Photography Contest
Decagon: The Shape of a Life
Deadline |
10/10/26Theme |
The Shape of a LifeTerritory |
WorldwideEligibility |
Open to allEntry Fees |
$25Prizes |
ExhibitionHost |
Decagon GalleryA life is not defined by its milestones alone.
It is shaped by quieter things: the places we return to, the people who remain, the work we do, the objects we keep, the moments that pass almost unnoticed until memory gives them meaning. Photography has a unique ability to preserve these fragments. Sometimes a single image can suggest an entire life.
The Shape of a Life invites photographers to explore the many ways a life becomes visible. The subject may be another person, someone close to you, or even yourself. It may be found in a portrait, a landscape marked by human presence, an interior, a gesture, or an ordinary moment that quietly reveals something essential. We welcome documentary, fine art, conceptual, and personal work. What matters is not the approach, but the honesty and depth of the photograph.
We are not looking for images that simply describe a person. We are looking for photographs that suggest experience—images that carry the weight of memory, identity, resilience, vulnerability, connection, or change. Photographs that invite us to look a little longer and leave us understanding something we hadn't understood before.
The strongest photographs do more than show us what someone looks like. They remind us what it feels like to live a human life.
At Decagon Gallery, we believe that photography can deepen our understanding of one another. Every photograph selected for The Shape of a Life will contribute to a larger conversation about who we are, how we live, and the traces we leave behind.
We invite photographers from around the world to share work that reflects the richness, complexity, and quiet significance of lived experience.
Juror
TBA
Awards
First Place: $500
Second Place: $250
Third Place: $150
Two Honorable Mentions: $50 each
Human Presence Award: Free entry to a future exhibition of their choice
Selected photographs will be exhibited online by Decagon Gallery, published in a professionally designed exhibition catalog, and accompanied by digital badges and certificates for exhibiting artists.
Photographers keep all rights, including copyright, to their photographs. We will never distribute your photographs to anyone without your permission.
Some photographs are admired for their beauty.
Others stay with us because they reveal something true.
We look forward to seeing yours.
It is shaped by quieter things: the places we return to, the people who remain, the work we do, the objects we keep, the moments that pass almost unnoticed until memory gives them meaning. Photography has a unique ability to preserve these fragments. Sometimes a single image can suggest an entire life.
The Shape of a Life invites photographers to explore the many ways a life becomes visible. The subject may be another person, someone close to you, or even yourself. It may be found in a portrait, a landscape marked by human presence, an interior, a gesture, or an ordinary moment that quietly reveals something essential. We welcome documentary, fine art, conceptual, and personal work. What matters is not the approach, but the honesty and depth of the photograph.
We are not looking for images that simply describe a person. We are looking for photographs that suggest experience—images that carry the weight of memory, identity, resilience, vulnerability, connection, or change. Photographs that invite us to look a little longer and leave us understanding something we hadn't understood before.
The strongest photographs do more than show us what someone looks like. They remind us what it feels like to live a human life.
At Decagon Gallery, we believe that photography can deepen our understanding of one another. Every photograph selected for The Shape of a Life will contribute to a larger conversation about who we are, how we live, and the traces we leave behind.
We invite photographers from around the world to share work that reflects the richness, complexity, and quiet significance of lived experience.
Juror
TBA
Awards
First Place: $500
Second Place: $250
Third Place: $150
Two Honorable Mentions: $50 each
Human Presence Award: Free entry to a future exhibition of their choice
Selected photographs will be exhibited online by Decagon Gallery, published in a professionally designed exhibition catalog, and accompanied by digital badges and certificates for exhibiting artists.
Photographers keep all rights, including copyright, to their photographs. We will never distribute your photographs to anyone without your permission.
Some photographs are admired for their beauty.
Others stay with us because they reveal something true.
We look forward to seeing yours.
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© Indranil Sengupta
Best Photography Contests in 2026
Each year, there are hundreds of photography competitions all over the world, so we've decided to select for you the best of the best! Our selection of the best photo contests in 2026 is thoroughly curated to help you, whether you are a professional photographer or an amateur, to help find your next creative breakthrough. These all-star competitions offer the greatest opportunities for international exposure and/or incredible financial benefits. Some of them are closing soon, so get your photo submissions in!
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