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Call to Submit: “Pictures and Songs” B&W Photo Book

03.01.23 —

Calling all photographers! We’re excited to announce an open call to submit images to our next photo book, “Pictures and Songs”, and this time it’s a celebration of black & white photography. We will be selecting work by 50+ photographers for what will be our very first black & white book.

We want to see your most striking black & white images of people, places, and things, and also have you pick songs to go with them! You may have a specific reason for choosing a song or it could just be a feeling you get when you look at the photo. Either way you will need to tell us a bit about each image you submit, whether or not you directly address the reason for the song is up to you.

Images do not have to be shot on B&W film to be eligible, digital images converted to B&W are acceptable. Keep in mind, this doesn’t mean we want to see your entire photo archive converted to B&W! Be thoughtful. Take some time to consider what images look best in black and white. Converting an image can be an effective way to remove visual noise, clashing colours, or other elements which draw the viewer’s eye away from what you want them to notice.

Many of you took part in our similar project a few years ago, Portraits and Songs. There will be a similar gallery post for this project and throughout the open call period we will feature a selection of submissions on our site.

Here’s an example, a photo I took, a song, and a little explanation (you can click on the song title to hear it):

Talking Heads — “I Zimbra”

Photo by Jeff Hamada

I took this photo in a small roadside restaurant near Mount Aso, in Kumamoto, Japan. We cooked our food around traditional fireplaces sunken in the floor (irori), and made friends with a rowdy group of farmers who were drinking next to us. This Talking Heads song captures the energy of that whole afternoon.

We’re going to be reaching out to a selection of our favourite photographers to contribute images and songs. If you’re a member of our community and would like to be considered for inclusion in this publication, you can submit as many photos as you like using the link below! Anyone who is selected for the book will receive a free copy of it when we release it!


*Log in to enable the submit button. This form is just for members, you can learn about becoming a member here.

 

Deadline for submissions: 11:59PM PST March 17, 2023

HOW TO SUBMIT:

  • you may upload up to 5 JPG images per submission
  • maximum size: 2500 x 2500 px (if you are selected, we will contact you for high resolution images)
  • format for naming your files: FIRSTNAME_LASTNAME_01.jpg
  • provide a short text description and a song for each image
  • use the button below to submit

If you want a little more inspiration, below are a few beautiful black & white images from our previous photo book, Circles:

Photo by Lola Thomas
Photo by Nadina Helen Bakos
Photo by Ben P. Ward
Photo by Brittsense


*Log in to enable the submit button. This form is just for members, you can learn about becoming a member here.

 

Deadline for submissions: 11:59PM PST March 17, 2023

If you are unable to afford a membership, we are offering one-time submissions for photographers who are experiencing financial hardship. Head over here to fill out a form. (Available until March 2, 2023) Once approved, you will be able to submit 1 image to this open call.

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