Call for Entries

"My Hometown" Photography Exhibit 2026

International Affairs invites Texas Tech international students and scholars to submit photographs of their hometowns for the annual “My Hometown” Photography Exhibit. This exhibition gives these students and scholars the opportunity to share their unique international experience with the Texas Tech and Lubbock communities. A selection of photographs will be displayed at the International Cultural Center during the spring of 2027. 

Eligibility

All international students and scholars who are currently studying at Texas Tech.

Awards

First Place - $150 | Second Place - $125 | Third Place - $100

Calendar of Events

May 4 | Photo Submissions open | Instructions to submit your photos can be found below.
January 8, 2027 | Submission deadline
January 29, 2027 | Notification of juror's selections sent to photographers

Juror: Annie Rice

Annie Rice is a Lecturer in multimedia production and photography in the College of Media & Communication at Texas Tech. She received her undergraduate and master’s degrees from the University of Missouri in photojournalism and visual editing. Her research examined news coverage and characterization of missing women in the United States. She also filmed a mico-documentary on families with missing loved ones in Missouri. Annie spent the majority of her career as a staff photojournalist for the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal and Corpus Christi Caller Times. She has also worked for organizations such as USA Today, The Associated Press, ESPN, Texas Tribune, CNN, Reuters and The Athletic.

Information for Photography Competition

To be eligible for consideration for the “My Hometown” photo contest, your images
must meet the following requirements:

• Photographs must be taken by the student. (We do not want images taken by professional
  photographers or from the internet.)
• Photographs must demonstrate appropriate behavior and be suitable for viewing by all ages.
• A maximum of five photos may be submitted.
• Photographs should be high resolution and can be in color or black and white.
• If one of your images is selected, it must be a full file that can be enlarged without pixilation.
• International Affairs will enlarge and print all digital photos selected for the exhibition.

You will receive the print at the end of the exhibit as our gift from International Affairs.

How to Submit Your Photos

1. Fill out the submission form and upload your photos there. Here is the link to the form: https://forms.office.com/r/Yn8VpLMKhg
2. Files should be in JPEG format (1-5 MB). Label each file with your name followed by consecutive numbers (e.g., Jane Doe 1, Jane Doe 2, Jane Doe 3, etc.). Please DO NOT send your photos via email; that will not count as your submission to the contest.
3. All submissions must be completed by January 8, 2027.

Notification

Notification of acceptance will be emailed to photographers by January 29, 2027.

Reproduction: International Affairs will have the right to display, project, and reproduce work accepted for this exhibition for publicity and promotional purposes only. Individual photographers retain copyrights to their individual works.

Questions: Contact Mattie Moriearty | International Affairs at Texas Tech | mattiespa@ttu.edu

"My Hometown" 2025 Winners

First Place: Fly On by Naimul Arefin

Second Place: Masala Chai Moment. A Taste of Culture by Mahjabin Ferdaous Mim

Third Place: Bee in the Moment by Elsie Malt