Perspective by A Smith Gallery

Perspective by A Smith Gallery turns a familiar photographic idea into a broad curatorial question: where does the photographer stand, and how does that position shape what the viewer sees? Built around viewpoint, outlook, standpoint and vantage point, the call leaves room for many visual approaches while keeping its focus clear. Entries close on August 17, 2026, and international submissions are accepted.

Juror Debra Klomp Ching will select up to 47 photographs for an online exhibition running from September 11 to October 15, 2026. Selected work will also appear in an exhibition catalogue, the gallery’s online store and a recorded GalleryTalk. From the final exhibition, 27 photographs will be chosen for “The 27”, a hardbound fine art book. Additional distinctions include a Juror Award, Directors Award and $100 Visitors Award. For photographers comparing opportunities through Deartline’s photo contest calendar, this call combines juried selection with several forms of online presentation and publication.

The entry fee is $40 for the first five images and $5 for every additional photograph, with no limit on the total number submitted. Applications are completed online, and images must follow the gallery’s file preparation and naming requirements. The Perspective by A Smith Gallery is open across photographic mediums and styles, making it relevant to work ranging from direct observation to more interpretive or conceptual treatments of perspective.

Prizes

The awards extend beyond a single winning photograph. Selected artists receive exhibition placement, promotional features and opportunities connected to sales, discussion and publication.

• Juror Award: The recipient receives a one-month online solo exhibition scheduled at a mutually agreed time, a copy of “The 27” exhibition book and a feature story on the A Smith Gallery blog.
• Directors Award: The recipient receives a copy of “The 27” exhibition book and a feature story on the gallery blog.
• Visitors Award: The photograph receiving the most Instagram likes is awarded $100.
• Selected artists: Up to 47 photographs will be included in the online exhibition. Each selected image will be featured on the gallery’s Facebook and Instagram accounts during the exhibition period.
• GalleryTalk: The gallery directors will discuss every selected image in a recorded GalleryTalk, which will later be published in the blog section of the gallery website.
• Catalogue and archive: All selected photographs will appear in an exhibition catalogue available for purchase. The exhibition and GalleryTalk will remain permanently archived online.
• “The 27” book: Twenty-seven photographs from the final selection will be included in a hardbound fine art exhibition book available for purchase.
• Sales opportunity: Selected images will be listed in the gallery’s online store. The gallery retains 30% of the sale price when a work is sold.

Together, these elements place the Perspective by A Smith Gallery within the wider field of photography contests offering exhibition and photography publication opportunities.

Categories or Themes

There are no separate entry categories. All submissions respond to the central theme, “perspective”, which the gallery frames through ideas such as viewpoint, standpoint, outlook, point of view and vantage point.

Photographers may work in any photographic medium or style. This broad framework allows the subject to be approached literally through framing, position and spatial relationships, or more indirectly through personal, social and interpretive points of view. The call may therefore be especially relevant to photographers following conceptual photography or broadly defined open theme photo contests.

Dates and Entry Fees

The submission and exhibition timetable is concentrated between August and October 2026.

Entry fees:

• $40 for the first five photographs.
• Each additional image costs $5.

Photographers submitting 13 or more images are entitled to a complimentary 30-minute review with the gallery directors. Those submitting fewer than 13 images may add a review for $20. Reviews are typically scheduled approximately one week after exhibition results are announced.

How to Enter

Applications can be submitted through the gallery’s online form, where entrants upload their files and pay through PayPal. Applicants may also complete the online form, print the confirmation email and mail it with a check.

Digital files must be JPEGs measuring 1,800 pixels on the longest side at 72 ppi. Images should be numbered consecutively and followed by the photographer’s name, using a format such as “1FirstName_LastName.jpg”. The numbers must correspond to those used on the application form. Watermarks should not be added.

About the Jury

Debra Klomp Ching is the juror for the Perspective by A Smith Gallery call. She is an arts executive with more than 25 years of experience across commercial, nonprofit and academic settings, with a particular focus on contemporary photography.

Since 2007, she has served as Director and Co-Founder of Klompching Gallery in New York. Her work includes developing exhibitions with emerging and established photographers, placing work in museum and private collections, curating exhibitions and serving on international photography award panels. She is also active as a writer and speaker.

The selection will be conducted through a blind jurying process. Entrants’ names are not shown to the juror: files are renamed and assigned entry and image numbers. Each photographer’s submission is then viewed as a group in its original order.

Why Enter Perspective by A Smith Gallery?

The structure of the Perspective by A Smith Gallery gives selected photographers several connected ways to present their work. Exhibition inclusion is supported by individual social media features, a recorded discussion of every selected photograph, catalogue publication, permanent online archiving and placement in the gallery store. A smaller group will also be considered for the hardbound exhibition book.

The blind selection process keeps the juror’s attention on the submitted images rather than the entrant’s identity. International eligibility and acceptance of different photographic mediums also give the call a broad scope. Among the current photography competitions, this contest is distinguished by the combination of juried exhibition, editorial coverage, publication and optional professional feedback.

Rules and Copyright

This section about the rules and image rights of the Perspective by A Smith Gallery has been generated automatically. If you are interested in participating in this contest we suggest you review the complete rules provided by the contest.

Rules

The competition accepts international entries and photographs produced in different mediums and styles. Images previously exhibited through an A Smith Gallery competition are not eligible. The gallery also states that it currently prefers not to accept images created with artificial intelligence because of unresolved copyright questions and related litigation.

Submission fees are nonrefundable. Entrants should ensure that their uploaded files meet the specified dimensions, format and naming conventions and do not contain watermarks.

Copyright and Image Usage

Photographers retain full rights to their images. A Smith Gallery may use selected work for publicity and in connection with the online gallery, online store, exhibition catalogue and “The 27” exhibition book.

All selected photographs may be offered for sale through the gallery’s online store. The gallery retains a 30% commission. When a print sells, the artist may provide and ship a signed print directly to the buyer, or the gallery may produce the print through its printing service.

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For more information and to participate in the contest, visit: the official website.