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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

#244: Oh Snap!

Photography is the art of capturing light, and moments; a way to freeze time and observe the ever-changing nature of life, if only in a small way. Pictures serve as a testament to our experience, helping us remember, understand, and share it. From cherished childhood snapshots to historical photographs, artistic compositions, and even selfies, some pictures truly are worth a thousand words.

This week’s prompts are all about photographs and the stories and meanings behind them — just remember that, in this case, a picture is worth between 1 and 3 thousand words.

This week's prompts

Center your story around a photo that goes viral.

Funny – 29 stories

Start your story with a character staring at a picture they don’t remember taking.

Mystery – 73 stories

Write a story about a character who risks their life to take a photo.

Adventure – 39 stories

Write about a character who sees a photo they shouldn’t have seen.

Dramatic – 66 stories

Begin or end your story with a character taking a selfie.

Fluff – 33 stories

Stories

“Summer Watch” by Kim Olson

Submitted to Contest #244

“I received a photo that I really should never have to see, as Beach Supervisor. I want you to look at it and tell me what you see.”My boss was sitting behind his desk facing me. I had been summoned to see him. I couldn’t imagine what he was talking about. Was someone skinny dipping on the beach? If so, why was he sharing it with me? He used two fingers to slide the photo over to me. I glanced down and gulped in surprise.“It’s me, obviously, sitting on the beach, at work. Watching the water.”“Are you really? Watching the water, tha...

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“The Old Trunk” by Nicholas Thomas

Submitted to Contest #244

My mom passed away last month. We all suspected it was because of a heart attack, though none of us could say for certain that that was how she died; she simply passed away, as if all of her at once had just shut down. It was like her soul had decided to just move on, and that was that. My dad hadn’t been in the picture since I was little, so my mom’s property had been left to me in her will. I started clearing out the place, finding things I...

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“Forever In My Heart” by Sofia Mullan

Submitted to Contest #244

The vet's sterile white walls felt like a suffocating embrace. Rain lashed against the windows, mimicking the storm brewing inside Summer. Jaxon, her Cocker Spaniel, lay on the examination table, his once-mighty chest rising and falling in shallow gasps. His fur, usually the colour of black and white, was dull and matted. Summer reached out, her hand trembling as it brushed against Jaxon’s head. He opened his eyes, a spark of recognition flickering within their hazel depths. A weak tail thump sent a pang through Summer’s heart. It had been s...

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“In a Flash” by Julia Rajagopal

Submitted to Contest #244

I see it in a flash. They say you can’t remember your first few years, but that’s not entirely true. I remember crying, my little face wrinkled in pain and frustration. I’m angry because I have colic, though I don’t know what that is. I only know that the cramps in my stomach make me feel like I’m going to be ripped in half. My mother is holding me, her brown hair a mess of permed curls surrounding a pale, chubby face. She looks down at me, her face tightened in anger and irritation. A pinch of hatred wrinkles her brow. Someone has snapped t...

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“PHOTOGRAPH” by Christine LW

Submitted to Contest #244

PHOTOGRAPH As we get older can remise about our childhood memories from old photos and images of those early days so care free to stay in our mind for ever. A time of innocence brought to life, alive and full of hope to relive and tell to future generations. You could say a photograph of life. &n...

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“The Perfect Image” by Paul Simpkin

Submitted to Contest #244

She was hoping that the photo would go viral.She had never taken a selfie as brilliant as the one she had just posted on Instagram. It was the first time that she was completely and totally happy with an image that showed off her long golden tresses in all their full golden beauty. Now all she had to do was sit back and wait for the reaction. Maybe one day somebody would see one of her selfies and help her to escape from the dull boring life that she was stuck in.Before posting the image she had taken time to edit the photo on her phone and ...

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“Do You Live Under a Rock?” by ♡ Tana ♡

Submitted to Contest #244

The school bus has always reminded me of a dragon, yellow and fierce, and not guaranteed to spit you back out again once it swallows you up. Every morning, when I stand at the end of my driveway and wait for it, I close my eyes and imagine that it will not come. I am the last person to be picked up, and somehow the last person to be dropped off, even though that doesn’t make sense to me, so sometimes I pretend that Mr. Tim, our bus driver, will skip me for convenience's sake. I create elaborate scenarios in my mind; accidents and detou...

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“SHADOWS OF MEMORY: THE PICTURE OF ME” by Darvico Ulmeli

Submitted to Contest #244

Rarely do I allow myself the opportunity to journey back into the labyrinthine corridors of my childhood. Memories lurk like sharp-edged shadows, threatening to pierce the fragile armor encasing my heart. The mere whisper of that propels me into an abyss of raw vulnerability, my senses inundated with the echoes of bygone sorrows. Have my tear-stained trials over the years been enough, staining the canvas of my existence with the remnants of unshed grief? Haven’t I cried all the tears? How much more do I need to endure?Childhood—a realm meant...

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“Higher Learning” by Landon Booker

Submitted to Contest #244

Shortly thereafter, the Commonwealth Attorney came to see me. Thirtyish in a stylish gray suit, he approached me with the confidence of a man holding Aces. He said “Jones! I know you think you’re smart but let me tell ya how this gone play out! First Ima tell the jury your co-defendant signed a statement saying the two of you committed this robbery. Oh! Your lawyer is going to object! And the judge will agree but the jury will have already heard it! Then Ima roll Troy into the courtroom in his wheelchair an...

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“A Vette & Retirement” by JR Bray

Submitted to Contest #244

“What in the world is this?” Bill stared at the picture on his phone and for the love of might could not remember where he was or even what he was doing when he took the photo. Did he even take the photo? His phone was never out of his reach, always on his belt, next to him on his desk and even within an arm’s reach on his night stand when he was sleeping. “No.” he thought, “I’m the only one that touches my phone so it had to be me.” Still the nagging question haunted him as he got ready for work. He woke up earlier than usual this morning t...

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“The Gaze of the Shambler” by Magnum Tenebrosum

Submitted to Contest #244

Under a canopy of age-old trees, where sunlight only dared to whisper, Alex moved with caution. His path was lit by stories of the unexplained and the allure of the forbidden. The forest, vast and lying just beyond his town, whispered rumors—of those who'd lost their way, specters in the night, and spine-tingling legends. In this living, breathing place, Alex found his destiny, hidden among the fallen leaves and their secrets: a weather-beaten trail cam, a silent guardian of the woods. Heart pounding with adventure and eyes sparkling w...

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“The Haunting of Rosebud Cottage” by Kirti Rajwekar

Submitted to Contest #244

"Mabel, honey, come look at this." Mabel tossed aside an empty cardboard box, joining Celia on their brand new, second-hand couch. "What is it?" "I don't remember taking this one." Celia passed her a photograph from the previous day's moving in photoshoot that she'd insisted upon to test out her new film camera. The photo was blurry, like the camera had been shaking violently. "Maybe it took this when you knocked it off the counter?" "Yeah, but… look at this." Celia pointed to something at the top right-hand corner. Mabel brought it close to...

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“The Photograph” by Edd Baker

Submitted to Contest #244

CW: Language and some sexualityThe Seattle rain and ashen clouds that had accosted the rainy city denizens the past three days had finally let up, like the story of Noah a dove landing on Dan Porter's penthouse window ledge as if beckoning that the storm was over. Sunlight streamed in like flood water, and there was no need to turn on light as the bedroom was fully illuminated.It was a Monday, which Dan much like everybody else despised, but he would be remiss to not admit the improved weather hoisted his usual dower mood a bit. He looked ov...

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“Forgotten Photo” by Claire Donnelly

Submitted to Contest #244

“This is it?” asks Donald. With a deep sigh, Julia responded, “Yep, that’s it. I won $20,000 on top of it being put up on the billboard. It should only run for a couple of weeks. It was just a marketing scheme to draw attention to the gallery I guess.” “And you don’t remember entering the contest?” “Donald, I don’t even remember taking it.” The couple stood 12 stories below the newest advertisement for the City’s art gallery, staring at it inquisitively. Both searched every aspect of the contorted pi...

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“The Undocumented” by Cailee Williams

Submitted to Contest #244

Staring down at the picture in my hands, perfectly lamented, I started to shake as my breath quickened. It was a picture of the moment that’s been haunting me since it happened. No one knows that this happened to me, but…how could I possibly be holding a picture of that night? The last night I had with my baby sister, we were so little when it happened, it was just the two of us. Neither one of us knew how to operate a camera, so, how could I possibly be holding a picture of the two of us in Crater Lake? I stood stock still until I heard my ...

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$250

Prize money

239

Contest entries

91

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Apr 05, 2024 EST

Won by K.A. Murray 🏆

Title: The Party

Submissions must be between 1,000 - 3,000 words and will be approved and published on Reedsy Prompts within 7 days of the contest closing.

Read the full terms & conditions or check out the FAQ if you have any questions!

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