Thanks to the service of photographers over a hundred years ago, precious images from Abdu’l-Baha’s ministry were captured for posterity. During the past year those images have graced commemorations, touching hearts with the distinguished likeness of the Master.
As communities gather to launch the Nine Year Plan in clusters throughout the country, documenting this increased level of activity in the Baha’í community is a service vital in capturing this exciting time in the development of the Faith. The Office of Communications at the Bahá’í National Center is requesting help from photographers and videographers in each conference location, to ensure that the cultural nuances of each community are captured. Imagine one hundred years from now, when future generations look back at this pivotal time in the history of the Baha’í Faith. It will be the images produced over the coming months that tell the story of the Conferences of 2022.
Now is the time for conference planning committees to request the services of those who possess these important skills. The present goal is to enlist at least one photographer in each locality to provide images from festivities until the end of the conferences, to the Office of Communications. The longer-term goal is to: create an ongoing visual narrative to capture the learning process of our communities; highlight the wide diversity of participants, as well as the approaches they employ; build an unfolding national anthology on bahai.us, and contribute to the Bahá’í World Center site at bahai.org. Imagery will be used in various promotional capacities, including publication in “The American Bahá’í” magazine.
The Importance of Getting Permission
In some cases, documenting the names of subjects and permission to use their image is necessary – especially when photographing children. Out of respect for our guests, each photographer may choose to enlist the help of a friend to serve as assistant – gathering information needed to ensure proper protocols are followed. Without the proper permission, the Office of Communications can’t utilize the images in public forums. More information about copyrights and photo release forms are available here.
The Office of Communications would love to have you participate in this initiative. If you’re interested, please let them know by replying by email to: secretariat@rbcmws.org. You are welcome to share any of your current photos via our Media Submission Form.