Something Like Joy
- Deadline: 15 September 2026
- Website: https://www.decagongallery.com/something-like-joy-entry
Not the easy kind. Not the posed smile or the perfect moment. We're talking about the joy that surprises you — that shows up in an ordinary afternoon, in a stranger's face, in light falling just right on something nobody else noticed.
Something Like Joy invites photographers to submit work that finds delight, warmth, wonder, or beauty in the world as it actually is. Big celebrations and quiet moments are equally welcome. So is the complicated happiness that comes after hardship — the laugh through tears, the small victory, the unexpected gift.
If your photography looks for the good — in people, in places, in everyday life — this call is for you.
Juror: Aline Smithson is an interdisciplinary artist, editor, filmmaker, and educator based in Los Angeles, California. She has exhibited widely including over 50 solo shows at a variety of international institutions and her work has been featured in publications including The New York Times, The New Yorker, and PDN.
Fees:
Paid
Prizes:
First Place: $500 + Solo Exhibition on the Decagon Gallery website
Second Place: $250
Third Place: $150
Two Honorable Mentions: $50 each
Human Presence Nomination: Free entry to a future Decagon open call
Eligibility:
Open to all photographers worldwide over 18
Copyrights & Usage Rights:
Photographers retain all rights and copyrights to their submitted photographs. We will never distribute your photos to anyone. You grant Decagon Gallery the right to publish your photograph in the online exhibition, in the exhibit catalogue and to use your photograph to promote the exhibition.
Theme:
Alternative process Black and White Conceptual Culture Documentary Environmental Fine Art Multi-categories