Credit: © Oded Wagenstein

Portraiture is a powerful medium, and, despite its universal popularity, it is still perhaps the most elusive genre in photography. The best portraits are touched by nuance, mixtures of feelings and emotions, subtle signals of communication, and connections that can be felt indirectly from the subject via the camera and photographer through to us, the viewers.

The 38 winners, jurors’ picks and finalists announced today represent a wonderful range of styles and approaches to the art of portrait photography. Among the winners, you will discover several variations on self-portraiture (indeed, all three of the top winners in the singles category this year are self-portraits made by female photographers). Other portraits are conceptual, trying to deliver social messages about groups of people or cultures while depicting specific individuals. Some are formal, staged photos, while others have been captured in wonderfully fresh candid moments.

These winners and finalists hail from 19 countries on five continents, and depict people coming from diverse sets of circumstance. In all of these wonderful examples, a profound sense of humanity comes through. We hope you will take the time to savor each of these to find some personal connections and inspiration.
Winner: Oded Wagenstein