New Joiners - People #388

A nicely executed portrait of a Masai warrior. The lighting is excellent and reveals the rich textures of the subject's face and costume. The crisp black and white conversion has been handled with skill revealing details in both highlights and shadows without being overly 'muddy. Overall great work!

This is an unconventional 'people' shot, for sure. Perhaps this is one of the reasons why I like it so much, it can be good to challenge the status quo and break with convention. The texture and colour of the hair contrast nicely with the background.

I love the overall shape and sense of 'design' in this striking portrait. The side profile with the subject's head facing up creates a wonderful dynamic. I particularly like the position in the frame, it could be argued (by some) that it's too 'tight' and close to the edge but I love this and it gives the image a wonderful sense of tension.

Using the water as a background works very well in this striking portrait. It's hard to believe that it's just a humble bathtub, excellent work in creating a deep, dark 'river-like vibe. The lighting on the subject's face has been artfully handled with a lovely catchlight in the eyes. Good work.

There's a lovely interaction in this carefully observed scene. The gesture between the man and the dog in the foreground has a lovely sense of connection and makes an interesting shape in the composition. The dramatic background that dominates most of the composition is a wonderful scene-setter.

I'm really intrigued by the snese of narrative in this bold image. There are no clues in a title or caption and I was wondering what it was about. However, on closer inspection, it seems the subject is holding a bunch of empty tins and bottles, one of which mentions Nepal, so given the epic mountains in the background, I'm assuming that this image shows somebody collecting litter in the Himalayas. The subject's bold and defiant posture and their presence in the frame suggest it's an image about our relationship with the environment. Good work!

Photographing people at work is a great way to make engaging portraits. This is evident in this image. I cannot help making a connection between the foot of the subject (under the paint pallet) and the fact that he's also painting the feet. A nice, albeit subtle 'echo'.

This is an accomplished and well-excuted portrait. The pose, expression, subtle application of make-up, framing and lighting have all come together superbly. I love the sense of depth the background creates, especially with the and choice of a blue hue of the background.

People shots, don't always have to have people in them, as is evident in this engaging and thought-provoking image. The footprints in the sand have a great sense of human -presence. Reading the caption and noting that it's inspired by the death of South African poet Ingrid Jonker adds another layer of depth.

I love the experimental nature of this image. Firstly using a pinhole camera is delightfully adventurous and has rendered a wonderful eerie vibe. It's also interesting to note the photographer sites, Imogen Cunningham as an influence - it's good to look at the 'greats' for inspiration!

Lovely use of natural window light in this image. The photographer did well to wait for a passing cloud to soften and diffuse what might have been a very hard light. In the end, though, it's the quiet contemplation and relaxed demeanour of the subject that makes this image work.