SOMETHING LIKE JOY

SOMETHING LIKE JOY

THE HAPPINESS THAT CATCHES YOU OFF GUARD
 

Call Type: Photography
Eligibility: International
Exhibition Type: Online
Entry Fee: $25 up to 4 entries, $5 each additional entry
Deadline: September 15, 2026
Notification Date: September 30
Exhibition Dates: October 7— December 7

Juror: TBD
 

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: TBA

​Awards
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

All selected photographers receive inclusion in the curated exhibition on a dedicated exhibition page, Instagram feature, and inclusion in the printed catalog. The exhibition will be promoted through Press Releases in appropriate channels.

​How to Submit
$25 entry fee for up to 4 photographs. $5 each additional photograph. Open to photographers worldwide. All photographic processes and styles welcome.

​Submission Details:

Open to all photographers worldwide
All photographic styles and processes welcome
Maximum 8 images per submission

Please submit jpg files at 2100 pixels, or more, on the long side without any text, watermarks, borders, or frames. We want the work to be seen as it is, without any added elements that might distract from the image itself.

What Selected Photographers Receive

• Inclusion in the curated online exhibition
• Permanent exhibition page on Decagon Gallery
• Feature on Decagon’s Instagram
• Inclusion in the exhibition catalog

Juror​: TBA

Photographers retain all rights, including copyright, to their photographs.