Michel Soares selected in the first phase of URBAN Photo Awards 2026
Brazilian documentary photographer Michel Soares has been selected in the first phase of URBAN Photo Awards 2026 with the project “Urban Contrasts: Flow and Solitude in Contemporary Japan.”
Developed in Japan, the series observes the tension between movement and pause, density and solitude, speed and silence in contemporary urban life. Through streets, stations, reflections, blurred figures and moments of suspension, the project explores how people inhabit the city while often remaining emotionally distant from one another.
This selection marks another important step in Michel Soares' ongoing relationship with URBAN Photo Awards and Trieste Photo Days. In 2025, the photographer was a semi-finalist at the URBAN Photo Awards, participated in Trieste Photo Days, and had four works included in the official book “URBAN unveils the City and its Secrets.”
For Michel, this new selection reinforces a continuous visual research on the human condition, migration, urban experience and the invisible tensions of everyday life.
More updates about the project and its participation in URBAN Photo Awards 2026 will be shared soon.
Michel Soares
Brazilian documentary photographer based in Japan
From the series “Urban Contrasts: Flow and Solitude in Contemporary Japan” — Michel Soares, Japan, 2026.
Official selection page of URBAN Photo Awards 2026 featuring Michel Soares’ portfolio “Urban Contrasts: Flow and Solitude in Contemporary Japan,” a visual essay on movement, pause and solitude in contemporary Japanese urban life.
Official URBAN Exhibits 2026 invitation confirming Michel Soares among the Selected Photographers in the Projects & Portfolios section, with participation connected to Trieste Photo Days 2026.
