SELF: The Unexpected Self-Portrait

BROOKLYN, N.Y. — October 16, 2026 — Decagon Gallery, an independent online fine art photography gallery, is accepting submissions for "SELF: The Unexpected Self-Portrait," a juried exhibition of self-portraits made in the act of looking at oneself honestly, uncomfortably, tenderly or strangely. Photographer Douglas Beasley will select the work. The call is open to all photographers worldwide aged 18 and over. Entries are accepted through the gallery's website until 11:59 p.m. ET on November 17, 2026.

About the call. "Some photographs are made to show the world something. Others are made to find something out about yourself." SELF looks for the second kind: work that risks vulnerability over polish and is not simply a photo of the artist. Documentary, constructed, conceptual and experimental approaches are all welcome, as single images or series.

About the juror. Douglas Beasley's personal vision explores the spiritual and emotional aspects of people and place, and how the sacred is recognized and expressed in everyday life. His work is widely exhibited and collected, and in 2010 he had a permanent installation at the Castillo D'Albertis Cultural Museum on Sacred Places of North America. He has been published internationally and featured in photo magazines including Zoom, The Sun, B&W, PDN, Shots and PhotoVision. He is the author of Japan: A Nisei's First Encounter, Earth Meets Spirit (5 Continents Editions, distributed internationally by Abrams) and Zen & the Art of Photography, and is founder and director of Vision Quest Photo Workshops.

Awards. Decagon will award $1,000 in cash: First Place $500, Second Place $250, Third Place $150, and two Honorable Mentions at $50 each. The Human Presence Award gives its winner a free entry to a future Decagon exhibition of their choice. Each photographer can receive one cash award. Selected work will appear in a printed catalog and in an online exhibition on view from December 6, 2026 to February 6, 2027. Entrants grant Decagon the right to publish their work in the exhibition, catalog and promotion. Photographers retain all rights, including copyright, to their photographs.