Ever take that one selfie over a particularly pretty beachfront and wonder what it’d be like to go pro? How would your photography skills measure up, when it came down to it? Looking to discover new sources of photojournalism, the Ministry of Information is calling on amateur photo buffs across Egypt to whip out their cameras and smartphones, and find out just how aesthetic their photography skills truly are.

Having launched on World Photography Day on August 19th, the ministry’s new ‘Khabar f Soura’ campaign will take the form of a monthly competition, where each iteration will explore a different theme. This month, the theme is all about sustainable development goals, while next month’s contest will be centred around tourism. “The photojournalism initiative aims to shed a light on how people see Egypt from different perspectives,” Osama Heikal, Minister of Media and Information, told #CairoScene. “We also hope to promote Egyptians’ sense of pride as it is the cornerstone of our Egyptian identity aligned with the Egypt 2030 vision.”

In line with this month's theme, participants are encouraged to take pictures of what they consider to be the loveliest parts of Egypt. Any device can be used, whether it’s a high-tech camera or a cellphone. The finalists will be selected by a board of judges, including the head of the Journalists’ Union Magdi Ibrahim and photographers from Al Ahram newspaper, among other distinguished professionals in journalism and media. Five winning pictures will be picked out at the end of each month, which will then be posted on the ministry’s pages online. At the end of the year, the Ministry of Information will host a gallery for the selected images.

Submissions are now open - so if you want to try your hand at amateur photojournalism, you can submit your work to the ministry at WPD@smoinfo.gov.eg