Decagon Gallery - "Something Like Joy" International Photography Exhibition

• Decagon Gallery

• Deadline: September 15th, 2026

• Theme: Something Like Joy

• Prize: $1,000 Prize Pool + Online Exhibition

• Entry Fees: Yes

• REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE

Not every photograph of joy is filled with laughter or celebration. Sometimes joy arrives quietly, unexpectedly, and without fanfare. It can be found in a fleeting glance between strangers, the warmth of afternoon sunlight spilling across an empty room, a child discovering something new, or the peaceful comfort of an ordinary day. It isn't always perfect, posed, or obvious—it often exists in the moments that pass unnoticed by everyone except the photographer.

Something Like Joy invites photographers to submit images that celebrate these authentic expressions of happiness, hope, warmth, and wonder. The exhibition seeks photographs that reveal beauty in everyday life, capturing the genuine emotions and experiences that connect people to one another and to the world around them. Grand celebrations, spontaneous smiles, quiet acts of kindness, shared companionship, and moments of reflection are all welcome.

Joy is not always uncomplicated. Sometimes it emerges after grief, uncertainty, or struggle. It can be found in resilience, healing, forgiveness, and new beginnings—in the smile that follows tears, the triumph after perseverance, or the unexpected gift hidden within an ordinary moment. Through photography, Something Like Joy aims to explore the many forms happiness can take, inviting artists to share images that remind viewers of the light that exists even in life's most unexpected places.