NYC4PA Competitions / Calls for Entry
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NYC4PA ARCHITECTURE
The world around us is filled with areas or neighborhoods we think of as rural, suburban and urban. They each invoke images of the kinds of buildings that fill them. Are they farm houses, split level ranches, skyscrapers or are they some of the many other structures we see in daily life and our travels. We are familiar with architects like Gehry, Wright, and Gaudi as well as famous buildings like the Empire State Building in New York and the Burj Khalifa in Dubai. But are buildings like that a requirement? No, it is much broader than that and can include the Oculus in downtown Manhattan, the wonderful pyramids in Mexico, interiors of cathedrals or the main hall at New York's Grand Central Station. And as important, examples of architecture do not have to be world famous. Private houses, bridges, structures old and new, skylines etc. all fit the bill.
Send us your vision of architecture with images that represent any of the facets mentioned above or another interpretation you envision. Whole structures and architectural detail are all welcome.
NYC4PA ABSTRACT
Abstract art is art that does not attempt to represent an accurate depiction of a visual
reality, but instead use shapes, colors, forms and gestural marks to achieve its effect.
The early days of photography centered on true to life imagery i.e. family portraits, images of streets, towns, mansions... Over time photographers expanded their vision to more moody images, ultimately to where photography is today; an all encompassing art form, generated by camera and lens, and producing a vast sampling of imagery from reality to less recognizable abstracts.
This call is about the abstracts; those images that are not instantly identified as that person, that thing, etc. It doesn't matter if you photograph something abstract or create the abstraction through photographic processes. Macro shots, close ups of graffiti, fanciful post processing manipulations or just photographing something at an angle that disguises it - they all work.
NYC4PA MONOCHROME
KODAK, ILFORD, FUJI were the names that stood out in the early years of photography when shooting, developing and then printing were the steps to getting a great Black and White image. Memories of darkrooms, trays, chemicals as the necessary tools bring smiles to many.
The world of photography has changed dramatically with regard to how these images are created but the special nature of a monochrome print, whether it be black and white, sepia or even shades of a single color are still where emotion, texture and beauty are expressed in gradations from light to dark. No matter if your original image was shot with tri x film, a digital SLR, or your phone, if the end product is a terrific monochrome image, it fits the call.
NYC4PA DECAY CORROSION RUST
Time, neglect, and exposure to the elements can have amazing effects on the appearance of so many things. Despite the usual focus on new shiny objects, these are often just not as visually compelling as those that have stood the test of time and present their own unique appeal.
Walk around to capture the amazing textures and colors in old rusted cars, peeling paint on a rundown building, walls, doors and windows of an abandoned, dilapidated factory, contrasting plaster and lathing on a corroded wall and the myriad of possible captures in a junkyard.
Neighborhoods, disparagingly called "run down", are treasure troves of "decayed" tumble down houses, "corroded" discarded toys, "rusted" cars, trash cans and so on.
Decay, Corrosion, Rust.... can take many forms; black and white, color, abstract - all photographic media are welcome.
NYC4PA BOTANICALS 2026
Both through world travel and exploring the neighborhoods we live in, we come across the vast variety of botanicals both indigenous to local areas and, with controlled climates, those native to faraway places. We gain an appreciation for the variety of life that starts with a seed, whether it be the spectacular greenery of a forest or jungle, the exciting beauty of flowers bursting with color, wonderful edibles like bright red tomatoes and pink blushed peaches, or the textures and layers of botanicals in a black and white print.
With spring approaching in the northern hemisphere and autumn in the southern, capture your unique view of favorite flowers, trees, variegated leaf patterns, vines, fruit etc. in gardens, at the beach, on your window sill, in a snow-covered park, or in the rain forest.
As with all NYC4PA calls all 2D photo mediums are welcome.