1ST PLACE

$USD 2000

2ND PLACE

$USD 1000

3RD PLACE

$USD 500

Background

Kingston, Jamaica is currently the second city in the world to reach climate departure—  the point at which the city’s average temperatures will consistently exceed historical  extremes—placing the city on the frontlines of extreme heat. Over the past five years,  Kingston has endured record-breaking heatwaves, with temperatures far exceeding  seasonal averages. 

  

Unlike dramatic storms that leave visible destruction, rising temperatures exact a slow,  insidious toll—quietly overwhelming hospitals, straining energy grids, and claiming lives  one heatstroke at a time. Jamaica’s Meteorological Service has repeatedly issued heat  warnings since 2020, with recorded temperatures pushing heat indices into "dangerous"  levels, yet these emergencies rarely trigger the same urgency as other disasters. A  2022 study by the University of the West Indies linked rising temperatures to higher  hospitalization rates for heat-related illnesses, particularly among outdoor workers and  vulnerable communities.'

  

Competition Details

‘Seeing Heat’ is a photography competition and exhibition that aims to visualize the  invisible impacts of ever-increasing temperatures on towns & cities in Jamaica. It invites amateur and professional photographers to ‘see heat’, document its impacts on the  population and the environment, and provide important narratives from their unique  perspectives.

Download  Rules ↓

This project seeks to engage the broader population in a conversation around the  shared experience of increasing temperatures, in order to:

Awareness

Highlight the uneven impacts of extreme heat

Action

Demand equitable public health measures, disaster preparedness and retrofits for the built environment

Climate Advocacy

Advocate for climate action and amplify local voices through visual story-telling

Workshops

Seeing Heat offers one virtual workshop, and up to two photo-walks hosted by Jik-Reuben. These workshops are available only for registrants and are targeted for beginner to intermediate photographers but are open to all. Professional equipment is not necessary to participate in the photo-walks, smart-phones & point and shoot cameras are welcome.  

Submission Guidelines

Photos must visualize and personalize the impact of extreme heat within the Jamaican context. Photos must be accompanied by a narrative that gives context and or perspective to the image. Both the photos and narratives will be judged by a panel and awards will be given to photographers at a public exhibition. Each entry must comply with the following requirements. See competition rules for more on submission guidelines   

Jury

The 'Seeing Heat' competition jury comprises of distinguished experts in the field of photography and climate studies.  

Jury members shall under no circumstances be contacted by competition participants or their representatives. Participants who attempt to contact jury members, shall be disqualified. All jury members are involved in the evaluation based on their availability at that time. All communication regarding the competition should only be carried out with Island City Lab staff. For any questions please contact us on [email protected]    

Jik Reuben

  Jik-Reuben Pringle, the Visual Ninja is a published visual creator that specializes in personal and corporate portrait, music photography, documentaries and interviews. Through his craft, he has brought awareness to various life-changing illnesses and challenges experienced by Jamaicans. These works gave birth to his other moniker; The Visual Advocate.  

  

Donnette Zacca

  Donnette Zacca has exhibited extensively locally and overseas and has received gold, silver and bronze medals in the JCDC’s National Visual Arts Competition and Exhibition. Zacca lectured in photography at the Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts and regularly contributes to publications, such as Small Axe, The Best of Skywritings, and the Jamaica Observer. She lives in Kingston, Jamaica.  

Support

The Seeing Heat Competition is powered by the following supporters, email us at [email protected] to find out how you can become a supporter today!

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