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THIS CALL WILL OPEN JANUARY 18, 2026
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International Juried Photography Call for Entry
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LUMINOSITY - THE IMPACT OF LIGHT
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JUROR: Crista Dix
Executive Director - Griffin Museum of Photography
DEADLINE: April 19, 2026 (Midnight Pacific Time)
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PRIZE ANNOUNCEMENTS WILL BE SENT TO ALL ENTRANTS TWO TO THREE WEEKS AFTER THE DEADLINE.
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The New York Center for Photographic Arts (NYC4PA) invites photographers world-wide to submit images using any photographic process (print, image transfer, emulsion transfer, encaustic, black and white, etc.). Winners will receive $4,000 in cash awards, be featured in the NYC4PA Online Gallery and in the Luminosity - The Impact of Light
catalog. The Grand Prize winning image will be posted on the NYC4PA home page.
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LUMINOSITY - THE IMPACT OF LIGHT
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Light meters, backlighting, shadows and glare - photography is all about light – its presence as well as its absence. There is an iconic photograph of Grand Central Station with streams of sunlight filling the airspace as it reflects off dust particles in the air. Whether you are shooting in morning or evening light, sunrise or sunset the time of day an image is captured can be as important as the selection of the subject itself. A snapshot at one time of day, becomes an impactful photograph at another.
This call is about images where the presence, absence, and/or the location of light made the difference. Glare, flare, shadow, fill light all work as do lampshades aglow from an inside bulb, night lights in a city, streaming rays of sunlight. There are examples everywhere. Show us your shots where light is a key element. All 2D photo mediums are welcome.
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​​Please note:
- Images selected for an NYC4PA prize within the past 2 years are not eligible and if selected will be
disqualified. Images submitted and not selected may be resubmitted at any time.
- We use a blind jury process – no signatures or watermarks on your images and no artist names in your
image titles.​​​
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EXHIBITION AND AWARDS:
There will be 10 cash prizewinners, 20 Juror Selections and 20 Honorable Mentions
CASH PRIZES:
Grand Prize: One photographer will receive $1,100.
First Prize:3 photographers will each receive $400.
Second Prize:3 photographers will each receive $325.
Third Prize:3 photographers will each receive $250.
ONLINE GALLERY, CATALOG and AWARD CERTIFICATE
All prizewinners will be included in both the online gallery and catalog and be presented with a certificate. The Grand Prize image will be featured on the home page and the cover of the catalog.
ELIGIBILITY:
This Call for Entries is open worldwide to both amateur and professional photographers. NYC4PA invites photographers working in all mediums, styles and schools of thought to participate. Experimental and mixed techniques are welcome. Only 2-D work is eligible.
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JUROR:Crista Dix
Crista Dix is the Executive Director of the Griffin Museum of Photography, assuming that role in January of 2022 after two years as the museum's Associate Director. The Griffin Museum of Photography produces approximately forty exhibitions annually in its Winchester and satellite galleries across New England. In 2024 the museum created new residency programs, scholarships and public art projects as part of the museum’s mission to enhance its connection to photography and outreach to artists, patrons and public.
Before coming to the Griffin Museum in 2020, Ms. Dix spent fifteen years operating her own photography gallery, wall space creative, closing it in 2020 to make the move to New England and the Griffin. In addition to curating exhibitions and mentoring photographers, she has written essays about photography, been a member of panels and discussions on the craft, juried creative competitions, and has participated in major portfolio reviews across the country.
TO ENTER:​
The entry fee is $40 for the first three images. Additional images may be submitted for $10 each. There is no limit to the number of images submitted.
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For payment and upload please go to: https://client.smarterentry.com/nyc4pa
- JPG files are preferred - file sizes under 1M are perfectly acceptable. As you upload your images they will appear on the right side of the screen. If they are clear to you they will be fine for the juror. ​
- Select a unique name for each image so you can identify images when we send notification. Tea Glass1 Tea Glass 2 can be difficult as are images titled UNTITLED.
- We prefer shorter names
- Filenames with special characters may not load properly
- If you are working in Photoshop, and are using the image size screen, the file size indicated at the top is the size before any compression applied in the save process. Please save the file as a JPG and then look at the file size. It should be perfect.
TERMS AND CONDITIONS:
All entrants to NYC4PA Open Calls for Entry, by virtue of their submission, are attesting that the images submitted are their own work and there has been no copyright infringement. NYC4PA will not be held liable for any infringement of rights that might surface during the jurying or displaying of any image.
By submitting you grant NYC4PA the right to use your image(s) for promotion and advertisement of NYC4PA as well as inclusion in the NYC4PA catalog and online gallery if the image is prize winning, juror selection or honorable mention.
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AWARDS:
Should your award notification or prize be returned as undeliverable, NYC4PA will not resend the notice (whether by the same or another method,) research your address nor make any further attempts at delivery, and your submission will be deemed ineligible. Please be careful when entering all your contact information.
Cash Prize winners living outside the United States will be responsible for costs incurred for wire transferif PayPal is unavailable.
UNITED STATES TAXES- All winners are required to pay tax on prizes. This happens at the end of each calendar year.For U.S. citizens with total winnings accrued through NYC4PA of $600 or more, we are required to file, and provide the artist with, a copy of a 1099 tax form. If this is the case, you will need to provide NYC4PA with tax ID information in January of the following year.
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MAILING LISTS:
As a submitter NYC4PA will include you in future mailings and announcements. If you would prefer NOT to be on our mailing list please log onto http://www.nyc4pa.com/#!contactand ask to be removed.
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NON U.S. APPLICANTS:
Our entry software has an address field for the state you live in. This applies to the US and several other countries - if you do not have “state” as part of your address simply leave that field blank - it is not mandatory.
FINALLY:
If you have questions or issues please contact us at nyc4pa@gmail.com. We will make every effort to get back to you as soon as possible. We will specifically be available via email, until 11:00PM EST on the last evening of the call.
