I love this stunning headshot. I spent some time in Chittagong last year but did not meet its Hindu community; now I wish I had. Despite post-processing to "pop the colors," it does not seem over saturated at all to me. Having seen Hindu celebrations, I can imagine that it was every bit as vibrant in real life as in the image. Excellent piercing eye contact too. Congratulations on third place!
What a face! I didn't have to think twice about including this image in the top 5. The facial expression and contrast are great. The sharpening feels just about right and not overdone as in numerous black and white travel portraits that I see regularly. I would love to see other images in this series and learn more about the man. Congratulations on fourth place!
First place goes to this fantastic image of a Hindu sadhu and his monkey. I love both facial expressions and the palpable love of the man for his "daughter." The amazing light, complementary colors of the sadhu's clothing and the background wall, and exquisite sharpness of details made me make a face similar to the monkey's in the image. I want to know more about this pair and the lengths the photographer went to to gain their trust, and furthermore, I would love to see this blown up large and hanging on a gallery wall. Congratulations on first place, it's well deserved!
1,443 Images entered
1,082 Photographers
62,499 Ratings
Brief
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Travel portrait photography is an intimate way to bear witness to the human side of the countries you visit. As well as testing your photography skills – reading the light, selecting the right settings, etc - this style of photography challenges you to interact with strangers in unfamiliar environments in such a way that puts them at ease and draws out their personality for the shot.
The colors in this beautiful portrait are absolutely spot on in terms of realism. The focus on the nearest eye is crisp as anything and the detail is fantastic. I was surprised to read that the shutter speed was 1/40! The image stabilization of the Canon 24-105mm f/4L and no doubt the photographer's steady hands did a great job here. Congratulations on fifth place!
Second place goes to this image that is just pure joy to look at! A fantastic smile and natural moment have been captured with a fine understanding of the light available in the classroom to the photographer. The other faces with their natural grins lead me to believe that it wasn't a staged scene, while the row of English flashcards hanging from the ceiling introduce a documentary element that hints at what the class might be about. An excellent image. Congratulations on second place!
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I absolutely love this image! A grandmother holding a sharp-looking knife and staring into the camera with a tiny trace of a smile is slightly threatening and quite amusing. Great call on going black and white -- the contrast between her black clothes and silver-gray of the blade makes an excellent focal point.
