The Parallax View: July 20, 2010

"We can take a picture that communicates, one where we can see the problems and the people from around the world...so we can understand them."

— Sebastiao Salgado

Today we are announcing the third annual ShootQ Grant. While, simply put, the Grant is a monetary award, it's more than just that.

ShootQ exists to make photographers purposeful and profitable. The Grant allows you to focus on being purposeful — an opportunity for ShootQ to provide you the resources to work on a meaningful project, unencumbered by daily work, with the creative freedom and financial support necessary to produce photographs that raise public awareness about important issues.

In 2008, Grant recipient Sherryln Borkgren traveled to the Democratic Republic of the Congo to photograph the effects of atrocities against women by rebel soldiers. The result was a powerful story of a little girl and her family overcoming oppression in a redemptive, hopeful way.

Sherrlyn's story was published on CNN.com, and was the most read news story that day, with over 3 million views, appearing on the same day as Secretary of State Clinton arrived in Africa on a humanitarian tour.

We hope that Sherrlyn's project is just the first of many powerful stories funded by the ShootQ Grant that affect change in the world. The next story could be told by you. If you would like to shine light on an important social, environmental or economic issue, please apply.

Learn more by visiting grant.shootq.com!

Together, we succeed.