation Army and have a huge heart for its mission,” said Keri Shay, first place winner. “I studied photography in college and feel called to share God’s people and their stories with the world through pictures.”
All The World Editor Kevin Sims said when the competition closed Aug. 18, they had received an astonishing 370 images from all over the world.
“We were sent photos of brass bands, songbooks and laughing officers; thrift stores, worship meetings and a dog wearing a bonnet!” Sims said.
A panel of judges, including Sims, Berni Georges (designer, All the World) and Lt. Col. Laurie Robertson (editor-in-chief and communications secretary, International Headquarters) had the tough job of working through the large number of images to choose the photos that fulfilled the theme—“This is The Salvation Army”—while being engaging, interesting and avoiding cliché.
Shay’s first place photo featured a Salvation Army gathering in Pakistan. “We loved the dynamism in the picture, along with the aspect of the unexpected,” Sims said. “Take the Army flag away and it could appear to be something completely different.”
The top five photos, and a selection of other entries, are featured in the October–December issue of All the World and can be viewed online at sar.my/photocomp2011.
