Into Your Eyes: Photographic Portraiture in the Digital Era

Call for Entries -
Open Call: Into Your Eyes: Photographic Portraiture in the Digital Era - Call for Entries
Juried By: Nicholas Fahey, Fahey/Klein Gallery
Deadline for Submission: Tuesday, October 7, 2025, at Midnight PST
Notice of Acceptance: Tuesday, October 21, 2025
Opening Reception (Virtual): Thursday, November 13, 2025, 12 pm – 1 pm PST on Zoom
Exhibition Run Dates: November 13, 2025 – March 13, 2026 (Virtual)

Description
 This juried open call invites submissions of photographic portraits, to be shown in a virtual exhibition organized by LACP.

The term portrait is used here broadly, referencing images of groups, single humans and non-human beings. The image could be an expression of an emotion, a conceptual meditation on loved experience, or a documentarian effort.

As we collectively experience the alienation, isolation and loneliness brought about by our current digital era, portraits seem more pressing and relevant than ever. To look at one’s eyes in an image feels like an immediate invitation to connect, to explore, to be curious about others, to wonder about what the image reveals and what it could never disclose. It’s an ongoing call for empathy, for a relationship with those we will probably never meet, whose lives we, the viewers, will never experience.

Emanuel Levinas wrote about the ethical values we reveal in the world by encountering one’s face. Roland Barthes was fascinated by portraits from the past, and the idea that he is looking at eyes that looked at the world’s greats, or that he is looking at a person no longer living. Photographic portraits shorten the distance between the past and present, between us and those around us, and might help us see beyond ourselves, beyond our time, beyond our experience in the world.

Prizes
1st Place winner will receive $1,000; 2nd Place winner will receive a $500 LACP gift card; 3rd Place winner will receive $250 LACP gift card. Honorable Mentions: Other artists will receive honorable mentions and have their work shown with the winners in a in-person exhibition at LACP Headquarters opening on August 21st, 2025.

The Juror
Nicholas Fahey is an American art dealer at the Fahey/Klein Gallery, a prominent art  gallery located in Los Angeles, California. Born and raised in Pasadena,  CA, Fahey developed an early interest in art, particularly photography,  as his father David Fahey was the founder of the Fahey/Klein Gallery.  He spent his youth taking party pictures at the openings of people like  Peter Beard and Herb Ritts while also traveling with his father to  install and produce exhibitions around the world.

After completing his education, Fahey returned to Los Angeles, where  he began working for nature photographers, tracking and shooting polar  bears across the Arctic while also assisting commercial photographers on  advertising and editorial jobs. In 2007, Fahey co-founded Glitterati  Magazine, an art and fashion magazine focused on creating a conduit from  20th-century photography to 21st-century audiences.

 Nicholas later founded the High Desert Art Fair, an initiative that  reflects his commitment to fostering artistic communities. The fair aims  to bring together artists from diverse backgrounds, providing them with  a platform to exhibit their work in a unique desert setting. Fahey’s  involvement in the high desert also includes setting up artist  residences and developing properties to support creative endeavors. For  the past nine years, Fahey has played a pivotal curatorial role at the  Fahey/Klein Gallery, continuously striving to showcase groundbreaking  photography and fine art. His dedication extends beyond exhibitions; he  is deeply committed to helping artists publish books that preserve their  legacies. This effort has been a cornerstone of his work, ensuring that  the voices and visions of artists endure for future generations.

Fahey has also made significant contributions to the fine art  streaming industry over the past decade. He created his own fine art  streaming app called Pictaura, consulted Niio to help them break into  new content markets, and is currently the head of content for Vasari, a  fine art streaming app that streams up to 1 million artworks a month.  Through Vasari, Fahey has partnered with major hardware companies like  LG, Epson, and Amazon, expanding the reach of fine art into homes and  businesses worldwide. In addition to his work at the gallery and in  technology, Fahey is a founding board member of the Inglewood  Photography Festival. He established a book grant awarded annually to an  emerging photographer, offering them the opportunity to publish a fine  art book of their work. Winners of this grant are also mentored by  Fahey, who helps guide them as they begin to establish themselves in the  fine art market.

Fahey has curated many exhibitions and facilitated the publishing of  numerous art books. His contributions to the art world have been  recognized by many. He has served on the board of directors of several  arts organizations, including the Association of International  Photography Art Dealers (AIPAD), The Inglewood Photography Festival  (IPF), and the Photography Council of the Los Angeles County Museum of  Art (LACMA). He has also been a guest lecturer and panelist at various  art events and institutions.

Throughout his career, Fahey has remained dedicated to promoting and  preserving the art of photography. His passion for the medium, combined  with his keen eye for technological development, has made him a  respected and influential figure in the art world.

Eligibility and Guidelines
 The exhibition is open internationally to all levels. The juror will select works based on creativity, originality, and quality. LACP invites artists working in all mediums and styles with a relationship to photography to take part in the exhibition.

If AI was used to generate any components of the submitted image(s) that should be indicated in the description of the concept and/or the format.

The deadline to send digital files for consideration is Tuesday, October 7, 12:00 midnight, 2025.

Acceptance Notice
 The selection process will be blind. Once the juror has made selections, all entrants will receive an email from LACP with a list of images and artists selected for the show. The selected images and artists’ names will be posted on LACP’s website.

LACP is not responsible for connecting the selected artists with the juror. In addition, LACP reserves the right not to use a particular selected image(s) for promotional purposes if the image(s) is deemed inappropriate for use on LACP’s social media, newsletter feed, and/or on in any other marketing material.

Entry Details & Fee
  There is no limit to the amount of images which can be submitted. If submitting more than 35 images, please repeat the payment process as necessary.
Size each image 1200 pixels on the long side at 72 dpi DO NOT HAVE YOUR FIRST OR LAST NAME IN THE FILENAME. You are welcome to name the files anything you like, or to keep the original file number.
NOTE: Please DO NOT watermark your images when submitting. Thank you.
$25 for 1 image ($12.50 for LACP Members)

$50 for 2-5 images ($25.00 for LACP Members)

$75 for 6-10 images ($37.50 for LACP Members)

$100 for 11-15 images ($50.00 for LACP Members)

$125 for 16-20 images ($62.50 for LACP Members)

$150 for 21-25 images ($75.00 for LACP Members)

$175 for 26-30 images ($87.50 for LACP Members)

$200 for 31-35 images ($100.00 for LACP Members)
NOT A MEMBER? CLICK HERE TO BECOME A MEMBER!
 

 Liability & Agreement 

Each photographer retains all  copyrights to his or her images. Photographers whose submissions are  chosen for the exhibition grant the Los Angeles Center of Photography  (LACP) the right to use their images for display on LACP’s website and  for the purpose of promoting exhibitions, promoting LACP’s programs, and  promoting the artist. Promotions and images may also be placed on  social networks for LACP with artist credit. Artists grant the use of  their image(s) as stated without further contact from LACP. The artist  understands that LACP will not be held responsible for loss, theft or  other damage, whether caused by the negligence of its officers, members,  or others. Photographers are welcome to sell their photos during the online exhibit, with 50 percent commission to LACP. Submission of  application will constitute an agreement to all these terms and  conditions.

 Questions?
             Email: info@lacphoto.org