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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

#258: Frame of Mind

What do you think of when you hear the word "photography?" In a general sense, it involves preserving memories or documenting events — and while not everyone considers it an art form, you’ve probably snapped photos of your family, friends, or even food at some point with your phone!

With that in mind, this week’s theme focuses (no pun intended!) on photography and the stories and emotions that pictures can create.

This week's prompts

A forgotten photograph tucked away somewhere is the catalyst for an unexpected journey.

Adventure – 87 stories

Center your story around two strangers who bond over their shared love of photography.

Character – 30 stories

Write a story where a photograph could change the course of history if it’s delivered to the right (or wrong!) person.

Short Story – 32 stories

Start your story with someone who has lost everything but finds solace in photography.

Dramatic – 63 stories

A photographer captures an image of something unexplainable. What happens next?

Mystery – 75 stories

Stories

“An Unsettling Discovery ” by Dawn Harwood

Submitted to Contest #258

“Mom, where do you think your passport is?” I shouted up to her, wondering why I did as my mother could not hear me talking even when I was sat next to her. I moved some more papers in the drawer that seemed to be breeding papers and items. Suddenly, I saw a photograph of a young man in a uniform. On the back was written “Ich liebe dich, Gerhard xx. 24.09.1943 xx”. I turned the photo over and noticed the German uniform. I remembered seeing this photo before when I was a teenager, snooping through the drawers. My mother had caught me and I ha...

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“Would you capture yourself a dream?” by Marija B.

Submitted to Contest #258

Have you ever dreamed of a journey to the most beautiful land of them all? Have you ever pictured a moment where life seems to stop, and the moment stops for eternity? I have. I dream of it all the time. I fantasize about it while walking the streets of this small town I call home. I fantasize about the uniqueness of the beautiful scenery and the colors. Ah, colors. The only colors I see walking through these bland lanes are different shades of brown and gray. I can at least catch a little bit of green in the nearby forest, which is, to th...

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“An Unexpected Friend” by Lucas Grey

Submitted to Contest #258

It’s my first time in Chicago, and like every other tourist, I end up at The Bean. Inspecting the sculpture, I think it may be the most fascinating thing in all of existence. The way the light plays off the metallic surface, how the images morph depending on where I stand... It’s beyond fascinating. So me being me, I pull out my professional-grade camera and start shooting some pictures. I take photographs up close, far away, and at weird angles just to see what will come out. I play around with different exposures, too. I even think about s...

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“Hand of Time” by Ashleigh Cohan

Submitted to Contest #258

“What do you see?” a voice behind me said. Perhaps, nothing could have startled me more than the woman herself. I turned around to see strange bangs, wide, exaggerated makeup. Eyes that made no sense. A black and white striped sweater and a ruffled denim skirt. “What do you mean?” I asked. “When you look at the photo,” she repeated, “what do you see?” I hadn't been looking to buy a photograph when I stepped into the gallery off the street to come peek inside. What I found was largely unaccounted for. I stood, silent, unwanting to be ju...

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“The Last Photograph” by Sakiya Alex

Submitted to Contest #258

As long as I can remember, I’d always loved taking pictures. I would rise earlier than the sun just to capture its radiance with a simple click of a button. Photos don’t ever portray the real thing in its complete magnificence, but I think it’s the next best thing. Pictures, though, don’t pay the bills, that’s what my dad told me, anyways. Besides, most boys didn’t grow up taking pictures all day. That’s how I ended up here, in Cambridge Massachusetts, studying law at Harvard University. That Saturday, I didn’t have any pressing work to...

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“The Daguerreotype” by Cristian Profir

Submitted to Contest #258

Louis Daguerre started as a painter who was capable of making portraits, as real as a mirror’s reflection. He wasn’t very successful though, because at his time nobody wanted mirror-like representation of themselves. People wanted portraits made by creative artists who could make them look younger, happier and just a little bit more handsome. So, the successful portrait makers were the ones who could do just that- not showing the reality as it was but concealing it. Knowing that wasn’t enough for Louis to do as the others. His intention for ...

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“A Thousand Words Unsaid” by K.C. Mckenzie

Submitted to Contest #258

Manhattan, New YorkFriday, May 284:57 PM Hey. I know you probably don’t want to hear from me anymore, but I just wanted to see if you were okay. I’m sorry. Again. I promise you I wanted to come. It's just…well, it’s a lot. Maybe we could talk sometime. Then I could explain myself. I stare at the message for a while, trying to build up the courage to press send. As usual, my patience is in vain, and I prove to be just as cowardly as yesterday. With a sigh of defeat, I delete today’s variation of an apology and click on her ...

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“Undeveloped Love” by Michael Palmieri

Submitted to Contest #258

“So, how was your day?” Neil asked his wife Lois as they sat at the table to eat dinner. “It was fine. I finished up at the office early and met Sara for lunch.” “That sounds nice.” “We decided to try out that new café on Birch Rd. I was pleasantly surprised by it. It's a fantastic little place. How about you? How was your day?” “Like yours, I suppose. Only worked half a day and went to the driving range to hit a few golf balls with Ben.” “It’s funny, I was thinking about Ben earlier today,” Lois said. Neil shook his head, “Nope.” “What?”...

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“Eleanor's Bargain ” by Emily Farr

Submitted to Contest #258

August 15, 1945.The photo was chaos in black and white: a soldier, his left arm cradling a shocked woman dressed in white – most likely a nurse; his right arm clinging to her waist and the small of her back. She was dipped into a familiar kiss, but by the strange soldier who the photographer Alfred Eisenstaedt somehow captured in all the madness on that August day in Times Square. The Japanese had surrendered, and when the soldier stumbled out of what must have been a bar, he “grabbed the nurse,” as he would later report. –A four hour d...

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“Now & Then” by Steve Bourne

Submitted to Contest #258

Then: Aihangela carefully removes the brown cardboard envelope from the archive wrapper. Despite being enclosed in acid free tissue, time has still faded the edges and she wonders whether it will be suitable, but reasons she can’t go through the hassle of contacting Mieki in Chancellery to see if he can find another one at such short notice Fortunately, she kept the ancient printer from a previous occasion - using her techTab to avoid Mieki’s scrutiny - and the resultant label, with its address and obsolete barcode is waiting on her de...

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“THE ANCIENT QUEEN” by Leila Guerrios

Submitted to Contest #258

A couple hundred years after the world was created, there was a war between Zeus and Poseidon over who should possess the heavens and seas. They had ruled in harmony until a secret document that promised their peace was stolen. It was a photo taken at the creation of the world. A photo that possessed immaculate power. No one had ever seen it but its existence was well known and required vicious protection. It was around then that Selena had been crowned Moon Goddess under Queen Nevaeh. She was well-known to excel in manipulation and li...

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“Through the Lens of Sorrow” by Bella Marie

Submitted to Contest #258

Warning: This story does contain talk of death, and briefly mentions alcohol. For Grace, time slowed down as she waited to hear the news of her husband. Minutes felt like hours. Hours felt like days. Her mind swirled with the endless possibilities that laid before her.. The ‘what ifs’ growing stronger with each passing moment. Grace checked the clock on the wall. 10:00 PM The door flung open. Grace’s head shot up, sure that this one would be for her. Instead, two nurses walked by, no doubt engaged in some sort of gossip from the day. Grace ...

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“Frame of Mind” by Tempest Phoenix Smith

Submitted to Contest #258

It was the calico cat that started it all on a Saturday morning.Not even his cat, though he had let her inside a few times since moving to Old Town.Ambrose had stripped the king-sized bed first thing, taken everything to the laundry room, then brought fresh lavender-colored sheets and pillowcases. He had stretched the last corner of the fitted bottom sheet over the mattress corner when he noticed the calico cat staring in through the bedroom window.Taking the cat to be scanned for a micro-chip was on his to-do list as none of the neighbours ...

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“An empty home” by Gemma Kovacs

Submitted to Contest #258

Today was the day. It was the day that John had been dreading since his husband, Charles, fell ill two years ago. He choked back his pain and took a deep breath. He was being evicted from his home.John stood at the entrance to their shared home, just within the doorway, as he inspected every inch of the walls one last time. In one hand was a suitcase full of his clothes and small items, while in the other was a picture frame containing a photo of the pair on their wedding day several years before.When Charles fell ill, John quit his job and ...

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“A Path That Led to Healing” by Sofie M

Submitted to Contest #258

Three people he had loved. Three people he had lost.Time seemed irrelevant after the last was lost. Days flew by, then weeks, then months. Still, the pain didn't go away. It remained, like an on-going emptiness. The piles with cards that all read 'sorry for your loss' with flowers or a small gift grew. He didn't go outside, he didn't open the curtains, he sat, alone, in a dark room.At night, when he couldn't sleep, he cried and screamed and kicked the gifts. If by some miracle, he fell asleep, his nightmares of dying grew worse with every pa...

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$250

Prize money

287

Contest entries

88

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Jul 12, 2024 EST

Won by Rozmarin Ideas 🏆

Title: She Owed Nothing to Ghosts.

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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