Find the Light: A Photo Contest Celebrating Hope, Connection, and Long Island

Find the Light is more than a photo contest. It’s an opportunity to share your perspective, spark connection, and create a visual reminder of hope across Long Island. You don’t have to be a professional photographer to participate. If you see the light, we want to see it, too!

There’s no single right answer. Maybe your light is the first rays of morning over the water. Maybe it’s a place where you feel at peace. Maybe it’s a person, a memory, or an ordinary moment that feels a little less ordinary when you stop to notice it.

We’re inviting you to capture your interpretation of light, and to share something that might inspire someone else to pause, connect and keep looking forward.

One photograph can be one small reminder: There is light to be found.

Contest Timeline

• September 22-October 15: Photo Submission Period
• October 16-18: Finalists Selected
• October 19-21: Voting/Judging
• October 25: Winner Announced at the AFSP-LI Out of the Darkness Walk

How to Enter

During the submission period, post or send a photograph that captures the theme of Find the Light anywhere on Long Island. Photos must be your original work and have been taken on Long Island during 2026. Your photo might feature (but is not limited to):

• A sunrise or sunset
• Sunlight breaking through the clouds
• Light reflecting on the water
• A favorite Long Island place or landmark
• Light filtering through trees
• A cityscape or neighborhood
• A peaceful moment in an unexpected place
• Any creative interpretation of light, hope, and possibility

Enter on Instagram: Post and share your photograph publicly during the contest period and tag @afsp_longisland. Include the location where your photograph was taken and add #FindtheLight in your caption. If you’d like, you can also tell us: Where do you find your light?

Enter by Email: We want this contest to be open to everyone, not only those who use social media. You can submit your photograph by email to [email protected] with the subject line “Find the Light Photo Contest Entry.”

Please include your name, contact information, the location where the photograph was taken, along with your photograph and confirmation that you have read the contest rules (below) and in doing so, grant permission for AFSP Long Island to use the image in its communications and marketing. 

Official Contest Rules

Eligibility

The AFSP Long Island “Find the Light” Photo Contest is open to individuals who are eligible to participate under applicable law. No purchase is necessary to enter. AFSP Long Island employees, members of the contest judging panel, and others directly involved in administering the contest may be excluded from eligibility. Participants may submit more than one photograph during the contest period.

Photo Requirements

All photographs must:

• Be the entrant’s original work.
• Have been personally taken by the person submitting the entry.
• Have been taken on Long Island (Nassau or Suffolk County, New York).
• Have been taken during calendar year 2026.
• Represent an interpretation of the “Find the Light” theme.

New photographs taken specifically for the contest are encouraged, but eligible photographs taken earlier in 2026 may also be submitted.

Editing

Reasonable photographic adjustments, including cropping, exposure, contrast, brightness, color, saturation and sharpening are permitted.

Substantially manipulated images that misrepresent the original scene are not eligible. Composite images, AI-generated images, or images in which significant elements have been digitally added or removed are not eligible unless specifically permitted by AFSP Long Island.

Judging

Eligible photographs will be evaluated based on criteria that may include:

• Creativity
• Originality
• Photographic quality
• Interpretation of the “Find the Light” theme
• Emotional impact
• Connection to Long Island

AFSP Long Island may determine the judging process, judging criteria and number of finalists or winners. Judges’ decisions are final.

Permission to Use Submitted Photographs

By submitting a photograph, entrants grant AFSP Long Island a non-exclusive, royalty-free, worldwide, perpetual license to reproduce, publish, display, distribute and otherwise use the submitted photograph, in whole or in part, for AFSP Long Island’s charitable, educational, awareness, promotional, fundraising, communications and marketing purposes.

This may include use on AFSP Long Island’s website, social media channels, newsletters, publications, advertisements, presentations, event materials and other digital or physical communications.

Photographers retain ownership and copyright of their original work. AFSP Long Island may crop, resize, format or make minor adjustments as necessary for reproduction or design purposes while making reasonable efforts not to alter the fundamental character of the image.

AFSP Long Island will make reasonable efforts to provide photographer credit when practical and appropriate, although credit cannot be guaranteed in every use or format.

Responsibility for Submissions

Entrants are responsible for the content of their submissions and for obtaining all permissions necessary for AFSP Long Island to use the photograph as described in these rules.

Prizes

Prize details will be announced in contest promotional materials. Prizes are subject to availability and may be substituted by AFSP Long Island with a prize of equal or greater approximate value when necessary. Prizes are non-transferable and cannot be redeemed for cash unless otherwise stated.

Winner

The winning photograph will be announced at an AFSP Long Island Out of the Darkness Walk in October 2026. The winner may be contacted using the information provided with their submission and agrees that AFSP Long Island may announce their name and share the winning photograph in connection with the contest and related communications.

Help Us Find the Light

You can participate by submitting a photograph, but there are plenty of other ways to help!

• Share the contest. Tell a photographer, friend, local business, community group or organization about Find the Light.
• Follow AFSP Long Island. Watch for featured submissions and share the images that speak to you.
• Join us at an Out of the Darkness Walk. Be there when we announce the winning photograph and come together around connection, remembrance, hope and action.
• Partner with us. Local businesses and community organizations can help support the campaign through prizes, partnerships, and other opportunities.

However you participate, you're helping us create something bigger than a collection of photographs. You're helping us shine a light on hope, connection and suicide prevention across Long Island.

Find the light. Share the hope.