Self-Portraiture
Joe Steinman

Self-Portraiture

April 2024

Entry 18487201
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This image is very hard to ignore and one I keep coming back to - it's totally mesmerizing. Initially I wasn't sure about including it in the top ten but it's so unique on so many levels I thought it has to be there. It's very hard to unpick this image, it has a very surrealist quality to it. Including only your feet and mostly fish is certainly a very different approach to a self portrait . Love the grainy quality too - excellent work.

Entry 18506631
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Expert
winner
Entry 18682141
399th
70

Such a beautiful honest self-portrait - this image really stopped me in my tracks. I love the soft tones and a look that's hard to read. I think you have captured a moment of vulnerability and strength perfectly. The wide open aperture diffusing the foreground and background into a dreamy haze.. A worthy winner excellent work..

Entry 18759833
14th
1
297
Entry 18759834
315th
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Such a calming portrait I really like this image. Unfortunately there are no technical details but the lighting and composition are working really well. Lovely detail throughout and beautiful soft tones make this a standout portrait for me. Excellent work - well done.

Such a great image - very powerful with an unflinching raw honesty that's almost impossible to ignore. It could be a shoot from a fashion magazine - the high key lighting is working really well amplifying the red tones and popping the eye colour beautifully. Really excellent work - well done.

Entry 18950907
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Crowd
winner
Entry 19050373
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Entry 19060217
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Entry 19060218
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Entry 19096773
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Entry 19113935
206th
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A really interesting portrait - one side of the face lit from a high key light the rest of the image falls into soft shadow. Look closely and we can see both eyes revealed - the gaze is unflinching and direct. Excellent work well captured - lovely post production/edit too. Well done.

Entry 19156037
455th
1
114

A real quality portrait beautifully shot on a 50mm lens wide open. The focus is on the eyes producing a really unflinching honest self portrait. The tonal range and detail through out is really excellent - just to enough interest in the background but nothing distracting. Fantastic work!

Entry 19409102
15th
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52
Entry 19409169
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Entry 19429621
476th
4

Love this image - so well observed and beautifully shot. It's a really interesting use of light and shadow. The stopped down aperture has captured all the detail perfectly and you have done well to avoid any blown highlights. Also the lack of any background really focuses our attention on the subject as we are drawn into the face and ultimately the 'eye of the tiger'! Great work!

Brief

See more contest details

Turning the camera on oneself, in a considered way, can be not only an exercise in photographic technique, but also one of psychological exploration, of one’s self image, confidence, and the way in which we want to portray ourselves to the wider world. The great artists of history have often turned to themselves for subject matter, and in doing so have left a thoughtful and revealing record of the artist that will survive them.

Meet the expert judge

A really striking image well captured - some great technical aspects used to create this shot especially as its been shot in a home studio environment. Love the styling and energy too - you can feel the sitters determination and defiance. The white tassels are working well against the black background. Great work.

Entry 19641825
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Entry 19660891
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Entry 19812096
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Entry 19845769
1255th
42

I love this picture - it has a really honest feel to it and I enjoy the cheeky smile, almost laughing which is refreshing to see. The quality is really excellent and to be honest I was a little surprised when I saw which camera was used - not to knock the Canon Power Shot but it does seem to be punching well above its weight on this one! Love the tonal range and the tight crop - it's a really direct portrait. Excellent work.

Such a raw and honest portrait - the light has been positioned from behind illuminating one side of the man's face. The sitters features have been captured in vivid detail while the right side has been left in deep shadow. It's a very powerful image. I would have liked to have seen a wider shot including the whole face but the severe crop works well. The black and white conversation is very nice too. Great work.

Entry 19918967
364th
13
Entry 19942847
5th
50

A beautifully crafted and well executed idea which I can't imagine would have been easy to pull off so successfully. The positioning of the fish in the bowel and the fan like tail mirroring the white fabric as it flows upwards out of the frame. Lovely soft even lighting capturing fine details and soft tones. Lovely work - well done.

Entry 20094904
1445th
4

Wow what a shot! This image is totally unique in a way I have never seen before. Sure there were lots of underwater images entered into the competition but not like this one. Really original and well executed. There's no camera details given or anymore information about how or where even, but it's still a worthy top ten winner. Love the light coming through and a sense of someone holding their breath combined with that direct gaze. A really challenging image - great work!!

3,074 Images entered

1,841 Photographers

Entry 20094420
361st
123

A really high quality image with lots of beautiful detail. I love the tonal range - the post black and white conversion is amazing - looks like it's been shot on a vintage 10X8 camera. I love the tight crop too - you get really close into the sitter's unrelenting gaze. Excellent work!

173,709 Ratings

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Entry 18504954
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Love this shot - the drops of water against the glass and the dropped out focus of the women adds to the tension and drama of this picture. Love the tight crop and the washed out tones makes this a really engaging shot. A really great set - up excellent work.

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Entry 18673495
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A very strong self portrait which grabs the viewers attention - the white background leaves us with no visual clue but I sense the water is acting as some kind of much needed relief. I love the high key lighting too - it really adds a sense of drama and tension to the image. Excellent work.

Entry 18680658
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1
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A really nice image - lots of great detail and technically very well crafted. I love the reflection showing more of the man's face and expression - we are left wondering what's happening but there are no visual clues beyond the rain on the window. Great lighting and a nice black and white conversion - lovely tonal range. Great work.

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Entry 20122148
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This is a really great take on the Japanese maxim of the three wise monkeys. A fantastic idea and well crafted too- the dimpled glass is an original way to create a different and unique view. It's almost like a painting but still retaining that photographic quality. Top work well done!