Side View Portraits

This image is the perfect combination of carefully studied elements, and the result is an undoubtedly beautiful side portrait. I like that the subject isn't attempting to make eye contact with the camera. He's in his own home, in his own world, and in this world the photographer is merely there; not an intruder, but a fly on the wall, able to witness the volatile emotions before they quickly dissolve. The light is perfectly placed - reaching both sides of the face but not equally, creating a sense of intimacy and mystery, while at the same time highlighting key elements such as the smoke and the man's hair. The sharpness, falling in the right places, in contrast with the shallow depth of field, immediately draws the viewer's attention to the subject's face and the emotions that could be read on it if one is quick enough to catch them. A fantastic and very successful side portrait. Well done!

Nothing quite says 'family' like this picture. Three people, huddled together in the back of a ran down bus, who look relaxed and content because they have each other. Perfection. Technically speaking, I love the beautiful soft light that just about highlights the outlines of the subjects faces, creating a delicious sense of quiet and intimacy. The black and white edit was a great choice, and beautifully colour graded to provide enough contrast whilst maintaining a large amount of midtones so as not to give the image a too 'modern' and over edited feel. What a great portrait, well done!

I was attracted to this shot the moment I first caught a glimpse of it amongst the hundreds of other submitted images. The boy's hands and the expression on his face suggest a certain nervousness that keeps the viewer glue to the image in an attempt to find out more - and why. I love the black and white edit of this image (I feel like the green of the lawn could have been overpowering and detracted attention from the subject), and I like the contrast and sharpness too. And beautiful and very successful side portrait. Well done!