New Joiners - People #588
Trevor Cole

New Joiners - People #588

January 2026

There is a lovely dynamic energy to this street scene. The direction of travel between the two main subjects creates a sense of line that complements the actual lines of the street and walls. A clever decisive moment, skilfully captured.

I love the sense of dark and light in this mysterious portrait. The narrative feels intriguing and well-controlled through the confident use of light and nicely handled black-and-white conversion. The blurred trees add more mysterious vibes, while the formal attire and serious pose support the mood and add to the story. Excellent work.

The semi-formal arrangement of characters in this scene is excellent. I love the way some are engaged with the process, and some seem totally disinterested, as this adds to the story. The creamy black and white treatment works fabulously well.

Wow, that is a high throw. Please be careful! Riskiness aside, it is a cracking shot and one that will make a wonderful memory. The use of a black and white silhouette is perfect and strengthens the composition. Good work.

Interesting use of long exposure to explore the idea of expressing the feelings associated with insomnia. I feel this works very well and I really get a sense of this from looking at the image. I would love to see more from this project if you keep it going, which I would urge you to do.

Love the contrasting colour harmonies bouncing around this frame, the reds and greens work perfectly. The title Stillness in Red speaks eloquently to the vibe. I particularly like the way you have had the confidence to exclude the hands. I feel this works very well.

Entry 27043959
15th
4

Wow, packed with atmosphere and energy. The formal composition with the boxer sitting central to the frame in what looks like deep thought works really well. The use of ISO 6400 has helped get out of a low-light pickle without killing the pub ambience.

The formal structure of the composition, with the frames within frames within frames, has been skilfully seen, artfully captured and beautifully realised in black and white. I particularly like the relationship between the main figure and the image in the poster.

This image is all about the gesture between the foot and the hand holding a shoe (sandal). The two elements play off each other perfectly and add a beautifully harmonised element to the image’s structure, nicely seen and skilfully captured in the spirit of the decisive moment.

Crowd
winner

Wonderful colour palette bouncing around this frame, with the warm yellow hues of the background and the paint on the boy’s face harmonising. The clever use of a shallow depth of field has blurred the background, creating separation but keeping context. Good work.

This looks like it would have been a challenging lighting situation to work in, but you have done a great job capturing detail and retaining atmosphere. People at work often make good portrait subjects, and this is a good example.

Expert
winner
Entry 27090301
88th
1

The energy, atmosphere and emotion in this portrait is powerful and evocative. The motion blur, which some may see as an error (I do not), adds a dreamlike impression and was a clever creative decision that I feel works perfectly. The composition, colour and use of light is exemplary too.

100 Images entered

90 Photographers

Well, that is not something one sees very often. What a wonderful moment. I love the sense of story in this delightful image and how the muted colour palette adds a gentle vintage vibe that suits the scene. Nicely seen and sensitively made.

Love the range of textures in this striking image. I notice you also submitted a colour version of this image, but for me, the mono treatment shows off the textures better. The penetrating gaze of the eye is engaging and powerful.

5,416 Ratings

Brief

See more contest details

Welcome to Photocrowd’s ‘People’ contest for New Joiners! These contests are a chance for new members to introduce their photography to the community, and get a taste of how Photocrowd contests work. They can be entered by anyone within their first 28 days of joining Photocrowd. After 100 images have been submitted the contest closes and the Crowd will start rating the images. The Expert Judge will also be judging the images and writing reviews at the same time. All the winners, both Crowd and Expert, will be announced after 3 days of judging. Make sure you also check out our two other New Joiners contests - ‘Animals’ and ‘Landscapes’.

Meet the expert judge

A lovely and original take on the family portrait, and one that will surely create a lasting memory. Shooting into the sun (contre-jour, if you want to sound fancy) is a great technique that adds drama and depth, and just look at those lovely, long shadows in the foreground. Top notch.