Smiling Oulu 26 invites everyone to take part in a low-threshold photography project that encourages meeting others, sharing everyday moments, and exploring themes of loneliness and minorities through positivity, connection, and hope.
Smiling Oulu 26 was born from a simple but important idea: we need each other. In everyday life, encounters are easily reduced to a minimum. People pass by one another, look at their phones, and live side by side without truly connecting. Yet many people carry a deep need to be seen, heard, and encountered – even for a brief moment.
The starting point of the project has been a desire to create low-threshold ways to meet one another. No registration, special skills, or courage to perform are required. It is enough to be curious and willing to pause for a moment. Photography functions as a tool, not as the goal. A camera or a phone gives permission to approach another person and start a conversation.
Smiling Oulu 26 invites people of all ages and backgrounds to participate. You can be a first-time photographer, a hobbyist, or an experienced professional. You can photograph a friend, a family member, a stranger, or yourself. A selfie is also very much part of this project – sometimes meeting your own gaze is the first step toward connection.
At the heart of the project are the themes of minorities and loneliness. These can be heavy and difficult subjects, but Smiling Oulu 26 approaches them through a positive and humane smile. Here, a smile does not mean forced happiness or ignoring problems. It is a sign of courage, presence, and the idea that every person is valuable just as they are.
The images and the competition are not about seeking sadness or explanations, but about hope, warmth, and genuine encounters. A smile can be quiet, hesitant, or fleeting. It can tell a story of survival, a longing to belong, or the moment when someone finally feels seen. Often, small gestures speak louder than grand narratives.
Smiling Oulu 26 is also a space for learning and experimentation. Many participants take their first conscious photographs, pausing to consider light, the moment, and the person behind the image. Along the way, they may learn something new – about themselves, about others, or about photography. The workshops and events connected to the project offer opportunities to try new things in a safe and encouraging environment.
Special attention has been given to those who are often left on the margins: minorities, people experiencing loneliness, those who are quiet, and those whose voices are not always heard. At the same time, the project is open to people who do not feel they belong to any particular group. Smiling Oulu 26 does not place people into boxes, but invites everyone into a shared space where diversity is a strength.
This is not just a photography competition or an exhibition project. It is a process in which encounters are just as important as the images themselves. Every participation helps build a shared story in which Oulu appears as a diverse, humane, and living city – a place where everyone has the chance to be seen.
If you have ever wondered whether you dare to take part – the answer is yes.
If the themes feel heavy, remember that we approach them through hope and through a smile.
Smiling Oulu 26 is for you.
Take a photo. Meet another person. And join in.
