Q: Do the photos need to be taken in Brooklyn?

A: Generally no, but the person in the photo does need to be from Brooklyn, or connected to it. Caveat: if there’s something really identifiable in the photo’s background that makes it clear it was taken elsewhere, then that might not fit (if the Eiffel Tower is seen over the person’s shoulder, for example).

Q: Do you prefer photos of smiling or non-smiling people?

A: There will likely be more non-smiling subjects chosen, but it’s not a strict rule. More accurately, photos where people aren’t ‘posing’ too much will be preferred. If they are posing, that’s OK too if we can see who they are … if their personality shows through. 

Q: Will photographers be credited?

A: Yes, no photo will be used without the original photographer being credited, unless they’re unknown to the submitter. At a minimum, included photographers will be visually credited at the exhibition site, on cliveholden.com, and they will be thanked by the artist, by name, at the opening event on July 20, 2023. 

Q: What about passport photos, or other alternative photo sources?

A: Passport photos can be an interesting example of an image where a subject’s been told not to smile, or otherwise pose. These can be valuable parts of a person’s photographic history, standing out from their other photos. Sometimes, official photos in various forms are the only times we can see a record of someone in an unguarded state. Sometimes posing is a way of showing a person’s personality, but sometimes it’s a way of hiding. 

Q: Can there be multiple people in the one photo? 

A: Only if it’s possible to zoom-in and crop out individual people. If someone’s in the photo who would otherwise be suitable, but they’re hugging someone else, it might be too hard to crop them so that they’re alone in the shot. Likewise, if they’re too fuzzy when they’re zoomed-in towards and blown-up, that also wouldn’t work. All the final images used in the artwork will be showing one person at a time.

Q: Are you only looking for professional quality photographs?

A: No, the photos being sought could be taken by anyone at all. They can even be damaged (old snap shots, or film photos with darkroom smears, or glitched digital photos). If the photo fits the other criteria, we might even like some interesting-looking visual damage. 

Q: Will you list the names of people in the photographs?

A: Yes, when possible, if the submitter has the photo subject’s name.

Q: Will you crop or alter the original photographs?

A: All of the photographs will be cropped, unless they’re square to begin with. If they’re in color, they *might* also be converted to black & white. The selected photos will definitely be used in a wide variety of analog and digital processes that will alter how they look. But, at least part of the time, your (mostly) unaltered photo will be visible (we want people to be able to see the original photo, part of the time). As in the artwork detail seen above, your image will be repeated – ‘visually rhymed’ – showing on-screen along with multiple variants of the same photograph.  

Q: Should I crop or otherwise augment the original photo?

A: Ideally, no. Please leave that to the artist.

Q: Can I ask more questions?

A: Yes, you can contact the artist via Instagram Direct Message/DM: @cliveholden.