Dramatic Light Portraits of People

I'm just a fan of this style of lighting. The fact that she is surrounded by bright light sources, yet her eyes remain shrouded in shadow from her vibrant pink hair give this image a turbo charged level of drama. I also love the Blade Runner films and this photo evokes the Sci-Fi Geek in me. Give me more!!!

This image is a loose fit into the category of the contest, but I love this image very much. It is composed beautifully and grabs the viewer's attention immediately. The photographer did an amazing job setting up a perspective by forcing a divide between reality and reflection via a hard line into the lower right foreground; it forces your eyes to travel back and forth through the image multiple times. My only complaint, and not really that big of deal, is the overly-hot highlights around the woman's eye in the second row. Fantastic image!

A powerful image. Editorial in style, and beautifully composed. That placid feeling between stressful decisions, actions, or moments in life that challenge us, is what I take away from this image at first glance. Fantastic tonal scale! Cool blue light is at it's best here, setting the scene and mood. Textures are amazing too!

The mere fact that there is heavy definition throughout the entire image, yet the photographer was able to capture his/her subject perfectly in the frame, with great separation from the surrounding woods--in brash morning sunlight, speaks volumes. A great use of harsh light to establish a "morning hunt" feel. Beautifully composed. Love it!

First off... There are some absolutely wonderful images submitted to this contest. Some images met the parameters a little better than others, but overall, I enjoyed looking through all the images. The difference between winning this contest or not being considered for any award is so subtle it excites me to my core. The details that brought this image to the top were merely the catch-light in her left eye (the shadowed side of her face) as well as the low-light on her left cheek. If light doesn't represent in those areas, I don't feel the image is a successful image (based on my taste in portrait photography). The rim and body of the subject's hat have enough separation from the background to make this a winning image. Her gaze away from the camera is haunting in the extreme low light, and her collar and red hair add enough mystery to the photo to comprehensively provoke the viewer to think about who this person is. Exceptional image. The very definition of dramatic lighting. Congratulations!

It is amazing what the power of a single light source in your photos can do to provoke the viewer. This image immediately conjures up intrigue because the photographer did a fantastic job of lighting his/her subjects to convey an emotional message. This image is telling you a story, and the dramatic lighting in the image is helping the photographer tell it.. Also, both eyes in the photo are beautifully lit, despite being in shadows. Wonderfully composed image!

I am so jealous of people who do street photography well. It is probably my favorite form of photography; that candid moment. Yet I rarely attempt it. The light in this image is amazing, and the reflection of light on the floor truly brings this image together. The hard contrast of color and just the way a pool of light are hitting it provide a beautiful stage for just the right time for someone to walk into the frame. Lovely!

I love the edgy vibe to this image. A tough-looking dude in a rough looking environment! Using reflection and great sidelight in the perfect setting, the photographer was able to tell the viewer a story effectively. It's got a cinematic feel to it, and the subject's sharp and perfectly lit eyeball is right where you want it when applying the Rule of Thirds. Perfectly composed frame; amazing image.

A perfect example of dramatic lighting here. A seemingly innocent damsel dressed in elegance appears to be overwhelmed by her sinister looking long shadow. A single light source from underneath the subject creates immediate drama, and thus the imagination can be stimulated to take away a story from the frame. Bravo!

I really love the lighting pattern and subdued color tones here. The rule of thirds and use of negative space really make the eye travel nicely through the image. I even like the texture overlay for this image. The focal point of the image is right where it should be. The eyes. Solid dramatic image!

You can't get any more of a perfect example of rim light than this, folks. You know exactly what you're looking at with as minimal detail as possible in the image. It may be dramatically simple in appearance, but this is a difficult image to compose effectively. Fantastic use of light!