Life can be tough

The photographer has done a great job with this portrait. Clearly, our subject has had a hard life. His face is cut, grazed and bandaged. He has deep lines and grey stubble. He looks like he has been through wars. From this superficial analysis of one man's face emerges another interpretation. His steady gaze towards the camera reveals a quiet dignity that is powerful. The photographer has expertly used the bright street art behind our figure to help attract us and the hint of flash-on-camera has further lifted the man's features and left a tiny light dot in each eye that provides an additional lift.

This is a disturbing portrait of a man asleep in the street. Judging firstly from a formal photographic perspective, the figure is half sitting, half lying on a random pavement in Old Delhi (according to the notes). The man is wrapped in a colourful blanket that bundles his distorted frame as neat mass. We are close enough to see clearly details of the man and his surroundings.

What is particularly poignant is the apple half balancing precariously on his closed hand. It appears freshly cut, as if a concerned passerby shared their fruit with someone less fortunate.

If we examine this photograph from a formal structural perspective, it has been framed using a long focal-length lens which has seemingly fore-shortened the component parts of a walled laneway. Centred and lit by soft, warm light is our figure. Though dressed in ragged clothes and carrying a swag (Australian slang for a traveller's bag), he is walking with purpose – one hopes to better opportunities beyond our gaze.

This is a disturbing photograph. An emaciated figure sits shackled within a hard, filthy cell. Their crime, their fate is unknown. It does prompt the consideration that different cultures have different standards in relation to imprisonment. The soft focus of the image and the drab hues and tones amplify the degradation of the scene.

This is indeed a poignant image. A cardboard box shelter revealing weathered feet huddled as if comforting one another. The elements are minimal, but the impact is profound. Those less fortunate than most are forced to make do with basic materials for daily existence.

A busy pavement features a swarm of people – many are deliberately blurred through the use of a slow shutter speed – at a busy intersection (a European city, I presume). Surrounded by this activity is a single, prone figure holding a cup and begging. What is unusual is that this figure is looking at the camera – and therefore at us. Thus, we are now completely engaged in the narrative of the photograph and the plight of that individual.

This is a disturbing image. A dishevelled figure is lying awkwardly at the bottom of the frame, clearly unconscious and in a bad way. At the top of the frame are the seemingly scrawled words, "I don't even care" and "@chiefycafe". This is an advertisement for a café in San Diego. However, the words have been usurped by the condition of our unfortunate figure below. Obviously, we should not care about the café, but rather about the plight of this poor man.

I refrained from awarding many photographs lacking actual humans in this contest. This image, however stood out.

I immediately jumped to the legless doll sitting upright on a neat park bench in a relatively affluent seaside town in England. The composition is solid. The cool diffused light is accentuated by the wintery trees behind. It is devoid of humanity except for that doll. Its dismembered state is distinctly creepy. I read it as an inanimate prop that illustrates the potential for acts of violence towards others.

This is an unpleasant scene. A middle-aged man lies in a grotty sleeping bag within some random interior. Surrounding him is unhealthy detritus: cigarette butts, empty alcohol bottles, used dinner plates and other rubbish. It is filthy and wholly unappealing. The man's awkward pose and direct gaze towards the camera reveal little of his thoughts.

What I particularly like about this photograph is the low camera angle. It is roughly the same height as our principal subject. This emphasises this individual over the passersby whose presence is counterposed by their motion blur. The image has a tight, almost claustrophobic feel. Is this person in a temporary state of sleeping rough, or is it a long-term situation? Either way, the nature of the photograph provides an empathetic viewpoint.

This is a poignant image. The older woman holds a walking stick in one hand and a paper cup in the other. The contrast between our subject and the tourists who surround her is stark: the former are tall and smartly dressed, whilst the woman is small and hunched yet seemingly smiling as she wanders amongst the tourists.

The deep lines and creases in this woman's face suggest a life spent outdoors. Her gaze is direct to the camera. It is unabashed. The slight frown could be the result of a difficult life, or simply the default of dealing with the harsh light of day. What is impressive is the marriage of photography with a figure full of character, of striking lifelines, but also a quiet dignity.

There is much to consider about this photograph. I was attracted by the tones and hues and how the man's hands blended with the folds and colours of the clothing. It is a confronting portrait of the impact of leprosy.

Reading the photographer's notes, I was pleased to learn that there was a reciprocal exchange: the photographer achieved a photograph with the subject's permission, and the subject received a 'tip'.

Travelling to countries markedly poorer than our own introduces such situations – particularly for dedicated photographers seeking cultural extremes – and often moral and ethical considerations to negotiate. It is down to each of us to formulate thoughtful responses to such circumstances.

This is a distressing image. An unconscious figure lies prone in the corner of a nondescript building as a security member passes by. Though we are not privy to the full circumstances of the situation or the people in the scene, any person lying dishevelled in a public place is concerning. The aerial viewpoint of the photograph provides a point of difference too an all to familiar scene. The 'upside-down' position of the figure adding to the disjuncture of the whole.

What interested me in this photograph was the sheer number of people. In a country such as India, the streets are often teaming with people. We have a glimpse of this in this scene. There is a lot of going on. I like the complexity, the details of both the people and the infrastructure (notice the tiny sapling shielded by a mess fence centre of frame). Everyone looks busy and active – all tiny component parts in a broader story – working to make a living.