Self-Portrait

Deadline for submissions: Nov 19, 2018

Prints due: Dec 28, 2018

Exhibition: January 10 - February 2, 2019

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Prints of most of these images are available for purchase. Please inquire.
All photographs are the copyright of the individual artists and may not be reproduced without their permission.

Juror: Aline Smithson
Gallery exhibition: January 10 - February 2, 2019

Juror's Statement

As someone who avoids being in front of the lens, I'm not exactly sure why I love the genre of Self-Portraiture so much. Perhaps it is because it allows for a truth-telling of sorts, or a glimpse into a photographer's psyche. I also have to acknowledge the bravery it takes to expose oneself, and in the end it brings us all a little closer as we relate to the stories being told. This exhibition has work that ranges from poignant and personal to humorous and magical. It was a complete pleasure and privilege to spend time with so many approaches to revealing self.

As a juror, I look for work that delights and transports me. I look first at the quality of the image. Is it in focus, is it unique, shot with intention, and has the photographer committed to the concept? I also look for an element of beauty and a surprise. I consider the exhibition as a whole, where it is important to showcase a range of work that meets the criteria. In this case, I had to forgo dozens of images of hands over faces and self portraits in window reflections, bird cages and white nightgowns, as I could only select a few to round out the show. Keeping this in mind, when submitting to a call for entry, think outside the box and bring something fresh and new to the conversation.

For the Juror's Award, I selected a powerful diptych, one image a portrait of a relationship, and the other, a page torn out of a notebook sharing with the viewer a heart breaking story of living half truths, bringing up for the rest of us, the roles we play and the masks we wear. I appreciated the honestly and revelatory gesture of the work, reminding me the power of simply telling our stories. For the Director's Award, I was drawn to the complexity of this image. The artist submitted a number of excellent photographs, but this was a wonderful duality of our inner and outer selves.

Congratulations to those whose work made it into the exhibition in the gallery or online, but for those I sadly could not include, thank you for sharing your work with me. You have no idea how difficult you made my job or how close your work came to being selected. Finally, thank you to James Barker and the PhotoPlace Gallery for this wonderful opportunity to spend time with so much good work.

— Aline Smithson

Call for Entries

A self-portrait can be a mirror that reflects both how we see (by the creative choices we make) and how the world sees us (or how we want the world to see us). Unlike a casual “selfie,” which requires nothing more than the physical presence of the subject, a good self-portrait holds nuanced clues about who the subject truly is.

Let your self-portrait tell us something about you. All capture and processing methods are welcome.

We are very pleased that Aline Smithson will jury and curate this exhibition. She will select approximately 35 images for exhibition in the gallery, and 35 for our Online Gallery Annex. The recipients of the Juror’s Award and the Director’s Award will each be entitled to a personal portfolio review by Ms. Smithson.

Submissions: $35 for up to 5 images, $6 each additional image.

Information about our printing service and free matting and framing here.

Click on images to enlarge.

About the Juror

Aline Smithson is a Los Angeles-based artist best known for her conceptual portraiture and a practice that uses humor and pathos to explore ideas of childhood, aging, and the humanity that connects us. She has exhibited widely, including over 40 solo shows at institutions such as the Griffin Museum of Photography, the Fort Collins Museum of Contemporary Art, and the Shanghai, Lishui, and Pingyqo Festivals in China. In addition, her work is held in a number of public collections and her photographs have been featured in numerous publications including The New York Times, The New Yorker, PDN (cover), the PDN Photo Annual, Communication Arts Photo Annual, Eyemazing, and Silvershotz magazines.

Aline is the founder and editor-in-chief of “Lenscratch”, a daily journal on photography. In 2012, Aline received the Rising Star Award through the Griffin Museum of Photography for her contributions to the photographic community. In 2014, Aline’s work was selected for the Critical Mass Top 50 and she received the Excellence in Teaching Award from CENTER. In 2015, the Magenta Foundation published her first significant monograph, “Self & Others: Portrait as Autobiography”. In 2016, the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum commissioned Aline to a series of portraits for the upcoming “Faces of Our Planet” exhibition. In the fall of 2018, her work will be exhibited in the National Portrait Gallery in London.