Storytelling 2026:
Documentary and Street Photography

Karen Marshall

Chair of The Documentary Practice and Visual Journalism Program
International Center for Photography

New York photographer Karen Marshall documents social issues. By focusing on the psychological lives of her subjects, she has worked on a series of visual stories that contemplate familial relationships and convey ideas about people and place within the cultural landscape.

Her seminal project, Between Girls, articulates the coming of age of a group of urban middle class teenagers, following them from high school into adulthood 30 years later.

The book of Between Girls was published by Kehrer Verlag in 2021.

In her documentary journey Marshall also has witnessed the struggling identity of a group of Navajo Indians and the demise of their earth-based culture in Caretakers of the Earth: Navajo Resistance and Relocation. She often directs her camera at family life, including her Pennsylvania Dutch in-laws’ clan in a series titled Pennsylvania In-Laws. In Still, Standing, a series begun in 2013, she explores the Polish landscape that her grandparents left behind when they emigrated to the United States in the early 1920’s.

Marshall is the recipient of artist fellowships and sponsorships through the New York Foundation for the Arts, as well as grants and support from private foundations. Her photographs have been exhibited in the United States, the Philippines, British Columbia, Israel, Colombia, and China, and are part of several collections, including the Feminist Artbase at The Brooklyn Museum.

Her images have appeared in publications in the United States, Europe, and Asia such as The Washington Post, CNN, ID Vice, Buzzfeed, Konbini Arts, Juxtapoz, Photobook Journal, L’Oeil de la Photographie, NPR Picture Show, Blind Magazine, Vanity Fair, GUP Magazine among others.

Her work as a freelance photographer spans many genres. Marshall’s distinctive style captures meaningful moments within a narrative frame. She has photographed for editorial, corporate, non-profit, and advertising clients for more than twenty-five years in Europe, South Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Marshall is an expert at visual storytelling with a thriving consulting business assisting photographers, foundations, and small companies in the creation of visual narratives.

Marshall is the Chair of the fulltime Documentary Practice and Visual Journalism Program at The International Center of Photography where she has been on the faculty for more than 20 years. She is an Associate Professor (Adjunct) at New York University, mentors MFA candidates at the Maine Media Workshops, and teaches independent workshops in the United States, China, Germany, Italy, and Columbia. Marshall holds an MFA in New Media (Transart Institute/Donau Universitat Krems, Austria).

International Center for Photography

The International Center of Photography is the world’s leading institution dedicated to photography and visual culture. Cornell Capa founded ICP in 1974 to champion “concerned photography”—socially and politically minded images that can educate and change the world. Through their exhibitions, education programs, community outreach, and public programs, ICP offers an open forum for dialogue about the power of the image.

Website: https://www.icp.org

ENTRY INFORMATION

CFE Submissions:  August 30–September 23, 2026
All dates and times are Eastern Time (ET)
All submissions must be made by September 23, 2026, Midnight

Early Submissions – August 30 – September 7, 2026:
2 works: $30, 4 works: $45, 6 works: $55, 8 works: $70

Regular Submissions – September 8 – 20, 2026:
2 images: $40, 4 images: $60, 6 images: $70, 8 images: $85

Late Submissions – September 21 – 23, 2026:
2 images: $50, 4 images: $70, 6 images: $80, 8 images: $95

Student Submissions:
2 images: $30, 4 images: $45, 6 images: $55, 8 images: $70

Selected work can be up to 32” on the longest side. White or Black frame. White or Black mats only. Must have wire on back for hanging.

Images which have been shown in either the Main or Maloof Galleries within the last 3 years are not eligible. This does not include Push Pin or Airport.

Deadline For Entries: September 23, 2026, Midnight
Notification of Accepted Work: On or about September 30, 2026
Delivery of Work: October 30, 2026 at 4pm ET – No work will be accepted after this date.
Show Dates: November 3 – December 4, 2026
Reception & Juror Talk: TBD
Pick-Up: Works must be picked up within 10 days after the exhibition closes. Please provide return label if you аre shipping your work.

Open to APG members – Join or Renew Now!

FILE PREPARATION

• The juror will be selecting the images from all entries.
• Export images as .jpg. Resize to 2100 px on the longest side.
• Rename files to the titles of each work exactly as you wish it to appear (example: My Great Photo.jpg) Your name will be automatically prepended to the file upon upload.
• Create a text file with your Personal Info (name, email, phone, website/social media), Artist Statement (500 words max), Bio (250 words max), and Image list (in this order: Title, Year piece was created, Print/Image Size (H x W), estimated Framed Size (H x W) Medium (archival pigment print, inkjet print, silver gelatin, cyanotype, etc.), and save this file as a Word doc or PDF.
• Once you have paid the Entry Fee, you will receive an email with a link to upload your files

In order to submit your work you must be a current APG member. Join or Renew Now!

All entries must be completed ONLINE. Do NOT email any image files

• Complete Online Registration & Payment
• The link to upload your files will be sent to you in your payment confirmation email. You will receive two emails after you pay. One will have the upload link. If you don’t receive two emails, check your spam folder.
• Once you get this link, you must be logged into the website in order to successfully upload your work.
• Upload Files to the Dropbox link found in the payment confirmation.
• If you have any questions or need assistance, please contact – gallery@AtlantaPhotographyGroup.org