Portrait photography, one of the oldest and most fascinating genres, an intimate pursuit that explores the intricate layers of human identity and the silent stories etched into a face.
To celebrate the 2026 Portrait Photography Award (open for entries until the end of the month), we’ve surveyed the winners, finalists, and outstanding submissions from our previous awards and curated a collection of 10 stunning images that encapsulate the essence and depth of the human spirit.
1. “Alphonsine” © Zoe Yalden – Editor’s Pick, Portrait Award, 2025
This serene portrait by Zoe Yalden — part of her series The Beauty We Are — returns to the core of the practice to explore the raw emotional exchange between photographer and subject. Stripping away the artifice of traditional editorial settings to focus solely on a shared moment of trust and vulnerability, Yalden uses a cool, monochromatic palette to emphasize the quiet introspection of her sitter, creating a sculptural study of identity where the camera serves as a bridge rather than a barrier. The result is an intimate, powerful image that captures the unique spirit and strength a photographic portrait can convey.
2. “Manito”, Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Colombia © Camila Berrio – Editor’s Pick, Emerging Talent Award, 2019
In this beautiful portrait, Camila Berrio captures a young boy named Manito floating peacefully in the waters of Northern Colombia’s Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta. It is a simple moment of recreation, yet symbolizes much more: the deep, spiritual connection between the subject and his environment. As a participant in a local reforestation project, Manito and his family serve as guardians of these waters, which they view as a sacred space that keeps them alive both physically and spiritually. The top-down perspective and the gentle ripples radiating from the boy’s frame emphasize a sense of total surrender, creating a poetic image that serves as a powerful reminder of ancestral ties to the earth and the vital importance of environmental stewardship.
3. Untitled © Jorg Karg – 1st Prize Winner, Portrait Award, 2023
In this captivating portrait, German artist Jorg Karg transcends the traditional boundaries of the genre to create something truly idiosyncratic. A digital collage that feels more than a photograph, the image is part of his Manifest series and features delicate overlapping of forms that creates a dreamlike, ethereal quality. Yet the singular, piercing eye at the center of the composition anchors the viewer, capturing the “soul of the sitter” in a way that feels both intimate and monumental
4. “Before the migration”, Siberia © Tommaso Vecchi – 1st Prize Winner, Portrait Award, 2022
This striking portrait by Tommaso Vecchi depicts a young Nenets boy named Roman in the frozen expanse of Siberia. The Nenets are indigenous people whose traditional nomadic lifestyle is centered around reindeer-herding. Here, Roman peers out from a chum, a conical tent wrapped in reindeer skins to provide essential insulation against the brutal Arctic winter. The composition is masterfully framed by these heavy, frost-dusted hides, which create a tactile border that directs our focus toward Roman’s piercing gaze. while the rosy hue of his cheeks serves as vivid evidence of the biting -50°C temperatures. It is a powerful image, a warm and human contrast to the monochromatic, glacial landscape visible in the distance, and it stands as a tribute to the incredible endurance of a culture deeply interconnected with one of the most extreme climates on Earth.
5. “Hannah”, UK © Sujata Setia – 1st Prize Winner, Portrait Award, 2021
In this profoundly moving portrait, Indian-born, UK-based artist Sujata Setia captures the quiet strength of 18-year-old Hannah, who lives with a rare genetic condition called Hay-Wells Syndrome. Born from Hannah’s conscious choice to “start loving myself” after years of bullying, the image is a celebration of uniqueness and a push for a world without exceptions. Setia’s composition is strikingly intimate; Hannah’s curled, protective posture on a muted grey bed contrasts with her direct, unflinching gaze, while the soft, diffuse lighting and deep backdrop emphasize the delicate texture of her skin and the “inner glow” she describes, moving the viewer beyond the physical manifestations of her condition.
6. “Shore Bound”, Ladakh Region, India © Wasim Malik – Finalist, People Award, 2025
Truly captivating, Wasim Malik‘s portrait depicts Lamo, a nomadic woman from the serene Changthang region of Ladakh. In this remote, and wild corner of India, Malik’s choice of a wide, cinematic frame positions Lamo as a grounding force against the rugged peaks and her grazing flock, and combined with the deep crimson hues of the woman’s clothes, set against the muted, earthy tones of the highlands, egenders a painting-like quality reminiscent of Romantic-era landscapes, where the human figure is used to emphasize the sublime scale of nature. It is a truly magnificent portrait that stands as much a tribute to the beauty of the region as it is to the strength of the people who inhabit it.
7. “Sadhu and his Beloved Little Monkey” © Somraj Sahu – Editor’s Pick, Portrait Award, 2021
In this tender portrait, Somraj Sahu captures an intimate moment of affection between a Sadhu (a Hindu holy man) and his small pet monkey, Ganga, in the Indian city of Kolkata. Having lost his family in an accident years prior, the Sadhu rescued Ganga from the roadside as an infant and now cares for her as his own child. It is an image rich in texture and tone: the saturated oranges of the traditional attire pop brilliantly against the weathered, turquoise backdrop, creating a tactile, painting-like composition, while the tight framing draws the viewer directly into the core of the scene, highlighting a deep connection that transcends species.
8. “Mykie, Skinhead”, Hackney, London, UK © Owen Harvey – 1st Prize Winner, Portrait Award, 2021
Taken from his extensive work documenting subcultures in his homeland, this striking portrait by English photographer Owen Harvey captures Mykie, a young woman in Hackney, London. Harvey’s image explores the complex heritage of the skinhead movement, which was originally rooted in working-class pride and a shared love for Jamaican ska and reggae, but one which later became synonymous with more negative connotations. Framing Mykie against the urban geometry of a metal fence, Harvey highlights the sharp, intentional details of her style, from the cropped hair to the classic polo, capturing her sense of pride and belonging, thus paying tribute to those who reclaim the original identity of this often misunderstood subculture.
9. “Mr. Mason”, Dupo, Illinois, USA © Bryan Birks – Editor’s Pick, Portrait Award, 2021
This beautiful portrait by American photographer Bryan Birks is part of his ongoing project, Articles of Virtu, which explores the deep fascination people have with their possessions and the difficulty of parting with objects that carry a lifetime of history. It depicts Mr. Mason standing with his beloved car behind his home in the small village of Dupo, Illinois. Rendered with incredible precision and detail thanks to Birks’ mastery of the 4×5 large-format camera, the image highlights the deep green and weathered textures of the car, which speak to the longevity of their relationship, mirroring the character in Mr. Mason’s face. It is a classic portrait of a seemingly quotidian scene, elevated to become a quiet, compelling study of memory and the enduring weight of the things we refuse to leave behind.
10. “A Gaze Stronger Than the Hammer”, Jharia, West Bengal, India © Happy Mukherjee – Editor’s Pick, People Award, 2026
In this striking black-and-white image, Happy Mukherjee captures the harsh reality of Jharia, a region in northern India where coalfields have been burning continuously for over a century. Once mostly confined to underground tunnels, the fires have now spread to the surface due to the rise in open-cast mining in recent decades, bringing devastating consequences for both the local population and the environment. The portrait centers on a young boy standing amidst the dystopian landscape of smoke and debris, holding a heavy hammer instead of a schoolbook. Mukherjee’s use of a shallow depth of field keeps the focus sharply on the child’s intense, weary expression, while his mother works in the blurred background. It is a sobering study of a childhood eclipsed by the necessity of survival, a powerful closing statement on the resilience of the human spirit in the face of systemic hardship.
All images © their respective owners