Organizer Information
Matt Ford Studio is a photography, art, and exhibition space based in Hackney, East London, run by multidisciplinary photographer, artist, and videographer Matt Ford, whose career began in Liverpool with solo and group photography and art exhibitions in collaboration with Liverpool Design Festival and Liverpool Art Month, and whose fashion portrait work is on permanent display at the Museum of Liverpool. The studio's 400-square-foot space converts between a working photo studio and a gallery, with a focus on photography, portraiture, experimental work, and queer-led projects. The studio publishes a newsletter and social presence centered on queer portraiture, art, exhibitions, and art books. The studio has previously produced exhibitions and accompanying photo books, including past editions built around themes of sexuality, identity, and portraiture. This is an independent gallery operating without outside funding, and the studio states that its entry fees go toward covering operating costs rather than profit.
Title & Description
Self Portraits 2026 — Exhibition + Photo Book Open Call
Matt Ford Studio invites photographers from around the world to submit self-portraits for an open call, group exhibition, and accompanying photo book. The call asks participants to reflect on what it means to be human in the current moment, using the self-portrait as a form that can explore the subconscious, personal or communal identity, or imagined versions of the self. Submissions are judged in two rounds: an initial round by a panel of five London-based creative professionals, followed by a final round for finalists and winners judged by the editors of Zero.Nine Magazine. Selected work will be exhibited at Matt Ford Studio and published in an accompanying photo book.
Theme
Self Portraits — photographers are invited to explore self-portraiture as "a meditation on the subconscious, a reflection on who we are or the communities we come from, or a creative manifestation of something we've dreamed of being," set against what the organizer describes as "this often ominous second quarter of the 21st century."
Categories
- Photography
- Visual Arts
- Multimedia
- Mixed Media
- Collage
Eligibility
- Open internationally — "anybody can enter from any county [country] in the world" (as stated in the source)
- Entrants must be 18 or over
- Open to all skill levels, from beginners to professionals
- Both digital and analog photography are welcomed (disposable cameras, iPhone, and high-end DSLR are all explicitly listed as acceptable)
- Collage and experimental/mixed-media works are welcomed, provided they still involve a photographic self-portrait component
- Digitally enhanced images are accepted
- AI-generated images are explicitly not accepted
Program Benefits & Awards
- Winner only: £500 cash prize
- Winner only: cover image placement on the Self Portraits photo book
- Winner only: exclusive "On The Radar" feature in Zero.Nine Magazine
- 1st, 2nd, and 3rd prize: feature about their work in Zero.Nine Magazine
- Finalists only: entry into the Self Portraits exhibition at Matt Ford Studio
- All semi-finalists: work featured in the Self Portraits photo book
- 2nd and 3rd prize: additional unspecified prizes to be announced
- Exhibited work is eligible for sale, with 75% of the sale price going to the artist and 25% to the studio; the studio covers UK postage and packaging for sold work
Application Fee
£13 to enter, which includes one photograph. Each additional photograph submitted is a further £6. This fee secures entry into the online judging round only; selection for the book and exhibition is based on the judges' decision. If selected for the exhibition, a further £20 per photograph shown is required to cover printing and exhibition admin (the studio arranges printing via theprintspace.com, or entrants may send their own print and cover delivery/return postage themselves). There is no additional fee to be included in the Self Portraits photo book.
How to Apply?
Online Application
Key Dates
- Application Deadline: 26 October 2026
- Semi-Finalists Announced: 9 November 2026
- Book Launch, Exhibition Private View, and Winners Announced: December 10, 2026
- Exhibition Open to Public: December 11–14, 2026 (Press Preview: December 10, 2026)
Location
Matt Ford Studio, Hackney Downs Studios, East London, United Kingdom
Additional Details
- Judging is conducted in two stages: an initial round by five London-based creative professionals (criteria: originality, storytelling, technical skill, artistic merit, and emotional impact), followed by a final round for finalists and winners judged by the editors of Zero.Nine Magazine.
- Sold artwork carries a 75/25 revenue split in favor of the artist, with the studio managing the sale and covering UK postage and packaging.
- The organizer notes this is an independent gallery with no outside funding, and that entry fees go toward operating costs rather than profit.
- Questions can be directed to Matt Ford via the studio's contact page.