Before reading further, we recommend going through all of the 54 submitted photos. Which were your favorites? Let us know in the comments. Did you have a hard time picking? We definitely did and had to turn to the reasons folks put down for each photo in order to pick a third place winner. Similar to last year, the queers behind this were indecisive and so we also have some honorable mentions.
Winners for best photos:
First place with a $150 USD prize.
CC0 licensed photo by Danielle Zarcaro from the WordPress Photo Directory.
We couldn’t help but feel a rush of emotions seeing rainbow-painted doors in a sunflower field. Sunflowers can be a symbol of light and happiness, and the doors add layers of meaning: refuge, transition, possibility. Together they reflect the beauty of finding safety and joy where we least expect it, like a field.
Second place with a $100 USD prize.
CC0 licensed photo by cooperjoslin25 from the WordPress Photo Directory.
A worn out Pride flag that’s been shining brightly and proudly for so long and for so many immediately made us reach for tissues. For a Pride flag to have the chance to last long enough to be worn out says so much about how much we need to endure, persist, and be visible.
Third place with a $50 USD prize.
CC0 licensed photo by Danielle Zarcaro from the WordPress Photo Directory.
We were drawn to the joyful nature of this photo and the everyday feeling it brought to celebrating being LGBTQ+ year round. It also reminded us how sometimes being at your own home is the only place you feel safe enough to really be yourself.
Honorable mentions:
The following photos deserve honorable mentions as we went back and forth deciding but each person picked them as worthy of top three ratings. Below each photo is the reasoning folks shared for why it stood out:
“I find this photo (and loud act of support) so powerful and moving.”
“There’s a warm sense of community in this photo that kept drawing me back to it.”
“I love the simplicity, having gone through all the rest, this one is cute, quaint, and shows more restraint than the rest.”
“I really love the composition and the combination of symbolism here.”
“Absolutely loving the whole sea of flags, it screams Pride.”
“A pride flag standing out from the rest makes me emotional. Like a lighthouse in the night.”
Can you see why we struggled to pick winners?!
Most submitted photos winners:
Finally, the following folks submitted the most photos and will each receive $50 prizes:
- https://wordpress.org/photos/author/jorbin/ with 19!
- https://wordpress.org/photos/author/nilovelez/ with 8
- https://wordpress.org/photos/author/queerdevperson/ with 7.
Way to crush it.
If you’re a winner, please reach out here so we can provide your prize!
We will also reach out to try to get in touch with you (expect to hear from @annezazu/Anne McCarthy).
Thanks for sharing your pride with us and with everyone.
Thank you to everyone who submitted photos, shared the photo drive, and encouraged folks to take photos to submit. We don’t take for granted that people participated and it’s so cool to think about folks going out of their way to be a part of this. Ultimately, it also means the WordPress Photo Directory has 54 new options of rainbow themed photos that anyone can use to share their pride too.
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