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The One by Black Eyes Gallery begins with a deceptively simple idea: choose the photograph that would go first in a portfolio. Black Eyes Gallery is building its inaugural exhibition around that single-image instinct, looking for work with strong composition, light, emotional resonance or simply the quality that keeps its maker returning to it. Entries close on September 15, 2026, and 25 images will be selected for a physical exhibition in Tucson, Arizona, from September 26 to October 31.
The call is open worldwide to photographers aged 18 or over, with no genre restrictions beyond the requirement that submissions are photographic and lens-based. Entry costs $40 for up to five images or $50 for up to ten. A limited $20 reduced-fee option is available by prior arrangement. For photographers browsing current photo contests, one practical distinction is that selected artists do not need to arrange production or shipping: Black Eyes Gallery prints, mats and frames each chosen image at its own expense.
Selected photographs are exhibited publicly, added to the gallery’s permanent online exhibition archive and promoted through its website, email list, social channels and Instagram. Artists may also offer their work for sale through the exhibition. The photographer sets the retail price, while the gallery retains a 50% commission on gallery sales.
Deartline Review
Copyright retained · Non-exclusive license · AI images not allowed
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Contest Prizes
The One by Black Eyes Gallery is structured around exhibition selection. Twenty-five images will be chosen for the inaugural Black Eyes Gallery exhibition.
- 25 selected images: Black Eyes Gallery prints, professionally mats and frames each selected photograph at gallery expense for public exhibition from September 26 to October 31, 2026.
- Permanent online archive: Selected work remains in the gallery’s online exhibition record with the artist’s name, image title and a nominated social link.
- Gallery promotion: Selected artists receive promotion through the gallery’s website, email list and social channels, plus a feature on its Instagram page.
- Sales opportunity: Artists may make selected work available for sale. The artist sets the price and Black Eyes Gallery retains a 50% commission on gallery sales.
The physical presentation makes this principally an exhibition opportunity, with production handled by the gallery rather than the photographer.
Related Photo Contests
Categories
There are no separate genre categories. The premise is simply to submit the photographer’s strongest work, whether that strength comes from composition, light, emotional impact or another quality. All entries must be photographic or lens-based.
In practice, The One by Black Eyes Gallery functions as an open theme photography contest: the subject and visual approach are unrestricted, while the emphasis remains on the individual image rather than a prescribed genre.
Dates and Entry Fees
| Stage | Date |
|---|---|
| Submission deadline | September 15, 2026 |
| Artist notification | On or before September 22, 2026 |
| Exhibition | September 26 to October 31, 2026 |
Entry costs:
- $40 for up to five images.
- $50 for up to ten.
A reduced fee of $20 is available to a limited number of artists on a first-come, first-served basis and must be arranged before submission.
Entries that produce no selected image receive a $5 credit toward the photographer’s next entry, valid for 12 months and not combinable with the reduced fee.
Black Eyes Gallery’s optional Ojos Membership costs $75 per year and includes two free 10-image entries to gallery calls each year. Membership is not required to enter The One.
How to Enter
Entries are submitted through the online form. Files should be JPG or JPEG, at least 1,200 pixels on the longest side and, where practicable, between 500KB and 5MB. Filenames should follow the format lastname_firstname_title.jpeg.
A short description or backstory is optional. If an image is selected, the photographer will be asked for a high-resolution file and confirmation of print sizing. Selected photographs containing identifiable models require appropriate signed model releases.
About the Jury
The juror for The One is Douglas Fur, founder and Creative Art Director of Black Eyes Gallery. He is a Tucson-based photographer and nationally exhibited artist with 15 years of photography experience and a BFA from Cornish College of the Arts. His professional background also includes work with Decode Gallery and Tucson Erotica.
Published judging criteria generally include creativity, originality, interpretation of the theme and how an image relates to the exhibition as a whole. Where practicable, submissions are reviewed blind, and an entrant’s CV, biography and exhibition history generally do not form part of the selection process.
Why Enter The One by Black Eyes Gallery?
The strongest practical feature of The One by Black Eyes Gallery is its physical exhibition model. A selected photographer supplies the digital file, while the gallery takes responsibility for printing, matting, framing and installation. That removes several costs and logistical steps that can accompany gallery open calls, particularly for photographers entering internationally.
It also differs from an online photo competition whose recognition ends with a web announcement. Here, 25 works become part of an in-person exhibition in Tucson and a permanent online archive, with an optional route to gallery sales. As the inaugural exhibition of a new submission-based gallery, the call also establishes the first group of photographers represented in its exhibition history.
Rules and Copyright
We reviewed the official rules of The One by Black Eyes Gallery to summarize the key participation requirements, copyright terms and image usage conditions. Before entering, we recommend checking the complete rules published by the organizer.
Artists retain all copyright in their work. Entry grants Black Eyes Gallery a non-exclusive, royalty-free, worldwide license for jurying and administration, exhibition production and presentation, archival documentation, and promotion of the exhibition, gallery and its programming. Sublicensing is permitted only to contracted printers, platform providers and venue partners for those purposes. Promotional permission may be withdrawn in writing, while archive use is indefinite.
Generative AI work is not eligible when an image has been created wholly or substantially through generative processes. Standard photographic adjustments such as exposure and color correction, retouching, noise reduction, sharpening and machine-assisted masking do not by themselves fall under that restriction. The gallery may request original camera files to verify compliance.
Black Eyes Gallery owns the physical exhibition print that it produces, but this does not transfer copyright in the photograph. Exhibition prints are held in the gallery archive for two years and may be included in later programming, art fairs or reference displays during that period. Offering work for sale is optional; where a sale takes place through the gallery, the commission is 50%.
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For more information and to participate in the contest, visit: the official website.
