These are the winners from Digital Photographer's captivating portraits contest

A woman sitting in an old, dusty truck, its windows fogged and highlighted by red light, in a dimly lit tunnel

(Image credit: TommasoH.Corona)

For our recent competition in association with Photocrowd, Digital Photographer magazine challenged you to submit your best captivating portraits. After working through all the entries, the winners have been selected. As a prize, the expert winners will get a license for Affinity Photo professional editing software. Congratulations to all of the winners – the standard of submitted images was extremely high, and it was a difficult task to select the best ones.

1st PLACE

A monochromatic image, showing a girl that looks through a door or window with an obscure view — JH90Photography shot this image using the Nikon D3400 (Image credit: JH90Photography)

Lockdown in Monochrome by JH90Photography

This is a beautiful classical portrait. The intense eye contact is what drew us to this shot, while the natural frame adds some serious depth. The choice to use black and white allows us to focus on the tonality of the scene – had color been present it may have distracted us from the subject's face. Well done!

2nd PLACE

A monk dressed in a purple robe partially obscured by vibrant yellow and black flags — Albertococco used the Canon EOS 6D and Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS II USM lens to capture this candid portrait (Image credit: Albertococco)

lo sguardo del monaco by Albertococco

The clever framing is what makes this image stand out from the crowd. The rich colors framing the face draw the eye to the center of the frame and add three-dimensionality to the shot. The composition also gives us a feeling of peering into the scene from the outside, adding intrigue.

3rd PLACE

Soratte’s Bunker portrait by TommasoH.Corona

What great lighting! This image demonstrates the inspired, high-level use of gels and off-camera light to create an atmosphere. The balance of ambient and additional illumination directs the eye and maintains the correct exposure level throughout the scene. Meanwhile, there is a brilliant spectrum of detail on show. Nicely done!

4th PLACE

A passenger sits quietly inside a public transport vehicle, surrounded by a vibrant red and patterned seat, reflective window in daylight — Puck74 worked with a Sony a6000 and Vario-Tessar T* E 16-70mm F4 ZA OSS optic to capture this portrait (Image credit: Puck74)

The girl on the bus by Puck74

We make a distinction between portraiture and street photography, but this image ideally balances the crossover of these genres. The bus window acts as a natural frame and the lighting makes us ponder the subject's expression. Had the framing not been well-managed, this shot may not have worked as a classic portrait, but we love the arrangement.

5th PLACE

A woman sitting in a hallway on stair steps, head lowered and hands on face, surrounded by blurry figures moving in the background — photos.of.my.world shot this image in an old factory building (Image credit: photos.of.my.world)

Pensive Person by photos.of.my.world

This image makes wonderful use of contrasting textures. The stationary subject balances the moving figures – a creative use of exposure to add interest to an otherwise static environment. The subject posing is simple but effective at framing the face and the direct gaze makes a connection with the viewer.

6th PLACE

A monochrome close-up capture of a woman looking straight into the camera, wearing a dark hijab — Impian75 shot this candid portrait with the Canon EOS 5D Mark II (Image credit: Impian75)

Mirrors of the soul by Impian75

This demonstrates how contrast is a strong tool in photography. The clear contrast of tones creates the frame for the subject's face and produces an almost blank canvas for the negative space. When there is a crowded background, this type of close framing is a perfect pro technique for shooting a clean frame.

7th PLACE

An older man sits in a dimly lit space filled with bags and barrels, a small tray of tea resting beside him — For this portrait, Yousef Naser used the Fujifilm X-T3 and Fujinon XF 18-55mm f/2.8-4 R LM OIS optic (Image credit: Yousef Naser)

Egyptian man by Yousef Naser

Environmental portraiture can be a challenge on account of the lighting. This mage shows off the delicate use of off-camera flash to blend artificial light with ambient illumination. The exposure is perfectly balanced and the flash lighting gradient is beautiful. It's a professionally shot photo worthy of a magazine cover.

8th PLACE

An elderly man with a cigarette, with a lighthouse visible in the blurred background — Ahmed fahmy worked with the Nikon D5300 to capture the man (Image credit: Ahmed fahmy)

EGYPTIAN FISHERMEN by Ahmed fahmy

This is another example of wonderful lighting on location. The exposure is perfectly balanced to capture the background detail and color while preserving detail in the subject's skin and filling in the shadows. The directional lighting direction preserves depth, casting just the right amount of shadow on one side of the face.

9th PLACE

A close-up of an older man with a beard and fedora, smoking a cigar, surrounded by swirling smoke against a dark background — Hilarie Jutras shot this portrait with the Nikon Zf and Nikkor Z 24-200mm f/4-6.3 VR lens (Image credit: Hilarie Jutras)

Dark Thoughts in a Smokey Room by Hilarie Jutras

We received a lot of studio portraits for this round, however, this one stood out for its balance and exposure. The use of smoke to add an ephemeral element is a good decision, while also adding to the subject's character and story. The lack of eye contact works in this case, as the eyes are intentionally, and partially hidden.

10th PLACE

A portrait of a woman, wearing fishnet tights over her face in a dimly lit environment with soft shadows and textures — To create this portrait, CH Photography NC played with light and textures in the studio (Image credit: CH Photography NC)

Fishnet by CH Photography NC

This is an almost abstract shot. The use of negative space is inspired and the choice to cover the face adds to the dark theme. The eyes are perfectly exposed and the skin is bright enough to add to the contrast. It's a deceptively simple shot but a highly effective portrait.

All participants had a chance to win a license to Affinity Photo 2 editing software (worth £67.99 for Mac or Windows). Affinity Photo is a toolset for photography professionals.

Whether you’re editing and retouching or creating multi-layered compositions, Affinity Photo has the power you need, with non-destructive editing, RAW processing, and color management as standard. Winners will be notified by email and can choose between Mac, Windows, or iPad versions. Winning images will be revealed in an issue of Digital Photographer.

Serif Affinity Photo 2 — (Image credit: Serif Affinity Photo)

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Kim is the Technique Editor at Digital Photographer, focusing on the art and science of photography. With a Master’s degree in Photography and Media, she is driven to educate through an analytical approach, visually and technically. With her guides and tutorials, Kim seeks to uncover new facets of this time-honoured medium and foster a deeper understanding of its profound role in culture. Kim highlights topics that resonate with modern society, including women in photography and critical issues such as environmental conservation. She also discusses and reviews camera gear, giving you an overview to find the best fit for your photography journey.

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