Black Box Gallery - Framed: Shadow and Light Call for Entries

• Black Box Gallery

• Deadline: October 9th, 2026

• Category: Shadow and Light

• Prize: Exhibition in Portland (USA) + Sales

• Entry Fees: Yes

• REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE

Black Box Gallery invites photographers to explore the visual and conceptual possibilities of Shadow and Light in a juried group exhibition focused on contemporary photographic practice. The exhibition considers photography as an art form fundamentally shaped by the relationship between darkness and illumination, and seeks works that demonstrate how this relationship can influence composition, perception, atmosphere and meaning.

Shadow and light are not simply technical elements of photography; they can become powerful compositional and narrative devices. Shadows can define contours, establish depth, create visual rhythm and reveal relationships between subjects. They can conceal as much as they reveal, introducing ambiguity, tension or mystery into an image. Light can similarly determine the emotional and visual character of a photograph, from sharp and dramatic illumination to soft, diffused and almost imperceptible changes in tone.

Photographers throughout the medium's history have developed distinctive approaches to these contrasts. In black-and-white photography, the interplay between deep shadows and highlights has often been used to create striking patterns, strong graphic structures and dramatic visual compositions. Contemporary colour photography offers another dimension, allowing artists to explore more subtle relationships through muted shadows, atmospheric textures, translucent surfaces and ethereal qualities of light.

For this open-ended exploration, Black Box Gallery is seeking a wide range of contemporary interpretations. We are interested in photographs that investigate shadow and light through different genres, techniques and visual languages, whether through abstraction, architecture, portraiture, landscape, documentary, street photography or experimental approaches. The selected works will reflect the diversity of ways photographers can transform darkness and illumination into compelling visual statements.