Black Box Gallery - Framed: Shadow and Light Open Call 2026
• 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 is excited to present a juried group exhibition dedicated to one of photography's most fundamental and expressive subjects: Shadow and Light. From the earliest days of the medium, photographers have explored the delicate balance between illumination and darkness, discovering how the interaction between the two can shape an image, transform an ordinary scene and create an entirely new visual language.
Light reveals the world, while shadows introduce what is hidden, ambiguous or unexpected. Together, they create patterns, contrasts and relationships that give photographs their sense of depth and dimension. A shadow can define the shape of a subject, separate elements within a composition, suggest movement or create an atmosphere of mystery. Light, meanwhile, can be soft and subtle, dramatic and directional, or bright and transformative. Their relationship offers photographers endless possibilities for experimentation and interpretation.
The history of photography is filled with striking examples of this creative dialogue. In black-and-white photography, strong shadows and dramatic contrasts can produce bold, graphic images in which form and structure become especially powerful. Colour photographers have explored the subject from a different perspective, using delicate shadows, translucent textures and atmospheric lighting to create images that feel dreamlike, emotional or almost ethereal.
Black Box Gallery is interested in seeing the many different ways contemporary photographers interpret this theme. We welcome work that approaches shadow and light literally or conceptually, from powerful contrasts and geometric patterns to subtle tonal transitions, atmospheric textures and unexpected moments of illumination. The exhibition aims to bring together a broad spectrum of photographic visions and demonstrate the extraordinary expressive potential found in the relationship between darkness and light.