Portraits

This is a well deserved winning image, which is full of warmth and humanity - not an easy thing to achieve with a travel shot, where you have very limited time with the subject and there are often language differences. The use of natural light is superb too.

There is a lot to like about this portrait and the more you study it, the more meets your eye. The chap's curmudgeonly expression seems just right for the subject matter, and all the details in clothes are expertly captured. Also the pose never seems contrived, even though it's something of a 'perfect moment' as he loads. The booze bottle finishes it off - as he had nearly done, so we are glad he wasn't shooting at us!

Street photography is a tough subject and candid street portraits are even tougher. The photographer has done a great job here, capturing the young man's self absorption and maybe even melancholia, while expertly separating him off from the rest of his very urban milieu.

David Bailey or his 60s glamour photography peers would have been proud of this classically chic image. The curves of the model are captured well, with nice skin tones, and an evocative but enigmatic facial expression. It's not so much Austin Powers, more just... powerfully shot. Yeah, baby!

This is just a lovely image full of colour and mystery and beautifully posed. The lighting is great and the composition very sympathetic. The skin tones are well captured and there is good control throughout of highlight and shadow detail. Great.

A great example of the portrait photographer's craft, as the subject is revealing a lot about themselves without posing or gurning. The subject is placed perfectly in the frame too, with just the right amount of vignetting, and the sepia toning makes this a very timeless shot, while clearly captured with modern camera technology and a sharp lens.

Bill Sykes or just a heavy looking dude at a period recreation event? Either way, it's a very well-taken portrait, with some skilled defocussing techniques and restrained use of HDR effects on the brickwork. The guy's eyes are sharp and evocative, and the framing spot on.

We got a lot of 30s and 40s themed images in this contest but this one really stood out. The lighting is great, capturing the contours and texture of the subject's face, and the black background really brings out the colours and tones. The eyes are arresting but warm and the pose perfect.

wow. Although this one of the earliest entries to the competition, it really caught our eye. This woman has clearly had a challenging life but there is still an inner beauty and strength that shines through the battered exterior. Technically the sharpness and tones are great and black and white suits the image well.