Youth photography winners announced

22 August 2008: Harald Hinterleitner, aged 20, from Austria, has won first place in Plan's global Shoot Nations photo competition.

Out of the 1,300 images submitted from 104 countries, Harald’s picture was nominated the best overall photo worldwide. 

Winning image from Harald Hinterleitner, aged 20, Austria.

Shoot Nations invited youth aged 11 to 24 to submit photos based on the theme of young people in a changing climate.

Through photography participants were asked to portray the current effects of climate change on their lives, how they can act now to reduce these effects and ultimately, how their environment will change in the years to come.

Harald said; “Climate protection and environment are very important for me – my photo illustrates that the sun and the wind can be used to dry laundry instead of a clothes drier which needs a lot of energy”.

The photos were judged by a panel of 5 and graded according to the quality of the photograph and how well it answered the brief.

International exhibitions

The winners were sent to Quebec in Canada to see their photos exhibited at the World Youth Conference as part of International Youth Day 2008.

Runner up image from Lauren Card, 13, United States.

Other prizes included Olympus single-lens reflex (SLR) cameras and National Geographic subscriptions.

The winning photos will be displayed at other exhibitions in the UK and Germany to highlight the international nature of the project.

 

In addition, a lightbox of 48 of the best images will be presented to the United Nations to represent global youth opinion on climate change in 2008.

Through Shoot Nations the smallest family, community or environmental issue can reach the highest level of global governance.

 

Find a slideshow of the best images from Shoot Nations 2008.

All the winning images and more information about the project are available at the Shoot Nations website.