The Winning Images of the 2023 Portrait of Humanity Competition

As a professional portrait photographer and winner of the 2023 Portrait of Humanity competition, I am incredibly passionate about the importance of capturing diversity in my work. To me, it’s vital to highlight the significance of representation and embrace our differences, which can promote diversity and inclusivity within our communities.

My winning image in the competition is called ‘Reuben,’ featuring a young man with vitiligo, a condition that causes the skin to lose pigmentation in patches. Reuben was a fantastic subject to photograph, and I am pleased that my image of him was chosen as one of the 30 winners.

In a recent article published in the British Journal of Photography, it was stated that “diversity is the key to ensuring photography remains relevant and reflects the world we live in.” I couldn’t agree more. Our world is full of different people, cultures, and experiences, and photography can play a crucial role in capturing and celebrating that diversity.

The winning images and series of the 2023 Portrait of Humanity competition perfectly embody this spirit. They hail from all corners of the world and celebrate unity in times of division, showcasing the intractable struggles people worldwide face while capturing the spirited attempts of their subjects to work through them.

I am thrilled to be part of a community of photographers who strive to promote diversity and inclusivity in their work, and I hope that my image of Reuben can contribute to that important conversation. The winning images and series will be exhibited at the Belfast Exposed gallery and the Indian Photo Festival later this year.

In addition to winning, two of my images featuring Lydia and Reuben were also shortlisted among the 200 shortlisted images, and they are both featured in a beautiful hardback book called “Portrait of Humanity Vol 5” by Hoxton Mini Press. This book contains many stunning images from talented artists worldwide, each with their unique and inspiring stories.