color photograph of a man in front of Taj Mahal

People Award Editors’ Picks of October 2021

“When people ask me what equipment I use – I tell them my eyes.”
— Anonymous

Following the results of last month’s People competition judged by National Geographic editor Elizabeth Krist, we would like to share some of the competition entries that didn’t make the final selection, but impressed and intrigued us with their overall quality.

Dancers performing a traditional ritual in Papua New Guinea; young nuns in Myanmar; a sulfur miner in Indonesia; Japanese men braving the cold winter at Okayama’s Hadaka Matsuri Festival; two picadors in a Spanish arena, and more: we’re delighted to present the work of 15 international image-makers who have captured the fascinating cultural diversity of our planet, with honesty, artistry, and skill.

Published November 17, 2021 - Congratulations to all selected artists: Yosh Hase, Candy Lopesino, Joaquin Barata, F.Dilek Uyar, Michelle Bruzzese-Eggleston, Ivelina Berova, Dan Nelken, Kars Tuinder, Geffrard Bourke, Alessandra Squarzon, Roman Jehanno, Ilenia Brunelli, Kathleen Gerber, Jack Lawson, Arun Hegden,

Call for entries

black and white photo of horse on misty road by Ãlvaro Martino
© Ãlvaro Martino
2025 Black & White AWARD

Win $2700 Cash Awards & International Exposure

In a world saturated with colors, we’re turning the spotlight to black and white. Show us your mastery of light, composition, and shadow through any genre of photography, and let’s see how black and white elevates your artistic vision!

  • Win $2700 in Cash Prizes
  • International Exhibition
  • +884k Instagram Feature
  • Free Online Portfolio

Recent Articles

More Articles

Privacy Overview
The Independent Photographer

This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website or helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.

Strictly Necessary Cookies

Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings.

3rd Party Cookies

We use third-party cookies, including tools like Google Analytics and Meta Pixel, to help us understand how visitors interact with our website. These cookies may track your activity across other websites and are used for analytics, performance monitoring, and advertising purposes.

Enabling these cookies helps us improve your experience and provide relevant offers and content. You can opt out at any time via the cookie settings.