The City of Evanston invited residents Saturday to participate in a city-wide photography challenge, Day in the Life of Evanston: A Photo Story.
Photographers of all skill levels and ages were encouraged to take pictures all day to demonstrate a typical fall day in Evanston.
Despite efforts to publicize the event on the City of Evanston website, several local professional photographers said they were unaware of the event.
Bill Floyd of Bill Floyd Photography said although he would not have participated in the event had he been aware of it because of the nature of his photography, he expected many colleagues would have.
“Evanston is a community of pretty creative and artistic people that would love to get involved in something like that,” Floyd said.
He said more advertisement in local news publications and direct contact with local photographers could have proved useful in recruiting more participation.
Similarly, Eric Wachmik of Modern Photography & Video Studio, which has locations in Park Ridge and Chicago, wrote in an email that he would have participated in the competition had he known about it. He said he will consider participating in future Day in the Life of Evanston events if made aware.
Residents who participated in the contest must submit their photos by Oct. 31, at which time 32 pictures will be chosen for a “Day in the Life of Evanston” photo book. Ald. Mark Tendam (6th) said the judging panel probably will be comprised of city officials to expedite the judging and production process of the books.
Tendam suggested the photo book to city council after receiving a similar book from a city manager from New Zealand. He said it will serve as an inexpensive yet representative “leave-behind” to share with other cities.
The city plans to coordinate a similar photo day each season to create a comprehensive view of a year in Evanston, Tendam added. He said submissions will provide city officials with critical information about how residents utilize city space.
“The goal is to get people out, enjoying the community and giving us feedback – where they go to enjoy themselves and what they enjoy seeing in Evanston,” Tendam said. “We want to see what makes the community proud about Evanston.”
