Portrait Award Editors’ Picks of May 2023

“There’s nothing more interesting than the landscape of the human face” – Irvin Kershner

Following our recent Portrait Award (judged by renowned British artist Jimmy Nelson), we’re excited to showcase some remarkable entries that, while not selected, impressed us with their quality, artistry and overall beauty.

We received a truly extraordinary number of stunning photographs, encompassing a myriad of styles and genres, including social documentary, fine art, street, and fashion. Regrettably, as always, we couldn’t honor every participant with an award, so we’ve curated a collection of images that truly absorbed us and that we feel best embodied the essence of the competition’s theme. It is truly a pleasure to shine a spotlight on this group of talented artists whose images are thoroughly deserving of recognition.

“Gala” - Brussels, Belgium 2021
Portrait of Gala Alijaj. I love the enigmatic feel of this studio portrait. Her facial expression reminded me of an exciting moment in a black-and-white thriller movie. © Arber Sefa
“Eagle Hunter” - Mongolia
Portrait of a Mongolian Kazakh eagle hunter. © Luiza Marinas
“Jasmine”
From the series ‘Regrowth’. At the time of taking this picture, 14-year-old Jasmine was undergoing cancer treatment and wouldn’t show herself to much of the world without her wigs. Previously, she had beautiful, cascading hair, so, it was her great courage and allowing herself to be vulnerable that led to this photo session. © Vikram Kushwah
“Cattle of Kings” - South Sudan
At the beginning of 2023, I traveled to South Sudan to shoot intimate portraits of the Mundari tribe. Setting up a full studio on the tribe grounds to capture these intimate portraits. © Karolina Wojtasik
“A warm welcome” - Yamalo-Nenets autonomous Okrug, Russia
Young girl peeping through her family chum entrance in her best tarditional fur coat, welcoming us at our arrival in the camp. © Sara Bardotti
“Portrait 4”
Studio portrait work; From the series: “The souls” © Rebecca Rubcke
“Leonore” - Hastings, UK
Central positioned young female in red swim suit standing at a beach. Looking straight into the camera. © Andreas Bleckmann
“Mothers Love” - Jodhpur India
Street portrait work © Pinkesh Bhati
“Street Portrait” - Madrid, Spain 2023
Candid street portrait taken during one of my walks. © Luis Oliván Tenorio
“Boy in Bangalore” - Bangalore, India
While roaming the streets of Bangalore, India, a few children came up to me fascinated by the camera setup. We played cricket for an hour after that and then only this single frame was made during those 2 collective hours. © Devanshu Damle
“Self-portrait” - Puglia, Italy
© Francesco Montemurri
“Willow” - Ethiopia
Very late in the afternoon just as the light was starting to fade, I spotted this young girl from the Suri tribe, at a distance. She appeared like a nymph in the wild lush wilderness. I didn’t have any time to change my lens otherwise she would have disappeared. I quickly held up my camera and took this shot, holding my breath, hoping she wouldn’t look away. I felt a rush of excitement when I pressed the shutter twice, as she stared into the lens for a short few seconds, as I knew I had captured the moment. © Giovanna Aryafara
“Hinduram” - Rajasthan, India
Raika elders in Pichiyak Rajasthan, India were gathered on the front porch of the house I stayed in, enjoying their morning opium ritual. Hinduram was the joker of the group, always laughing and entertaining others. He was the first to accept my presence and offered me tea. © Curtis Callaway
“Shadow as a dress”
Studio portrait work © Evgenia Murashova
“Untitled”
Studio portrait of a boy with dove. © Christian Bruni

Published June 19, 2023 - Congratulations to all selected artists: Arber Sefa, Luiza Marinas, Vikram Kushwah, Karolina Wojtasik, Sara Bardotti, Rebecca Rubcke, Andreas Bleckmann, Pinkesh Bhati, Luis Oliván Tenorio, Devanshu Damle, Francesco Montemurri, Giovanna Aryafara, Curtis Callaway, Evgenia Murashova, Christian Bruni,

color portrait photo of a sadhu and monkey in Varanasi, India by Mahendra Bakle

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