NYC4PA - Urban Landscapes, Suburban Scenes, Rural Impressions: Call for Entry

• New York Center for Photographic Arts

• Deadline: January 4th, 2026

• Theme: Urban, Suburban, Rural

• Prize: $4,000 Prize Pool + Online Exhibition

• Entry Fees: Yes

• REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE

Urban, suburban, and rural settings: these are the landscapes we choose to call home, to work within, or to escape to on vacation. Each environment carries its own visual rhythm, its own atmosphere, and its own defining characteristics that set it apart. Together, they tell the story of how people live, connect, and shape their surroundings.

Think of the urban landscape. The pulse of the city can be felt in every corner—the crowded sidewalks buzzing with activity, the rush of public transportation carrying thousands of lives along, the towering skyscrapers drawing sharp silhouettes against the sky. Perhaps your attention was caught by the play of neon lights at night, or the architectural details hidden among the glass and steel.

In contrast, the suburban scene unfolds differently. Here, life is framed by symmetry and routine: the neat geometry of tree-lined streets, the order of well-kept lawns, and the quiet hum of neighborhoods where families gather for cookouts, hamburgers and hot dogs sizzling on the grill. Suburban life reveals itself in shopping plazas, playgrounds, and those familiar everyday moments that define community.

Then there are rural impressions, with their own beauty and nostalgia. Expansive fields stretch into the horizon, dotted with farmhouses and barns. Animals graze in pastures, white fences carve out boundaries, and relics of the past—like rusted cars or weathered farm tools—stand as reminders of history and endurance. Rural spaces slow time down, giving us a chance to look closer and find meaning in simplicity.