THE SHAPE OF A LIFE

A life is not defined by its milestones. THE SHAPE OF A LIFE is an open call for photographs that show how a person lives and what a life feels like from within: the spaces we inhabit, the objects we live among, the routines we repeat, and the signs of presence or absence. People may appear, but conventional portraits are not the focus. We want the relationship between a person and the world around them.

Juried by J. Sybylla Smith. $1,000 in cash awards, an online exhibition, and a professionally designed catalog. Open worldwide, all processes and styles. $25 for up to 4 images. You keep all rights to your photographs. Deadline: October 14, 2026.

THE SHAPE OF A LIFE
 

Call Type: Photography
Eligibility: International
Exhibition Type: Online
Entry Fee: $25 up to 4 entries, $5 each additional entry
Deadline: October 14
Notification Date: October 20
Exhibition Dates: November 1, 2026 — January 1, 2027

Juror: J. Sybylla Smith
 
A life is not defined by its milestones alone. It is shaped by quieter things: the places we return to, the objects we keep, the moments that pass almost unnoticed until memory gives them meaning.

What we're looking for: what remains when a person is no longer in the frame. A door handle worn smooth by years of the same hand. A chair still holding the shape of whoever sat there last. A path worn into grass by footsteps that repeated for years. The trace, not the person.

We welcome documentary, fine art, conceptual, and personal work. What matters is the honesty and depth of the photograph — not the approach.

We are not looking for portraits, or images that simply describe a person in front of the camera. We're looking for photographs that suggest presence without showing it directly — carrying the weight of memory, habit, or time.

​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 4 photographs. $5 each additional photograph. Open to photographers worldwide. All photographic processes and styles welcome.

​Submission Details:

Submit jpg files at 2100 pixels or larger 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

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

• Work: Submit up to images that you believe capture the essence of the "THE SHAPE OF A LIFE" theme.
• Format: JPEG or JPG, size 2100 px on the longest side.
• Entry Fee: $25 for 4 images, $5 for each additional image.
• Deadline: All entries must be received by October 10
• Online Exhibition Dates: November 1, 2026 through January 1, 2027 then archived on our gallery

About the Gallery

Decagon Gallery is an online photography gallery dedicated to thoughtful, contemporary photographic work by artists worldwide. The gallery emphasizes strong curatorial vision, professional presentation, and meaningful engagement with photographers at all stages of their careers.

Open to photographers worldwide, 18 years and older.