About the Open Call

Black Box Gallery is excited to announce 'Taking Pictures: 2026', an open themed juried group photo show. This opportunity welcomes all themes, ideas, styles, and genres, celebrating diverse perspectives on craftsmanship and photographic creativity, including landscape, architecture, portraiture, documentary, fashion, still life, conceptual projects, street, color and black and white, nature, and night photography. The exhibition will feature 26 photographs selected for the physical gallery and an additional 50 for the on-line gallery annex. All 76 selected photographs will be included in a catalog available for purchase on Blurb Books. Juror for the exhibition is Todd Johnson, founder and director of Black Box Gallery, who holds an MFA in Photography from the San Francisco Art Institute and has extensive experience as a portfolio reviewer, independent curator, arts educator, and administrator. Johnson has exhibited his photographic work in numerous galleries nationally. Exhibition Dates: February 1-25, 2026. Black Box Gallery provides free printing, matting, and framing for all exhibited works. Accepted photographers provide high-resolution Tiff or JPEG files for printing. The gallery utilizes 18” x 24” black frames and pre-cut white mats for various print sizes, printing on Epson Premium Luster Photo paper with archival ink in a color-calibrated environment. Exhibition prints will be retained in a flat file for five years for future sale and promotion, with all rights remaining with the photographer. A 50% commission applies to all sales, with 50% going to the photographer; artists may opt out of sales. All photographers will be notified of juror selections 7-10 days after the deadline.

What is Offered

Selected photographers will receive free printing, matting, and framing of their exhibited work. Their photographs will be included in a physical gallery exhibition at Black Box Gallery, an online gallery annex, and an exhibition catalog. Opportunities for art sales are available, with a 50% commission paid to the photographer on all sales.

Requirements

The exhibition is open to all photographers worldwide, both amateur and professional. Submissions require an entry fee of $40 per entry, which includes up to 5 photos. Accepted photographers must provide high-resolution Tiff or JPEG files for printing by the gallery. File specifications: Jpeg files, 1200 pixels on the longest side at 72 PPI, 5 MB or less each, and named as 'firstname_lastname#.jpg'.

How to Apply

Send in the $40 entry fee (includes up to 5 photos) via PayPal. Then, send an email to info.blackboxgallery@gmail.com with the subject line 'Taking Pictures: 2026'. In the email body, include your Name, Exhibition Name, Instagram (Optional), and Titles of Included Photos with corresponding file names. Attach up to 5 photos, formatted as Jpeg files, 1200 pixels on the longest side at 72 PPI, and 5 MB or less each. Name files as: firstname_lastname1.jpg, firstname_lastname2.jpg, etc.