2025 Looking Back – Looking Forward
Contest Entry Info
Submissions accepted thru October 31, 2024
Following on the great popularity of our broad-based Single Image and Portfolio contests, we created this reader-inspired competition comprised of four tightly focused sub-contests that blend old and new processes—both analog and digital—and imagery that spans the past, the present and the future.
Vintage Images
Alternative Printing Processes
Digital Manipulation
Pinhole/Plastic Camera Imagery
The specific focus of each contest narrows the competitive field and thereby increases the chance that your image will be chosen. The winners are not featured in a standalone Special Issue. They instead receive prominent representation in one of the four regular issues of Black & White in 16-page contest sections. The added pages not only provide a showcase for your award-winning images, but also represent an added bonus for our readers.
VINTAGE IMAGES: Since the advent of digital, there has grown an ever-greater interest in and appreciation of fine art photographs made back in the analog-only era. To honor that work, and to help ensure that it doesn’t fade into obscurity, we’ve created this contest for photographs made prior to 1985. Do you have an archive of vintage images waiting to be discovered? Here’s your opportunity to get some valuable exposure for your classic decisive moments.
Entry Specifications: Open to all genres and film formats (35mm, medium, large). Images are limited to those made in 1985 or earlier.
ALTERNATIVE PRINTING PROCESSES: Alternative darkroom processes are over 100 years old, yet remain widely popular among darkroom artists seeking different modes of creative expression. Spend time on any image- sharing site and you’ll find countless examples of such time-tested techniques as: wet plate and wet-collodion pro- cess, gumoil printing, daguerreotypes, tintypes, carbon prints, platinum-palladium, photograms, chemigrams, liquid photographic emulsion, Mordançage and many more. This contest honors the commitment and vision of photographers who invest time and energy to produce unique and organic analog imagery.
Entry Specifications: Open to all alternative printing processes. Please state process used for submissions.
DIGITAL MANIPULATION: Digital photographers have a wide array of tools, techniques and filters available to create extraordinary out-of-the- box effects: photo manipulation, photomontage, pinhole and vintage effects, double-exposure, diorama illusion, tilt-shift, reverse-tones, exposure blending, cross-process, digital tintypes and daguerreotypes, photograms, gum prints, infrared, and more. Send us your best digital-manipulation images for a chance to see your work in print.
Entry Specifications: Open to all alternative digital photography techniques. Please state digital process used with submissions.
PINHOLE/PLASTIC CAMERA IMAGERY: There’s nothing quite like pinhole and plastic cameras like the Holga, Diana and Lomo. The unique visual qualities of these cameras open up numerous creative possibilities for the adventurous photographer. Submit your best pinhole/plastic camera photo and share your vision with the world.
Entry Specifications: Open to black-and-white images made with any type of plastic or pinhole camera.
CONTEST GUIDELINES:
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PREPARING YOUR IMAGES:
- Save images at 300 ppi (lower resolution files cannot be used), 8 bits, in grayscale, as jpeg files only.
- WIDTH must be 7 inches – Width is measured from left to right and will total 2100 pixels. Enter 7” in WIDTH option when resizing and allow LENGTH to proportion itself naturally (pixel count will adjust accordingly) Use MEDIUM for Quality option. If prepared correctly the image file size will be approximately 1MB.
- SUBMITTING IMAGES: TRY OUR EASY ONLINE ENTRY SYSTEM
- Your entire entry can be completed online with entry fee paid by credit card. See ENTER button at the bottom of this page. The online entry tool will walk you through the process in three easy steps.
- ENTRY FEES: The entry fee of $30 includes submission of two photos. Additional images can be submitted for $10 each. There is no limit to the number of images that can be submitted. Payment may be made by credit card. Entry fees are non-refundable.
- ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Winners will be advised of the cover date and publication date of the issue which will include their photos. PHOTO RELEASES must be available and furnished upon request for all individuals prominently featured in an entered image. This rule is not generally applicable to street photography. By entering this contest, you give permission to send you emails.
- COPYRIGHTS AND THE WEBSITE GALLERY: By entering this contest you give your permission for Black & White to print your images in our magazine or on our website for one-time use. Images entered in this contest will be posted on our website gallery with a link to your website.
- NOTIFICATION: Judging will be completed by March 31, 2025 and you will receive an email communication of the results.