Let's have our own Taylor Wessing prize nominations.

I presume as this thread is in this section, nude is not allowed
 
I think what we need to know is the brief for the competition - in other words all competitions will give a guide to what the judges will be looking for and without knowing what that is people are simply going to pick out their favorite pictures.
 
The closest to a brief I have found is:
•must be the Photographer’s own work
•must be portraits. ‘Portrait’ may be interpreted in its widest sense, of ‘photography concerned with portraying people with emphasis on their identity as individuals’
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They also have a restriction on when they were taken but I'm ignoring that.
 
I'm sure I have shot crap enough to win!!
 
But there also needs to be a set of criteria the judges will look for. I.e. Artisitic merit, technical aspect, originality etc
 
My own work. Slightly candid but love the shot
 
Sorry Andy, you can't win with that. For a start the models are too attractive, there is not reference to a dead animal and the pictures tells a story!!
 
ah damn it! must try harder lol
 
I'm not actually too bothered what criteria the judges use in the context of this thread. I want to know what in your view is an award winning portrait. Everyone is so quick to slate the judges choices and tell us what's rubbish but no one's saying what they think is deserving of a prize.
 
To set the ball rolling, here are some works or photographers I think are wonderful:

Dali atomicus by Halsman. is a wonderfully chaotic and eccentric portrait that fits well with what dali himself produced.

I am intrigued by Sally Mann's controversial portrayals of her family. They definitely have shock factor because of the taboo nature of what they portray, but if you can get over that I think they have an honest beauty.

I also enjoy Jane Bown's approach to photojournalism. I find it refreshingly different to the glitzy, pushy and often vulgar approach to celebrity photography taken by the paparazzi. She gets some wonderfully intimate images of powerful and influential figures, often at vulnerable moments.

Lambot and Girard's (top picture) study of Kowloon Walled city and its inhabitants. Presented with interviews with its subjects the series gave a fascinating insight in to a place and its people.

So, anyone?
 
The Matt said:
To set the ball rolling, here are some works or photographers I think are wonderful:

Dali atomicus by Halsman. is a wonderfully chaotic and eccentric portrait that fits well with what dali himself produced.

I am intrigued by Sally Mann's controversial portrayals of her family. They definitely have shock factor because of the taboo nature of what they portray, but if you can get over that I think they have an honest beauty.

I also enjoy Jane Bown's approach to photojournalism. I find it refreshingly different to the glitzy, pushy and often vulgar approach to celebrity photography taken by the paparazzi. She gets some wonderfully intimate images of powerful and influential figures, often at vulnerable moments.

Lambot and Girard's (top picture) study of Kowloon Walled city and its inhabitants. Presented with interviews with its subjects the series gave a fascinating insight in to a place and its people.

So, anyone?
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Weeeell, I am probably the only person on this entire forum who actually thought some of the potraits in the prize this year were quite excellent, though I would not have picked the same top four and I certainly didnt like all of them. But then, art is subjective.

Many of the photos are contextual. They show characters within their surroundings and not just some corney Rambrandt-lit pore ridden face or smoothed out Hollywood glam. I like the narrative.

For instance, I think the winner was fine. In real life its quite a powerful image. But I liked Unsafe Journey, Tic Tac and Tootsie (Third Place), and a number of others.

I think people should see the pictures in real life before making a final judgement.

However I would also nominate a few from these guys....

http://andrzejdragan.com/

Check out the portrait of Jerzy Urban in the personal gallery.

and

http://www.nuribilgeceylan.com/photography/turkeycinemascope2.php?sid=2

Check out "mother and daughters" and "two sisters".
 
You're not the only one who enjoyed some of them. Particularly when you view them with some context they can be relly powerful. Tic-tac and Tootsie is a prime example. A little back story on the pair casts the image in a new light.

Thanks for sharing those links. I particularly liked the second.
 
The Matt said:
You're not the only one who enjoyed some of them. Particularly when you view them with some context they can be relly powerful. Tic-tac and Tootsie is a prime example. A little back story on the pair casts the image in a new light.

Thanks for sharing those links. I particularly liked the second.
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Context is everything in these instances, especially as photography is so closely linked with journalism and social commentary.

I think a few of the TWPP pics are quite reminiscent of Diane Arbus' typical work, or William Egglestone's. I suppose it just goes to show what happens when you send photographers to college - they tend to follow tradition :)

Nuri Bilge Ceylan (Nuri Bilgay Jaylan in English) is a well known film maker in Turkey and quite popular in art cinemas here. About 40 of his cinemascope pics were exhibited in the National Theatre's Mezzanine level about 6 years ago to publicise his new film Climates. They look dramatically better in real life. The cinematic eye makes his shots very special.

There was an old forum buddy of mine many years back when I shot Pentax who always produced some very high quality travel portraiture. I think a few would deserve a place too.

http://www.darrenmelrose.com/Pages/Galleries.htm


Best of all, they are very unique.
 
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