Face time

Such a spectacular shot! A wonderfully conceptual image that has great editorial appeal. It also speaks to how effective photography can be when the first, or even second and third, idea doesn't work as you'd envisioned, so you improvise and end up at an even more creatively satisfying place. We can't wait to see what else you can rustle up with oddments in your prop cupboard!

A wonderful narrative image, this photograph begs us to ask questions about the subject, the setting, and even the unseen person taking the picture. The effective use of depth of field doesn't just work to isolate the subject, creating a literal sense of narrative isolation, it also obscures the background enough to make it impossible to tell where the image was taken. Is this person lost in space, time, or geography? These are questions that beg us to revisit and reinvestigate this shot!

This image has all the makings of a great image – an interesting subject, engaging pose, intricate styling and makeup, great angle of view, effective depth of field to isolate points of interest, subtle and engaging post production… but the composition is just off. With the subject repositioned in the frame, probably pushed to the right with some negative space on the left, this could be a winner. Still a great effort!

Where so many photographers try to achieve the high end beauty look, with porcelain skin and flawless pore structure, the end result is so often a plastic-looking mannequin effect, with no detail or texture left anywhere but the hair and eyes – giving way to the "Uncanny Valley" effect. This shot is the polar opposite, thanks to the fantastic use of texture – the patches of mottled dirt, the creases in the skin, the patterned freckles, the fibres of the textile on the head wrap, the tonality of the hair strands… it adds up to a perfect portrait full of tactility and character.

Photography is all about capturing the "magic moment", and this shot certainly is that! A face swimming to the surface in a sea of heads and hair makes for very effective composition, but the little boy's face and expression add so much narrative interest. Is he lost in a world of his own, daydreaming? Is he upset at being shouted at by his teacher? Or is he transfixed by the sight of a magnificent panda? If a picture is worth a thousand words, a face can ask a thousand questions!