Judges Comments

First place: This photo stood out to us as a first-place contender from round one. A striking image, the intensity of light and color absolutely pop. Second place: We loved the fierce look of defiance in this student’s eyes, which was highlighted by the compositional elements that also tie into the story. It’s a strong use of foreground and prop as storytelling techniques. The cool tones in the books match the cool tones of the student's eyes, and the cut points on the arms are all thoughtful placement by the photographer. Finally, loop lighting works with solid catchlights in the eyes. Third place: Wonderful, distinctive lighting. This image shows the photographer's capacity to think beyond the normal portrait and consider environment and lighting as storytelling techniques. The contrast works and the openness was appreciated by some judges. Honorable Mentions: We really enjoyed both of these portraits, which were strong contenders for the top three. The only things we think would help elevate them are cleaning up distracting elements in-camera or pulling down some of the off-camera lighting for better balance. Author could have used better placement and some off-camera lighting to balance the image. Still, it’s strong, and we wanted it to be mentioned for its overall clean composition and relaxed moment. Good job with the catchlights. The WWII veteran was another very strong image. Great job using the flag as leading lines and a diffused light source over the window. The hands are right on the edge of the frame, but it works. Category notes: We can’t stress lighting enough in portraiture. It’s so important to use this as a storytelling tool, to thoughtfully speak to the inner person. Also, consider things like catchlights and the point of true focus.