Call Description

The Open Road: Endless Horizons

Jurors: Susan Hacker Stang, Shellee Graham, and Jim Ross
 

Submission Dates: May 7 – June 21, 2026

Awards: Grand Prize Winner: $1000, First Place Winner: $500, Second Place Winner: $250, Third Place Winner $100

Entry Fee: 1st Three Photos Free for IPHF Photographer's Circle Members, $35 for Non-Members, +$10 per Additional Image Submitted (up to 10 Total) 

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Virtual Exhibition: Selected works will be included in an Online Exhibition at iphf.org

Kick off the Photo Competition with Endless Horizons: Journeys along the Mother Road, an online panel celebrating the 100th anniversary of Route 66. Join photographers Susan Hacker Stang and Shellee Graham, historian Jim Ross, and host Rob Grimm for a conversation on the road’s history, culture, and visual legacy—offering inspiration for photographers everywhere to explore journeys, connection, and life along the road. Learn More and Register Now. 

The Open Road: Endless Horizons

In celebration of the 100th anniversary of Route 66—America’s iconic “Mother Road”—The Open Road: Endless Horizons invites photographers to reflect on the enduring spirit of the road as a symbol of history, movement, and possibility.

Route 66 has long stood as a pathway of migration, ambition, and reinvention. It carried families westward in search of opportunity and leisure, connected communities across vast distances, and gave rise to a distinct roadside culture that continues to shape the American imagination. Its legacy lives not only in the landscapes it traverses, but in the stories, memories, and visual language it inspired.

This competition draws from that legacy as a point of departure rather than a boundary. Photographers are encouraged to explore how the spirit of the open road—defined by wanderlust, resilience, and discovery—appears in their own environments and experiences, wherever they may be in the world.

Submissions may capture the traces of history embedded in roads and architecture, the evolving character of places shaped by travel, or the lives of those who move along and dwell beside these routes. From expansive horizons to intimate moments, the work should reflect on the ways journeys—past and present—continue to define who we are and how we connect.

Jurors: 

Susan Hacker Stang
American photographer, author, and educator, Susan Hacker Stang spent over four decades as a professor of communications at Webster University in St. Louis. Her work is held in more than 25 major museums and libraries worldwide and has been widely published in books and magazines.

Shellee Graham
Photographer, artist, and Route 66 ambassador, Shellee Graham is the author or coauthor of five books, including Tales from the Coral Court and Route 66 Sightings. Her work has been exhibited nationally and internationally, and she is a recipient of the John Steinbeck Award for her preservation efforts.

Jim Ross
Route 66 historian Jim Ross has spent 35 years researching, photographing and writing about the Mother Road. His published books include Route 66 Crossings and Route 66 Sightings, and he is coauthor (with wife Shellee Graham) of Route 66: The First 100 Years. He serves regularly as a consultant, and his efforts as a preservationist have earned him multiple awards.

International Photography Hall of Fame

The International Photography Hall of Fame (IPHF) is now in its sixth decade and is dedicated to honoring excellence in photography through its Hall of Fame and with online programing, photo competitions and exhibitions featuring classic and contemporary photography. Join the IPHF International Photo Competition for your chance to be featured in a special Online Exhibition at iphf.org.

About Juried Exhibits 

Dependent on the juror’s decision, an artist may find that all, some, or possibly none of their pieces are chosen to be a part of the exhibition. International Photography Hall of Fame strives to promote excellent exhibitions that are juried to fit the exhibit space but also display the best quality work chosen from what is entered. 

During the open call Curator Picks will be chosen by the curators at IPHF from each week's submissions. These photos will be featured on the IPHF website and in social media. Selection as a Curator Pick does not necessarily reflect the final decision of the Juror of the Competition or ensure entry into the online exhibition.

All entrants will be informed of acceptance or declination via email. Please contact info@iphf.org if you have questions or concerns. No phone calls, please. 

Application Requirements

• The image files need to be JPEG formatted and in RGB color mode. In sizing, a good guideline is to make either the width or the height about 1600 pixels and maintain the aspect ratio.
• For more information on format requirements please consult CaFE's Media Guidelines

Eligibility Criteria

• Open to artists 18 years of age or older. No juror, employee or volunteer of the organization holding the competition is eligible to enter the competition.
• Two-dimensional photographic work derived from traditional or digital processes - is eligible if the work is original and has never been exhibited before at the International Photography Hall of Fame or its website. Artwork created primary from generative A.I. is not eligible for this competition and exhibition, nor is three–dimensional work. See Rules and Terms to Apply for more details.