24 Hour Project: An Upcoming Experience that You Should Join
The 24 Hour Project, a worldwide community aimed at documenting life and supporting different causes, has already announced this year’s issue for September 13. Starting at midnight in your country of origin, the project encourages photographers to take and post one photo every hour for 24 hours with a format that the website provides.
Banner of the event.|Credit: 24hourproject.org
The registration is free, and unlike many people may think, it is not necessary to be a “professional” photographer or to have a camera. There is not even an age requirement. Documenting the world in one day and supporting charities is the projects motto and main goal.
Started in 2012, the project has managed to raise funds for different charities globally. Since my first participation, the goal set by the organization has been met: Children's Rights (Educational programs for children in India by NGO Responsible Charity) raised $11,255 out of a $10,000 goal, Climate Action (Reforest programs by Yonton Te, Community charity in Chiapas, Mexico) raised $7,630 out of $5,000, Cameras for Girls (Overcoming gender inequality and poverty, one camera at a time, in Uganda) raised $5,340 out of $5,000, and Women’s Rights (Supporting women’s self-sustainable programs by Responsible Charity, in India) raised $6,250 out of $5,000.
The 24 Hour Project also organizes exhibits that stem from the photos published by participants in different countries. Besides, it is an amazing opportunity to connect, socialize and share with photographers from different parts of the world and different walks of life.
It was my pride to become a Photographer for Social Change in 2021, in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic and the rising tensions in Cuba in the wake the July 11 protests and the massive repression and censorship that followed. Out of precaution, I limited myself to documenting through the window and making only one post on Instagram, while making posts in a WordPress site that has since been discontinued.
After my arrival in America, I participated in the 2022 from Newington, and in 2023 and 2024 from West Hartford (the two latter as an ambassador). The Newington one, as frustrating as it may have been due to the little activity that you can find in town and the distance from place to place, was a learning challenge for me.
My West Hartford experiences were a lot better, due to my proximity to everything interesting in town. I ended up sitting in an outside patio of a restaurant, watching people avoid the rain and photographing them.
The fun part for me in each one of them was the adventure of taking and posting one photo every hour, and do it for 24 straight hours. Even though you don’t have to do that to participate, it is a lot of fun to stay awake and keep that adventure going. It is true that you end up exhausted the next day, but the satisfaction of finishing the work is unparalleled. Also, being able to contribute to charities with your talent with the lens is a very rewarding experience.
To me, as a photographer, being part of something bigger is part of our social duty. Taking pictures is not only about capturing moments, working with clients or photographing beautiful landscapes or sunsets. Making the world a better place should always be in our agenda. So, if you are interested in photography, no matter whether you are a professional or an amateur, or whether you use a DSLR or a cell phone, or whether you are sixty or sixteen years old, save the date: September 13, 2025.
And if you are in Connecticut, contact me, so we can get more people to meet for coffee during that day.
Register for free here.
