Smile! The Nation’s Family Album on BBC Four

What cameras did you shoot with? Box Brownie, Instamatic, Polaroid or even use a photo booth?

We are looking for a family whose love of photography spans generations, and whose photographs capture - perhaps without even realising it – the changing social history of Britain.

We are looking for those seemingly everyday moments that will help tell the story of how Britain has changed over the last 60 years.

Does this sound like your family? We want to hear from you!

Firstly, technical skills with a camera are not important; this is not an amateur photograph competition. We want to see the photos celebrating the everyday experience of Britain captured in an everyday setting.

What is important is to think of the stories your family can tell across the generations. Think about experiences or events that have played a major role. Is there a common theme that has been photographed that runs through your family? What links your family together?

Britain is a cultural melting pot of nationalities and backgrounds and we want photographs that reflect this. Different parts of our country tell a variety of stories through the people that live there. We want to tell the stories of all British families through the photos each generation has taken.

Here are a few examples to think about

Family and friends

Do you have a big family that regularly like to get together? What memories have you all been there for? What is the background of your family? Have you always lived in Britain or did you move here?

Work

Think about how jobs in Britain have changed. Did your parent or grandparent ever take a camera to work? What photos do you have that might show how Britain’s workforce used to do things differently? And don’t forget high days and holidays, works outings, charabanc trips etc.

Prized possessions

Were you the first on the street with a colour TV? What items were your family most proud of? What did these items mean to you and why did you take a photo?

Holidays and days out

How have these changed over the years? Have you all gone to the same place over the years or have times changed and destinations with it?

Celebrations

Street parties, Carnivals, Birthdays, Religious Festivals, and Weddings - What role have these played in your experience of British culture and why is yours unique? What about these events links your family together? Who was there and who wasn’t?

Nights out

Perhaps you have all frequented the same pubs and clubs and watched them change with time? We want to see Gran and Granddad in all their finery in the local pub, Mum and Dad grooving away at the disco and sons' and daughters' nightclub selfies.

Where were you when?

Iconic moments and movements in British history. Music? Politics? Sport? The economy? Arts? Technology? Fashion?

These are just a few examples, think of those photographs in your collection that tell a story, what does that story mean to you? Who took the photo, what camera was it on, what was happening and what makes it special?

Please describe this image as clearly as possible – explain why you chose to send that photo to us. Please note that photographs without accompanying stories will not be considered.

How to take part

Email us at [email protected] with a selection of your family photos, your name and your contact phone number.

Please note: For technical reasons we cannot accept attachments bigger than 12MB by email. If sending larger files please use a file transfer service such as www.wetransfer.com, www.terashare.net or www.zetauploader.com.

Terms and Conditions / The Small Print

• If you send in photos of children, we must have written permission from a parent or guardian of every child featured (a grandparent, auntie or friend will not suffice). If you are under 16, please ask your parent or guardian to send the email on your behalf.
• Please ensure that you own the copyright in or have the copyright owner’s permission to send us any photos. If we decide that we would like to use your pictures or stories in the programme, we will be in touch to discuss this with you. Not all pictures and stories will be used and we will only get in touch with you if we are considering using your submission as part of Smile! The Nation’s Family Album. If we do not use the photos and stories that you send us we will securely delete them within 12 months of first broadcast.
• Please note that any information you provide will only be used for the purposes of assessing whether you are a suitable contributor for Smile! The Nation’s Family Album and developing and producing Smile! The Nation’s Family Album and any associated website content, programme, publicity, promotion and distribution materials. Your information will not be shared with any third party or used for any other purpose without your permission.