Lucky Star Issue 5: Camera-Less

Lucky Star is a San Francisco indie photography magazine. Issue 5 — Camera-Less is themed around camera-less and alternative photographic processes: pinhole, lumen, cyanotype, chemigram, photogram, chlorophyll printing, and other techniques that bypass the camera as a recording device.

The brief asks artists to put down the camera and consider the physicality of making an image — chemistry, sunlight, plant matter, paper, and surface. The technique restriction is the brief.

Cohesive bodies or series of work are encouraged and prioritised over single-image submissions. The magazine is printed at 6×9 inches with potential 9×12 inch full spreads. Files must be at least 300 DPI, ready-to-print.

Eligibility is open globally. Submissions from artists featured in previous Lucky Star issues are considered last — the magazine prioritizes new contributors.

Application is free, made through Google Forms. Selected artists are contacted via email within a week after deadline. The Issue 5 deadline was April 27, 2026; results communicated early May 2026.