OPEN CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS:

A Book Project Published by Candela Books, Release Date November 2023

An Exhibition at Candela Gallery, Opening in November 2023

Candela Books is looking for photography by artists whose work features their own family for inclusion in a hardcover book to be released in November 2023.

Personal photographs are universal. Even those photographers who travel the world chasing commercial careers, or editorial greatness, will inevitably photograph their own lives to a significant extent. And often these personal documents are the most important images a photographer will make in a lifetime. Childbirth, loved ones, siblings, birthdays, weddings, dinner, laughter, backyards, last photos, illness, dysfunction, difficult memories… Our intention is to record the incredible breadth of family experience, through highs and lows, through lust and loss, creating a survey of work that reflects this moment. Traditionally, marriage has been a bedrock principle for the notion of family. But, of course, this isn’t always the case. 

We will still be interested in the ‘nuclear’ family. But we are open to diverse interpretations of family which recognize the beautiful reality that sometimes our real families are those whom we have chosen more so than those to whom we are related by blood or by ritual. Work about LGBTQ+ families is strongly encouraged. Documentation of any and all diverse family relationships are strongly encouraged… i.e. twins, triplets, grandparents, lovers, sensuality, non-traditional, soulmates, etc..

NOTE: There will likely be a few cute kids included here, but the overarching theme here will be real family, real love, real stories, real struggles, real life.

We intend to showcase the work of established photographers and emerging photographers. We will be able to feature concise edits for powerful projects about family. But if you have a single outlying ‘great image’ we will find a place for that as well. A mix of snapshots, fine art, mixed media, formal portraiture, candid work will be included. As long as you submit your photography depicting your family, we will consider it.

If your work will ultimately be available for exhibition, Candela Gallery will be putting together a smaller selection of works from the book, for an exhibition celebrating the release of the book project. Exhibited works will be subject to a separate agreement and, due to space limitations, inclusion in the book does not guarantee inclusion in the exhibition.

IMAGE SPECIFICATIONS:

JPG sized to 1000 pixels on longest side.

Please title JPGs as follows: LastName_Titlle_#.jpg

In Google forms, we encourage a description of the work and pertinent details, i.e. the family relationships depicted. 

We encourage submissions from artists using photography in innovative ways. Mixed media work, alternative process work, conceptual work… We would like to look at it all.

Previously unpublished work is preferred, but we anticipate making a few exceptions to this rule.

Photographers will receive one copy of the book upon publication.

Further Questions or problems submitted via Google Forms  

Email to project coordinator Shane McFadden: shane@candelabooks.com

Submit your photos here: Google Form

NOTE ABOUT THE HISTORY OF THE PROJECT:

Some of you will remember I had been working on this “family” project roughly four years ago. I actually had/have tentative conversations with many photographers and was building towards a complete project. And then life happened. I suffered a detached retina, and then, after surgery, I had a couple of subsequent eye procedures. None of this was too devastating, to be honest, but it was enough to derail my efforts for a few months, during which I hit pause on this project to keep a couple of other projects on track. Then there was a pandemic, and other things… but I’m back, BABY!

I will be circling back with photographers with whom I had been in touch about the project, BUT if you are interested in participating, please don’t hesitate to reach out. I have a lot of ideas already, and a lot of photographers in mind, but ZERO works are under agreement at this writing. 

Thank you!

Gordon Stettinius

Candela Books + Gallery