Capturing the Human Spirit: The Independent Photographer’s Portrait Contest Winners
The Independent Photographer, a worldwide community of photography enthusiasts and professionals, has announced the winners of its Portrait Photography competition. The contest aimed to uncover contemporary portraits that are both visually impactful and emotionally evocative.
Esteemed British photographer, Jimmy Nelson, known for documenting endangered indigenous cultures around the globe, judged the contest. Nelson’s distinguished body of work includes his acclaimed book, “Before They Pass Away,” featuring striking portraits of 35 indigenous tribes.
We’re delighted to highlight the exceptional works of ten photographers who exceeded all expectations in this competition. Join us in celebrating these talented winners and exploring their stunning images!
Far Away Thunder” — From the ‘Manifest’ series. Jorg Karg — 1st place. Prize — $1000
“This work is an excerpt from my recently released series Manifest’. The intention behind my digital photographic collages is to make the beholder feel addressed immediately, without any further explanation. Therefore, I use present-day visual language and techniques to combine them with long-established, fundamental ideas of painting and drawing.”
More: The Independent Photographer, Instagram h/t: boredpanda
“Gayoung”. Marcin Jozefiak — 2nd place. Prize — $600
“The “Fearless Flowers” series explores gender, sexuality, gaze, and identity in South Korea. Adorned with flowers, the human body represents universal innocence, timelessness, and purity. The subject, who may convey toughness in other settings, is shown with vulnerability and humanity when photographed in a safe studio environment. Ornamented with flowers, the black garment, which represents the society uniform, is a metaphor for the fight and struggle of each subject and beyond.”
“Dad, where we used to play”. Keiran Perry – 3rd place. Prize — $400
“This is a portrait of my dad, shot last year at the start of his chemotherapy. Some pretty scary times, we thought he might lose his hair so I shot this on a misty morning in the heather up on the moorlands where we used to play. He’s tough as old boots and on the road to recovery, with hair still intact. Life can throw us some testing times, I’m just glad he’s still knocking around giving me a push forward.”
“Gitano” – Milan, Italy. Arianna Angelini — Finalist
“Editorial studio portrait shot on film.”
“A deal with God”. Giandomenico Veneziani — Finalist
“The heart of Hell is not fire, but ice. Cold as hatred, dehumanization, and relational death. The body is enveloped by the cold waters of the Cocytus and at that moment all desire is extinguished and man can only contemplate his failure.”
“Untitled” – Italy. Giuseppe Gradella — Finalist
“Studio editorial portrait.”
“In Focus: Black Minds Matter”. Iveta Cevorova — Finalist
“Unmasking Silence: Photography for Mental Health Awareness & Mental Health Stigma in Black Communities”
“Lillie”. Lucas Troadec — Finalist
“The cinematic series Lillie & Tillie delves into the imaginary. Originally imagined as a training exercise for my documentary method, I wanted to create fictional characters and explore their worlds as though entering a film’s cinematic universe. Being a self-taught photographer, this was my own way of building personal exercises and a curriculum for myself.”
“Portrait of Yun-A” – Italy. Mauro Matalone — Finalist
“Studio Portrait of female model Yun-A.”
“Lucia” – Italy. Mirko Sperlonga — Finalist
