Photography Open Calls

What Is a Photography Open Call?

A photography open call is an invitation for photographers to submit their work for consideration.

Unlike a competition, where participants are usually ranked and prizes are awarded, open calls often focus on selecting work that fits a particular project, exhibition, publication or creative initiative.

Being selected doesn’t necessarily mean you’ve “won”. Instead, it means your work has been chosen because it aligns with a theme, tells a compelling story or contributes to a wider creative vision.

Open calls exist throughout the photography industry and are organised by galleries, museums, festivals, publishers, magazines, brands, cultural institutions and creative organisations.

Open Calls vs Photography Competitions

Although the two terms are often confused, they serve different purposes.

Photography competitions are designed to recognise excellence through judging, rankings and awards.

Open calls are primarily about participation.

Rather than asking, “Who created the best image?”, organisers are usually asking, “Which photographers would be the best fit for this exhibition, publication or project?”

That difference changes how submissions are evaluated.

Technical quality remains important, but so do storytelling, originality, relevance to the brief and how well a project fits within the overall selection.

Different Types of Photography Open Calls

Photography open calls take many forms, each offering different opportunities for photographers.

Some of the most common include:

• Gallery exhibitions

• Photography festivals

• Photography magazines

• Editorial publications

• Artist books and photobooks

• Collaborative projects

• Documentary commissions

• Brand campaigns

• Creative residencies

• Portfolio reviews

• Community projects

• Public art initiatives

Many photographers build successful careers through a combination of competitions and open calls rather than relying on only one pathway.

Why Open Calls Matter

Open calls often provide opportunities that competitions cannot.

Instead of recognition alone, they may lead to:

• Gallery exhibitions

• International festivals

• Printed publications

• Creative collaborations

• Artist talks

• Networking opportunities

• Future commissions

• Residency programmes

• Long-term professional relationships

For emerging photographers, these experiences can become valuable additions to a portfolio. For established professionals, they offer opportunities to explore new audiences, experiment with personal projects and remain active within the creative community.

How to Choose the Right Open Call

Not every open call will be relevant to your work.

Before applying, ask yourself:

• Does the theme align with my photography?

• Is the organiser reputable?

• Who has participated previously?

• Where will the selected work be shown?

• Who is the intended audience?

• What rights am I granting?

• Are there submission fees?

• Does this opportunity support my long-term goals?

Choosing carefully is often more valuable than submitting to every opportunity you discover.

Common Submission Mistakes

Many strong projects are rejected for reasons that have nothing to do with image quality.

Some of the most common mistakes include:

Ignoring the brief.

Submitting unrelated work.

Missing deadlines.

Uploading incorrect file formats.

Providing weak captions or project descriptions.

Failing to edit a portfolio carefully.

Not reading image licensing terms.

Rushing the application.

The strongest submissions are usually those that demonstrate both creative quality and attention to detail.

International Photography Open Calls Worth Following

Hundreds of photography open calls are announced every year.

Some of the organisations that regularly publish opportunities include:

• PhotoVogue

• PhMuseum

• LensCulture

• Belfast Photo Festival

• FORMAT International Photography Festival

• Rencontres d’Arles

• Der Greif

• Feature Shoot

• British Journal of Photography

• Head On Photo Festival

As the Creative Opportunities Hub continues to grow, each organisation will receive its own dedicated profile with submission guidance, deadlines and editorial insights.

Preparing a Strong Submission

Successful applications rarely happen at the last minute. Give yourself time to review your work objectively.

Edit carefully, make sure your images work well together, write clear captions.

Ask someone you trust for feedback.

Most importantly, follow the brief.

Many organisers receive thousands of submissions. Demonstrating professionalism throughout the application process can be just as important as the images themselves.

Final Thoughts

Photography open calls encourage photographers to share work, join creative communities and discover opportunities that extend far beyond traditional competitions.

Whether you’re hoping to exhibit in a gallery, publish a long-term documentary project, collaborate with other artists or simply place your work in front of experienced curators, open calls provide valuable pathways for creative and professional growth.

The Creative Opportunities Hub will continue expanding with carefully researched open calls from around the world, helping photographers discover opportunities that match their interests and ambitions.

Continue Exploring

• Photography Awards & Competitions

• Creative Grants

• Exhibitions & Festivals

• Design Awards & Competitions

• Post-Production

• Retouching

Official Websites

PhotoVogue

https://www.vogue.com/photovogue

PhMuseum

https://phmuseum.com

LensCulture

https://www.lensculture.com

Belfast Photo Festival

https://www.belfastphotofestival.com

FORMAT International Photography Festival

https://formatfestival.com

Rencontres d’Arles

https://www.rencontres-arles.com

Der Greif

https://www.dergreif.org

Feature Shoot

https://www.featureshoot.com

British Journal of Photography

https://www.1854.photography

Head On Photo Festival

https://headon.org.au

About the Author

Timea Buknicz is the founder of Retoucher of the Year and Retouch League. After more than twenty years working across professional photography and high-end commercial retouching, she created the Creative Opportunities Hub to help photographers, retouchers, designers and visual professionals discover meaningful opportunities and make informed decisions about competitions, awards and creative careers.Last Updated

July 2026

Know an Opportunity We Should Include?

The Creative Opportunities Hub is continually growing.

If you organise an international photography open call, exhibition, festival or publication that supports photographers and visual storytellers, we’d love to hear from you. Our goal is to build one of the most comprehensive and trusted resources for creative opportunities worldwide.