“The camera is my tool. Through it I give a reason to everything around me.” 

—  André Kertész

“To be alive is to be skating on thin ice with the possibility of falling falling falling. Taking photographs and writing is my way of saying I was here, I saw this, I felt this, I heard this. It happened.”

— Duane Michals
 

EXTENDED DEADLINE: APRIL 7, 2024

Pasadena Photography Arts is pleased to announce an open call for our PPA Photo Award 2024: Excellence in Contemporary Photography (Open Theme). This annual award recognizes and promotes both emerging and professional photographers, with residence in the United States, exemplifying excellence in contemporary photography. In addition to the winning recipient, five applicants will be shortlisted. *Photographer must have a US bank account to complete application.*

The 2024 PPA Photo Award is accepting entries through April 7th, 2024. Results will be publicly announced August 26th, 2024. Photographers are invited to submit cohesive bodies of work between 10 - 20 images with an accompanying statement. Analogue, digital, portrait, abstract, mixed-media, documentary, street photography, conceptual, still-life photography, landscape, alternative photography, cell phone and AI are acceptable.  

The jury panel will be composed of Pasadena Photography Arts Advisors alongside guest juror Rose Shoshana, of Rose Gallery in Santa Monica, CA for the final round decision. Entries will be judged on the basis of creativity, originality, quality, and responsiveness to the call.

About guest juror Rose Shoshana: "Rose Shoshana is a photography gallerist based in Santa Monica. She was born in Israel to parents who survived the Holocaust, and as a child, she moved to Detroit. Initially working as an editorial photographer, she later established the highly acclaimed Rose Gallery. Representing a variety of modern and contemporary photographers like Bruce Davidson, Tania Franco Klein, and Jo Ann Callis, the gallery has gained international recognition. Since its founding in 1992, ROSEGALLERY has been located in the prestigious Bergamot Station Arts Center in Santa Monica, California. It has become a prominent consultant for distinguished collections, art museums, and academic institutions. The gallery is dedicated to supporting and collaborating with both established and emerging artists, providing long-term conceptualization and presentation of their works. Recently, the gallery's programming has expanded to include artists specializing in various alternate mediums, such as design, bookmaking, and sculptural objects."

Click here to learn about last year's PPA Photo Award Winner Ian Wright.

The Prize

• $2,000 Cash Prize
• Lenscratch Feature
• Published Interview on PPA website
• A Virtual Hosted Artist Talk

Timeline

• December 22, 2023 : Call for entries is open for submissions
• EXTENDED DEADLINE - April 7, 2024: Deadline to submit. Call for entries closes at 11:59pm MT. Late submissions will not be considered.
• August 26, 2024: Winner announced
   

Fees

Artists will pay a non-refundable $42 application fee.
 

Application Requirements

Each artist that applies must meet all requirements as outlined on CaFÉ, in addition to the following:

• Photography Submission:
  • Applicants should submit at least 10 images to show the scope of the project, and can submit up to 20 images total. Images to be submitted digitally, in .jpg format, in sRGB color space, 1200 pixels on the long side, 72ppi, and no larger file than 5 MB each.
  • Jpegs should be named as following: FirstName_LastName_ProjectTitle_01.jpg … FirstName_LastName_ProjectTitle_02.jpg …
  • All images submitted must have a common theme or work together as a whole.
• Supplemental Materials:
  • Project description of up to 2,000 characters
  • Biography of up to 2,000 characters
  • PDF of Artist CV (optional)
  • Link to website (optional)

Eligibility Criteria

All artists are encourage to apply to this annual photo award. Artists must meet following criteria:

• Artist must be 18 years or older.
• Artist must be a legal resident and currently have a primary address and bank account in the United States.
• Work may be from anywhere in the world, utilizing any type of photography (Analogue, digital, portrait, abstract, mixed-media, documentary, street photography, conceptual, still-life photography, landscape, alternative photography, cell phone and AI are acceptable), as long as all work is solely the applicant’s. Work may range from documentary to fine art narrative (images may be altered or abstracted, candid or staged).
• Applicant may submit up to 2 projects per award cycle, but each project must be its own entry. Winning projects from prior years are not eligible.
• To be eligible for the PPA Award, your project must not have been previously shown in its entirety in a gallery setting, been published or self-published, or have been a recipient or winner of another award/competition. A project that has had 10 or more photographs shown in a gallery and/or published on another organization's website or platform is not eligible. A project that has been published in its entirety on the artist's website or social media is eligible. 
• Previously submitted projects to the PPA Photo Award are eligible for re-submission, but only if they have not been awarded prize money or featured on another platform in their entirety.
• The PPA Photo Award consists of exclusively online publications and exposure Winning artist DOES NOT have to ship work.
• Void where prohibited

FAQ

I currently live outside of the United States, but I am a US citizen, can I apply for the PPA Award? 
Yes, if you are a legal resident and currently have a primary address and bank account in the United States.

What work will be considered?
Analogue, digital, portrait, abstract, mixed-media, documentary, street photography, conceptual, still-life photography, landscape, alternative processes, cell phone and AI are acceptable.

My project has been previously shown in a gallery and/or published. Am I still eligible for the PPA Award?
To be eligible for the PPA Award, your project must not have been previously shown in its entirety in a gallery setting, been published or self-published, or have been a recipient or winner of another award/competition. A project that has had 10 or more photographs shown in a gallery and/or published on another organization's website or platform is not eligible. A project that has been published in its entirety on the artist's website or social media is eligible. 

Can I enter more than one project?
Yes, you can submit up to 2 projects. Please note, each project submission requires a separate entry fee.

How many awards are there per year?
There is one PPA Award granted each year.

Can collaborating artists apply?
Yes.

Can I edit or make changes to my application after submission?
No, once submitted no changes can be made to your application. Please review your work selection and writing carefully.

If I am granted the award, will I be expected to report how I use the prize money?
No, we will not require the submission of any receipts or reports. We hope that the cash prize can help the winner with any aspect of their pursuit as an artist.

Who pays taxes?
The winner of the award is responsible for paying any taxes.