Female Faces Photo Contest Winners

A special thanks to friend and professional photographer Hernan Rodriguez for his collaboration as a guest judge. Tamron Image Master Hernan Rodriguez is an International Award winning professional photographer specializing in commercial photography and portraiture. His unique style is a fusion between art & photography which earned him 25 awards in photography, including the much coveted Black & White Spider Award for photographic excellence in fashion photography.

Thank you to all the photographers that shared their best female portraits in this photo contest in collaboration with Tamron with chances to win a Tamron SP 90MM F/2.8 Di VC USD 1:1 Macro lens and more! The 90mm f/2.8 SP Di MACRO 1:1 VC USD Lens for Nikon from Tamron is an updated version of their popular 90mm macro lens.

Congratulations People's Choice "Norwegian Beauty" by tylerrobertoxley

Congratulations Grand Jury Winner "LADY GOLD" by oonk_madourart

"Congratulations on your award for an image well executed. Being a commercial photography, I appreciate the effort, concept and execution of a well done image. The determining factor for me always when judging contests is the WOW Factor. You have created an image that will retain the viewers attention. Secondly aspect, which weighs equally as the first is the expression of the subject. It needs to be honest, captivating, and not contrived, which you have managed to connect with your subject. Finally is the technical execution. It needs to support the first two points, as it is a photography competition. Great technical skills and execution. My only comment would be the hot spot on the subject’s left side of the neck. 1/2 less exposure will perfect the image. It also allows you to enter the image into other shows. It might be worth correcting in post. Again, congrats and MY Best" - Hernan Rodriguez

Congratulations Amateur Winner "Oracle from Udaipur. She already knows.. " by Cezary-Wyszynski

"An image like this is only created at a fraction of a second. Anticipating when to release the shutter. You have managed to anticipate the precise moment for a successful portrait. I take into consideration on not having the luxury of staging or posing the subject. You are at the mercy of the lighting and atmosphere for the portrait. Great job! What you do have control though, in the future, is to correct a few distracting elements that will add even more to the impact of your image. I am a purist when it comes to portrait photography, but if I can make small adjustments, I will take advantage of making slight enhancement. The eye is drawn to the lightest part of an image for a low-key portrait such as yours. That means the white vertical walls behind your subject is competing against the woman, for the viewers attention. You can crop in tighter and eliminate this, or clone out that section to keep the attention on your subject. Job well done and congratulations." - Hernan Rodriguez

Congratulations Runner Up "Kissed by the Sun" by Cookieman

"I really LOVE this shot. It was up for the Grand Prize. The connection with the subject successfully captivates the viewer. That is the most important ingredient for any successful portrait. Always strive for this as a portrait photographer. In the example of your image entry, you have pulled off a very successful portrait, worthy of a Grand Prize, void of any props, or distractions, and showcasing the subject. I personally shoot most of my celebrity work in this fashion. The exposure and technical merits are good. In the future, pull the light back or feather the light to not strike the subject’s face directly. This prevents a hot spot on the face,(Top right corner) and softens the overall tone of the face. You can also drag the shutter a bit from 1/200th of a second to maybe 100, to pickup some more ambient light on her face. This opens up the whites of eyes as well as the blue eye color. Great job. Congrats." - Hernan Rodriguez

Congratulations Runner Up "francescorizzato2-16" by francescorizzato

"There is something “Fresh” about your image entry that is soothing. This means you have succeeding in the portrait. The expression is so infectious, and the decision to use a shallow depth of field, had further pushed the attention onto the subject. This is a vial ingredient in creating a worthy portrait for your client, as well as for yourself. The cool palette selection is beautiful. A few points to keep in mind in the future. The image’s overall technical skills are good, but it is on the maximum exposure allowed for the upper highlights. I like to shoot this way for beauty campaigns, but you can easily compromise details. You can see this on her teeth. By using slight diffusion or pulling the light just a foot, will change the dynamic range of the skin tones. I congratulate you on make the finals." - Hernan Rodriguez

Congratulations Runner Up "Child Model" by JuliaAltork

"This image gets my attention. It is cleverly created with a very organic feel to the portrait. It really allows the viewer to create their personal narrative, which makes a successful portrait. Simple pose but well balanced. I really appreciate the shallow depth of field which maintains the attention on the subject. Great execution of lighting as well as technical skills. Excellent asymmetrical composition. Just a well done portrait. Congratulations." - Hernan Rodriguez

"DSC_3660_pp" by fionadj