MySide
Call for submissions
What’s your story? Show us your side of life.
We’re inviting you to share your life and community through documentary photography as part of MySide, our new grassroots curatorial project. Every three months we’ll set a new theme, and for our first call-out we want you to explore “Documenting the Self”.
This theme is all about personal identity - how you see yourself, how you fit into the world, and what makes you you. We are building a collective portrait of life today, told by the people who live it.
Documenting the Self: What to photograph?
Think about ways to represent yourself, your identity, and your everyday world. Your images could include:
Self Portraits - a direct way to show who you are, in any setting that represents you.
Documentary Portraiture - capturing the people who shape your life, whether friends, family or community members. For tips on taking a documentary portrait - read our blog post: What is Documentary Portraiture?
Personal Spaces - home, work, or anywhere which feels like a true reflection of you.
Objects with Meaning - things that say something about your past, present or future.
Cultural Identity - traditions, heritage, or the communities you’re part of.
Moments of Change - a turning point, a routine, or something that represents personal growth.
You don’t need to be a professional photographer, what matters is that the images feel real and personal.
Frequently Asked Questions
MySide is a public source documentary photography initiative created by the AmberSide Trust and Side, designed to capture the persona, everyday experiences of our community. It is an open call project inviting the public to document their world through photography to create a living archive of identity, culture, and social change.
This initiative is part of Side’s commitment to community storytelling, making photography more accessible and ensuring that real voices and experiences are represented. Through MySide you contribute to a collective portrait, reflecting themes of identity, resilience, heritage, and our social reality.
Every three months we’ll announce a new theme for participants to explore. You can submit your images via instagram (by using #MySide and tagging @amber_sidegallery) or directly using our: online upload form
All submissions will go to the Side team and we’ll review them against the below criteria:
Photos taken in the last year to keep things fresh and relevant to life today.
Strong images with good composition that stand out.
Photos that have feeling, spark emotion, create a connection or tell a meaningful story.
Images that capture powerful moments, people and places with a strong sense of narrative.
Creative approaches that bring a fresh perspective or highlight unexpected details.
A clear point of view that gives your image purpose and impact.
Authentic photos that feel real and true to lived experience.
Selected images will be showcased on our social media and website, for example as image highlights, as part of online exhibitions, and/or blog posts. Your images will always be credited to you.
Beyond the digital, when Side reopens or we host pop-up events we may select certain MySide images for exhibition display. Similarly the most impactful images may be curated into zines or books, creating a physical record of the project. If your work is selected for print you will always be notified.
Anyone! MySide is open to all, whether you take pictures on your phone or you’re an experienced photographer. This project is all about authenticity, not technical skill. By sharing your photographs you’re helping to tell a real story of life today - one image at a time.
Useful Links
