Call for papers
CFP - Vol. 15, No. 2 (Winter 2025)
Trans Asia Photography invites submissions for a general issue, Volume 15, No. 2 (Winter 2025). The journal examines all aspects of photographic history, theory, and practice by centering images in or of Asia, conceived as a territory, network, and cultural imaginary. It welcomes:
articles (5,000–7,000 words) that broaden understanding of Asian photography in transnational contexts
shorter pieces (1,000–2,000 words) in formats that include interviews, curatorial or visual essays, and portfolios
Deadline for research articles and shorter pieces: September 1, 2024.
Trans Asia Photography is an international, refereed, open-access journal based at the University of Toronto and published by Duke University Press. It provides a venue for interdisciplinary exploration of photography and Asia.
scope
Trans Asia Photography welcomes original studies on all aspects of photographic history, theory and practice in or of Asia. This journal is proud to bridge global communities interested in Asian photography. We seek research and creative practices with academic rigor, written in jargon-free prose for a readership with wide disciplinary and cultural backgrounds.
Both solicited and unsolicited submissions of full-length articles will be peer-reviewed by at least two reviewers. Trans Asia Photography does not publish articles that have been published elsewhere in English nor accepts articles for review that are under consideration elsewhere. Original submissions by the editors and board members of this journal are permitted and subject to the peer review process.
Make a Submission
articles
FULL-LENGTH articles should be approximately 5,000 to 7,000 words in length, in addition to notes and bibliography. The journal also encourages submission of translations of articles originally published in an Asian language.
SHORTER PIECES, such as portfolio, curatorial essay, visual essay, and interviews should be approximately 1,000 to 2000 words. The journal will accept shorter or longer submissions where appropriate.
When it comes to an artist's portfolio, we publish select images or image series that are accompanied by a reflective or critical essay of 1000-2000 words, either written by the artist or someone else. The written piece should be more than an artist statement or description of the work. It should engage with the images and address larger issues in the practice and study of photography and/or connect with current events, ideas, or debates.
Trans Asia Photography (TAP) encourages submissions that explore innovative formats of research presentation and critical engagement. Please contact the editors to discuss your proposed projects if you have not seen similar examples presented in the past issues of TAP.
reviews
Book REviews
Trans Asia Photography does not accept unsolicited reviews, but will consider pitches for reviews as long as there is no conflict of interest. Proposals for review essays of multiple books are especially welcome. Please discuss length of the essay with editors in advance. Email your proposal to transasiaphotography@gmail.com.
Books Received
Books received will be considered on a case-by-case basis with no guarantee of a review. Books received that are not reviewed will be donated to a local library. If you would like to propose that Trans Asia Photography review a book, please send a copy to:
Trans Asia Photography, c/o Deepali Dewan
Royal Ontario Museum, 100 Queens Park
Toronto, ON M5S 2C6 Canada
Other Reviews -- Conferences, Exhibitions, Archives, etc.
Trans Asia Photography considers unsolicited reviews of conferences, exhibitions, archives or related activities as long as there is no conflict of interest. Review essays of multiple thematic-related activities are particularly welcome. Please discuss your proposed review and length of the essay with editors in advance.
Manuscript preparation
Prospective authors should consult recent issues of Trans Asia Photography to see the current style and layout of the journal.
Manuscript and images should be submitted to transasiaphotography@gmail.com in three files as follows:
Manuscript should be a Word file with page numbers, double spaced in 12-point Times New Roman point font throughout. Please include Notes and Works Cited sections. Image call-outs should be indicated in the text where you'd like the image to appear as "<FIGURE X HERE>". Submissions should include a 100-150-word abstract and 3-5 key words on page one. Please delete any mention of the author’s name in the manuscript and in the metadata of the Word doc and Image pdf.
Images with captions should be saved in one pdf file for the purpose of review. See instructions below.
To protect the anonymity of the peer-review process, all submissions should include a separate cover page saved as a Word file with the full title of the article and the name, affiliation, address, phone number, email and a 50-word bio of each author. Please do not place the author’s name in the manuscript nor in the metadata of the Word doc and Image pdf.
CITATION AND REFERENCE
Manuscripts should be prepared according to the specifications of the Chicago Manual of Style. Authors should use the system of note citations with an accompanying bibliography, as described in Chapter 14. Please provide a shortened citation in the endnotes and include the full citation only in the bibliography.
TRANSLITERATION
Transliteration of foreign terms and names should be consistent within each article and should conform to generally accepted practice.
IMAGES
Please do not embed images in the text. In your initial submission for review, all the images with figure number and captions should be saved in a pdf file.
Captions should contain:
The name of the creator
The title of artwork (italicised) or a descriptive caption (unitalicised)
Date
Medium
Dimensions (if appropriate)
Credit line
Brief description of each image that will be used as alt text for accessibility
Once the article has been accepted, authors will be required to submit high-resolution files in digital format with the final revision. Images must follow these minimum image specs:
TIF or JPEG format at 30 picas = 5 inches wide , 300 dpi or 1250-1500 pixels
It is the responsibility of the author to obtain high-resolution images and acquire copyright permissions. Any charge related to obtaining image permissions is the responsibility of the author. Considering the lengthy process of clearing copyright permissions for some images, we encourage authors to begin securing high-definition images and permissions as early as possible. We offer a standard Image Permission form for authors to use. At the time of submitting the final revision, we require that authors provide documentation of all permissions for our files.