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Joy does not always arrive as a grand occasion. Sometimes it appears in an ordinary afternoon, a stranger’s expression, a small victory, or a brief fall of light that might otherwise pass unnoticed. Something Like Joy by Decagon Gallery is built around those unplanned moments. The juried photography call is open worldwide until September 15, 2026, with a two-month online exhibition scheduled from October 7 to December 7.
Photographers may interpret the theme through any photographic process or style. The gallery is looking for images that find delight, warmth, wonder, or beauty in life as it is, including large celebrations, quiet observations, and more complicated forms of happiness that follow difficulty. This broad curatorial direction places the call within the territory of an open theme photography contest, while keeping every submission tied to a clear emotional idea.
A $25 fee covers up to four photographs, with additional entries priced at $5 each. Aline Smithson will jury the exhibition, which carries $1,000 in total cash awards, including $500 and an online solo exhibition for First Place. All selected photographers receive a dedicated exhibition page, catalog inclusion, and promotional features. For readers comparing opportunities through Deartline’s photo contests list, the Something Like Joy by Decagon Gallery brings together juried selection, publication, online presentation, and cash recognition within one focused theme.
Prizes
The Something Like Joy by Decagon Gallery awards extend beyond the ranked cash prizes. Selected work becomes part of a professionally curated online exhibition and a printed catalog, giving the final group both individual presentation and a shared record of the show.
- First Place: $500 and a solo exhibition presented 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 Gallery open call.
- All selected photographers: Inclusion in the curated online exhibition, a dedicated exhibition page, an Instagram feature, promotion through gallery channels, and inclusion in the printed exhibition catalog. The gallery’s Spotlight program also lists a digital badge and certificate of participation among the benefits for selected artists.
Related Photo Contests
Categories or Themes
There are no separate categories. Every entry responds to the central theme, “Something Like Joy: The Happiness That Catches You Off Guard.” The gallery is interested in genuine moments of delight rather than only polished celebrations or posed smiles. Quiet beauty, warmth, unexpected humor, resilience, and happiness after hardship all fit the brief.
The subject matter remains flexible. Photographs may look for the good in individuals, places, daily routines, or passing encounters, making the call relevant to approaches such as people photography, street photography, and personal or observational work, provided the image connects convincingly with the theme.
Dates and Entry Fees
The schedule covers submission, notification, and the full online exhibition period.
| Submission deadline | September 15, 2026 |
|---|---|
| Notification | September 30, 2026 |
| Exhibition dates | October 7 to December 7, 2026 |
Entry fees:
- $25 for up to four photographs.
- Additional photographs: $5 each.
How to Enter
Entries are submitted through the online form linked from the Something Like Joy by Decagon Gallery contest page. Photographs must be uploaded as JPG files measuring 2,100 pixels on the longest side, without text, watermarks, or borders. Files are preferably kept under 4 MB and should follow this naming structure: First Name-Last Name_Title.jpg.
About the Jury
Aline Smithson is the juror for this edition. Based in Los Angeles, she works as an interdisciplinary artist, editor, filmmaker, and educator. She is also the founder and editor-in-chief of Lenscratch, a daily journal devoted to photography.
Smithson has presented more than 50 solo exhibitions, and her work has appeared in publications including The New York Times, The New Yorker, and PDN. Her wider practice includes monographs, museum commissions, teaching, portfolio reviewing, and jury work for galleries and photography organizations. She was named a Hasselblad Heroine in 2022.
Why Enter Something Like Joy by Decagon Gallery?
This Something Like Joy by Decagon Gallery offers a clear combination of curatorial review and public presentation. An external juror selects the exhibition, while every accepted photographer receives an individual page and inclusion in the printed catalog. The First Place artist also receives a separate online solo presentation, creating space for a larger body of work beyond the original entry.
The theme is specific enough to shape a coherent exhibition but broad enough to accommodate different processes, visual languages, and subjects. Its scheduled two-month run, Instagram coverage, gallery promotion, and printed catalog provide several ways for selected photographs to remain visible after judging. These features may be useful to photographers comparing the best photography competitions to enter, particularly those seeking both juried selection and exhibition outcomes.
Rules and Copyright
The main conditions cover eligibility, authorship, file preparation, and the photographer’s continuing ownership of the submitted work.
Rules
- The Something Like Joy by Decagon Gallery is open worldwide to photographers aged 18 or older, regardless of experience level.
- All photographic processes and styles are eligible.
- Submitted photographs must be the entrant’s own work and must not violate another person’s copyright.
- Files must be submitted in JPG format at 2,100 pixels on the longest side.
- Images must not contain text, watermarks, or borders.
- The contest page requests files preferably under 4 MB; the gallery’s general submission guidelines state a maximum of 5 MB per image.
Copyright and Image Usage
Photographers retain all rights, including copyright, to their submitted images. Decagon Gallery states that it will not distribute photographs to another party without the photographer’s permission. Selected entries will appear in the curated exhibition, on dedicated gallery pages, through promotional channels, and in the printed catalog as part of the stated exhibition benefits.
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For more information and to participate in the Something Like Joy by Decagon Gallery, visit: the official website.
