Most people don't make the connection between the items they use every day and mining, Scott Kerr said.
But that's exactly what the Britannia Mine Museum wants people to consider in its inaugural amateur photography competition.
"We want to get people thinking about mined materials," the program and exhibition coordinator said.
People of all ages and skill levels are invited to take part in the Sea to Sky event. The best submissions will be displayed in September in a museum exhibit.
"It is for anyone who is interested," Kerr said. "I know there are a lot of people in Squamish who already doing it [taking photos]."
The contest includes two age categories - 15 and under and 16 and over. The theme is mining materials, where the materials come from and people's interactions with them. Photos should capture how people in the Sea to Sky Corridor use items we get from mines - metal, glass, stone and clay. The pieces can also highlight rocks and landscapes or demonstrate humans' impact on the environment and its impact on us.
A lot of people associate mining with environmental harm, but don't give much thought to what their lives would be like without mined materials, Kerr said. He hopes the contest will help change that.
"The museum is looking at things to engage the community," he said.
Photographers are allowed a maximum of two submission per category - use of mined materials, rocks and landscapes and human-environment interaction. The work must be in by Friday, Sept. 7. More than $1,000 worth of prizes are up for grabs.
For more details visit www.BritanniaMineMuseum.ca.
