Expand and Contract 2026 — American Documentary Photography

Expand and Contract is the Los Angeles Center of Photography's recurring open-call series that uses contemporary themes to widen the conversation around photographic practice. The 2026 edition turns to American documentary photography, asking how America sees itself today — what it highlights, what it forgets, and what might be missing from the frame.

The juror is Dr. Rotem Rozental, LACP's Executive Director and Chief Curator. The selected works are presented in a virtual exhibition on LACP's website, running July 16 to October 16, 2026. The top three winners are also invited to show their work in an in-person component at LACP's DTLA gallery.

Prizes: 1st place receives $500 cash plus the in-person invitation; 2nd place $250 LACP gift card, a one-year LACP membership, and the in-person invitation; 3rd place $250 LACP gift card and the in-person invitation. Honorable mentions are placed in the online gallery for three months.

Submission is via Submittable. Fees are tiered: $25 for a single image up to $200 for 31–35 images. LACP members receive a 25% discount across all tiers. AI involvement beyond basic editing must be disclosed in the submission description; watermarks are not accepted. The deadline is June 16, 2026 at midnight PST; acceptances are announced June 30, 2026.