GPP: Call for Submissions

The Chemistry of Feeling

OPEN CALL

Gulf Photo Plus is pleased to announce the 2021 Community Exhibition open call, which celebrates analog photography. This year’s prompt is ‘The Chemistry of Feeling’ and this open call will only be accepting submissions of images taken on film that reflect compelling personal storytelling from photographers based anywhere.

With everything at a precarious standstill over the past year, film photographers found the time to create images that conveyed a contemplative spirit - feeling with great depth and moving in slowed pace - and perhaps unknowingly, resisting the burgeoning attention economy that drains us of seeing thoughtfully. The lessons of this time remain with us, and we hope to see this appreciation of slowness, heightened feeling, and considered pace reflected in the submissions.

Analog photography invites deliberation. It eases photographers into slowness without allowing them too much oversight and precision, opening a door into the creative unknown. The rebirth of analog comes timely in the digital age, as a response to a growing fascination with its tangibility as a medium. Between its careful pace and unpredictability, film format creates room for more connections between photographers and their craft, as well as the communities they create with.

We invite photographers of all skill levels to explore analog - by making the best of the medium, no matter what format, development technique, or type of film is used.

Submissions are open and the deadline to submit your images is June 21st, 11:59PM Dubai time. There is no fee for entry and you can submit up to 3 photos. Entrants will be informed if they were selected by June 28th, and the opening will take place at 7PM on 12th July at Gulf Photo Plus in Alserkal Avenue.

We are pleased to partner with The Darkroom Cairo, Darkroom Amman, and Sirkhane Darkroom, who’s local analog communities will be taking part in this exhibition with Gulf Photo Plus.

Submission Guidelines

Image

Jpegs only
Hi-res (larger than 3000 pixels on the longest side and 240 dpi)
File size - less than 6 MB
Post-processing in Photoshop and/or Lightroom is permissible

Caption

Insert text directly to submission form
Roughly 100 words

Where do I submit?

Submissions are open to all, including those based in the UAE as well as internationally, until June 21st, 2021. There is no fee for entry and all submissions can be done here.

FAQ

What kind of work are you looking for?

We’re looking for film photography. Regardless of film camera, format, or situation - we’re looking for insightful, paced, and considered analog images that tell compelling personal stories.

How many images can I submit to the open call?

You will only be able to use the submission form once, so you must have everything prepared at the time of submission. You can submit up to three images, each with a caption, but they must be submitted all at once.

Do I have to submit a caption with my image?

Yes, for every image you submit to the open call, you must also include a caption (100 words or less), including the location the image was photographed, the film format and film type used, and the year it was captured.

Can the image be composed or altered in Photoshop?

Yes, you are welcome to create or edit your image, as we are not applying strict rules on digital manipulation.

When will I know if I am selected?

We will be emailing everyone who has submitted to indicate if they were selected or not by June 28th.

Is there a fee?

It’s free to submit your work, and if you are selected, participation in the final exhibition is also at no cost to the photographer.

When is the last day to submit images?

The final deadline to submit your images is June 21st, 11:59PM (UAE local time).

IMAGE OWNERSHIP/USAGE/COPYRIGHTS

You will maintain 100% copyrights to your image(s) - we are merely displaying it at the exhibition. We will use selected images for press and promotional usage to promote the event.

PRINTING OF IMAGE

The images will all be printed at the GPP printing studio - we have experience and expertise in getting the best print out of a digital file. We will be happy to provide the print as-is at the end of the exhibition to the artists. Artists will have to collect the images themselves within two weeks of the end of the exhibition, and we will not ship or deliver the prints either locally or internationally.