2026 International Alternative Processes Competition

Soho Photo Gallery, New York's longest running cooperative gallery, is excited to announce our 22nd International Alternative Processes Competition. This year the Competition will open on Wednesday, December 2nd and close on Sunday, December 20th, 2026. The opening reception is on Thursday, December 3rd from 6 to 8 pm. This will be the second Alternative Processes show at our new gallery at 539 West 23rd Street. It is a fabulous space.

 

Juror

We are excited to have Amy Arbus as our juror this year. From 1980 to 1990 she worked on The Village  Voice  photographing trendsetters whom fashion designers looked to for inspiration. Many of her subjects went on to become well known musicians, designers and artists. These  images later became her award winning book, On the Street 1989-1990, Her other books include: The Inconvenience of Being Born and The Fourth Wall. Her photographs have appeared in The New Yorker, New York Magazine and The New York Times

Arbus has taught portraiture and storytelling with images at the International Center of Photography and the Maine Media Workshop as well as at NORDphotography in Norway. She has had solo exhibitions worldwide. Her photographs are in the collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, The New York Public Library, The Museum of Modern Art and The National Theatre of Norway, In 2025 The Briscoe Center for American History Austin,Texas acquired her archive.

What Are Alternative Processes? 

Alternative processes include, but are not limited to: Albumen, Cyanotype, Van Dyke Brown, Platinum/Palladium, Gum Bichromate, Bromoil, Salt Print, Tintype, Ziatype, Daguerreotype, Image Transfers, Liquid Emulsion,  Anthotypes, Photogravure, Chemigrams as well as handmade prints created from digital negatives. As long as the image originates using Alternative Processes and is not generated by AI, it can be entered into the Competition

1st Place:$300, 2nd Place $200, 3rd Place $100 and 4 Honorable Mentions 

 Submission 

Digital entries must be uploaded at callforentry.org where you will find instructions for submissions. The competition is open to all photographers age 18 years old or older, excluding members of Soho Photo Gallery. No image can measure more that 40" on the longest side

There is no limitation as to subject matter.

The competition is open to all photographers age 18 or older, excluding members of Soho Photo Gallery.