Captivating portraits

This is a beautiful classical portrait. The intense eye contact is what drew us to this shot, while the natural frame adds some serious depth. The choice to use black and white allows us to focus on the tonality of the scene – had colour been present it may have distracted us from the subject's face. Well done!

This is another example of wonderful lighting on-location. The exposure is perfectly balanced to capture the background detail and colour while preserving detail in the subject's skin and filling in the shadows. The directional lighting direction preserves depth, casting just the right amount of shadow on one side of the face.

We received a lot of studio portraits for this round, however, this one stood out for its balance and exposure. The use of smoke to add an ephemeral element is a good decision, while also adding to the subject's character and story. The lack of eye contact works in this case, as the eyes are intentionally, and partially hidden.

This demonstrates how contrast is a strong tool in photography. The clear contrast of tones creates the frame for the subject's face and produces an almost blank canvas for the negative space. When there is a crowded background, this type of close framing is a perfect pro technique for shooting a clean frame.

What great lighting! This image demonstrates the inspired, high-level use of gels and off-camera light to create an atmosphere. The balance of ambient and additional illumination directs the eye and maintains the correct exposure level throughout the scene. Meanwhile, there is a brilliant spectrum of detail on show. Nicely done!

We make a distinction between portraiture and street photography, but this image ideally balances the crossover of these genres. The bus window acts as a natural frame and the lighting makes us ponder the subject's expression. Had the framing not been well-managed, this shot may not have worked as a classic portrait, but we love the arrangement.

Environmental portraiture can be a challenge on account of the lighting. This mage shows off the delicate use of off-camera flash to blend artificial light with ambient illumination. The exposure is perfectly balanced and the flash lighting gradient is beautiful. It's a professionally shot photo worthy of a magazine cover.

There is a painterly style to the lighting in this scene. We love the subject placement and use of light to create direction in the scene. It highlights the subject while also making a strong feature of the surrounding environment. These two need to be ideally balanced to avoid distraction and this image demonstrates how. Well done.

The clever framing is what makes this image stand out from the crowd. The rich colours framing the face draw the eye to the centre of the frame and add three-dimensionality to the shot. The composition also gives us a feeling of peering into the scene from the outside, adding intrigue.

This image makes wonderful use of contrasting textures. The stationary subject balances the moving figures – a creative use of exposure to add interest to an otherwise static environment. The subject posing is simple but effective at framing the face and the direct gaze makes a connection with the viewer.

This is an almost abstract shot. The use of negative space is inspired and the choice to cover the face adds to the dark theme. The eyes are perfectly exposed and the skin is bright enough to add to the contrast. It's a deceptively simple shot but a highly effective portrait.

There is a painterly style to the lighting in this scene. We love the subject placement and use of light to create direction in the scene. It highlights the subject while also making a strong feature of the surrounding environment. These two need to be ideally balanced to avoid distraction and this image demonstrates how. Well done.

There is a painterly style to the lighting in this scene. We love the subject placement and use of light to create direction in the scene. It highlights the subject while also making a strong feature of the surrounding environment. These two need to be ideally balanced to avoid distraction and this image demonstrates how. Well done.

There is a painterly style to the lighting in this scene. We love the subject placement and use of light to create direction in the scene. It highlights the subject while also making a strong feature of the surrounding environment. These two need to be ideally balanced to avoid distraction and this image demonstrates how. Well done.

There is a painterly style to the lighting in this scene. We love the subject placement and use of light to create direction in the scene. It highlights the subject while also making a strong feature of the surrounding environment. These two need to be ideally balanced to avoid distraction and this image demonstrates how. Well done.