AAP Magazine 48: Portrait Photography Competition Winners Announced

AAP Magazine is proud to announce the winners of its 48th issue, dedicated to Portrait Photography. Selected from a wide array of international submissions, the 25 winning photographers have captured the essence of portraiture—revealing powerful stories, raw emotions, and the universal depth of the human experience.

Portrait photography remains one of the most compelling genres, offering a window into the soul of its subjects. This year’s winners have pushed the boundaries of traditional portraiture, presenting everything from candid, intimate moments to precisely staged studio shots. Their work spans cultures, styles, and narratives—celebrating individuality, vulnerability, and shared humanity.

Each selected image tells a story, showcasing the photographers’ unique perspectives and technical mastery. From deeply personal portraits to bold conceptual interpretations, this edition reflects a vibrant diversity in vision and voice.

AAP Magazine congratulates all 25 winners of Issue #48: Portrait. Their exceptional images will be featured in the printed and digital editions of the magazine and exhibited in an online gallery, giving global audiences a chance to engage with these striking visual narratives.

Discover the winning portraits and be inspired by the creative force behind today’s most compelling portrait photographers.

The Winner is Carole Mills Noronha (Australia) with the series 'That Place He Goes'

This series, That Place he Goes, was born out of a need to capture moments of my dear father's life. For dad, my photography delivered concrete evidence his day-to-day that his mind had already wiped. For me it was about holding on to every piece of dad, somehow keeping him with me as his Dementia and Alzheimer's slowly took him. Most of this series was taken in the last four years of my beautiful dad's life. Most of it in the same room, in between strict Covid lockdowns in Aged care, Melbourne. A raw, honest and loving devotion to my dad, Harold Mills (1932-2022).
@carolemillsnoronha
All about Carole Mills Noronha


The Second Place Winner is Jesús Umbría Brito (Spain) with the series 'Retaguardia'

Retaguardia is a photographic project that dwells in the edges of mass society, in the periphery of the normative, in its penumbra. Far removed from dogma and convention, it unfolds a portrait of post-pandemic youth identified with the counterculture surrounding punk music and aesthetics: a mosaic of faces and expressions that seek each other in the mirror of the past to shape their present. From there, the author weaves a dialogue between times and generations.
umbriabrito.com
@milton_bananas
All about Jesús Umbría Brito


The Third Place Winner is Paul Adams (United States) with the series 'Wet Plate Collodion Portraits'

This portrait is an original Ultra Large Format 20x24” Wet Plate Collodion Tintype. All the images from this series are original wet plate collodion tintypes. Some images are printed as photogravure intaglio prints from the original tintype plate.
www.pauladamsphotography.com
@adams.p.photo
All about Paul Adams


MERIT AWARD GALLERY
Bob Stevens (United States)

The project resulted when I met with Manny Jimenez of ’Suspect Entertainment’ and approached him about creating a series of studio and location portraits of his associates and friends.
www.bobstevens.com
@bobstevensphoto


Les Schmidt (United States)

I love the interplay between subject and artist. This give and take before showing their true selves - or what is perceived as truth by the viewer - the final image being equally about the person behind the lens as much as the front.
www.lesschmidtphotography.com
@lesschmidtphoto


Han Yang (China)

In Between Worlds is a long-term photographic project that explores how individuals in the LGBTQ+ community navigate self-expression and identity between the personal and the societal. The featured participant, Holli Xue, is a nonbinary individual whose calm exterior contrasts with a vibrant inner world. Through portraiture and visual storytelling, the project sheds light on the fluid, evolving nature of gender identity and the quiet resilience that lies in self-acceptance.

www.yanghan-photo.com
@yanghanphoto
All about Han Yang


Nico Froehlich (United Kingdom)

A group of youngsters bask in the afternoon sun on the Aylesbury Estate, London - 2024.
@nicofroe
nicofroehlich.com


Patrick Enssle (Germany)

“Koda,” 28, a German mercenary, found his purpose in Ukraine’s drone unit “улитка” (Snail). Coming from a poor background and formerly working as a security guard, he joined the Ukrainian army as a volunteer.
Koda isn’t a typical fighter — thoughtful, introverted, kind to animals, and surprisingly calm. He knows the risks: “In this unit, 90 percent get injured within six months – and six months is the minimum contract.” Still, he stays. He fights not only for Ukraine, but for Europe.
From their hidden positions near the front, Koda and his team launch kamikaze drones. The screens show everything in brutal clarity: enemy soldiers, impacts, torn bodies. It’s killing at the push of a button — but the images don’t fade. The worst scenes haunt him at night, leaving him sleepless and shaken.
Despite everything, Koda refuses to stop. He carries the weight of war in silence, aware that there’s no glory here — just survival, duty, and the hope that his sacrifice means something. In the drone unit “Snail,” every mission could be his last.
www.patrick-enssle.de
@patrick_enssle
All about Patrick Enssle


Susan Anthony (United States)

Abby Lubin is an activist and three generations of her family have lived in Troy. She and her husband and two children live in one of the poorer districts of Troy. Abby is a community organizer and gets people together to make her neighborhood a safer place to live. Abby is one of the many portraits featured in my project, Collar City. Collar City is a nickname for Troy, New York—an old industrial town once known for its brick, iron, and shirt collar factories.
www.susanbanthonyphotography.com
@susanbanthonyphoto
All about Susan Anthony


Michele Zousmer (United States)

'Feminization of Aging' refers to the phenomenon in which women make up a disproportionately large share of the elderly population worldwide. This is due to women’s longer life expectancy compared to men, as well as socio-economic, cultural, and health disparities that affect aging differently. Globally, total populations are aging rapidly. Many older women face financial disparities in thier later years due to economic, social, and cultural differences. This leaves them vulnerable to poverty, particularly in countries lacking social safety nets. In societies that previously cared for their elderly, we now see them being abandoned in later years because families have decided to leave rural villages and head to big cities or other countries for work and a better life. Money is scarce. They are just another mouth to feed, another person to care for, in our rapidly changing world. Many women I met in Bulgaria and Romania live alone in mountain villages, isolated from family and friends. In India, I encountered many elderly women living on the streets due to the same situation. They are mistaken for beggars but are only trying to survive. The caste system in India makes this even more complicated. In the United States, this situation already has a name - Silver Tsunami. This is a global epidemic.
Loneliness among the elderly is a significant issue with wide-ranging impacts on their mental and physical health. As people age, they may experience social isolation due to loss of loved ones, reduced mobility, and retirement from work. Research shows this can increase the risk of depression, anxiety, cognitive decline, and various health problems, such as cardiovascular diseases and weakened immune systems. Addressing loneliness in the elderly involves a combination of community support, technology, and healthcare interventions. Community centers, support groups, and volunteer programs can help encourage social engagement. Technology, such as video calls and social media, can also bridge the gap for the less mobile. Healthcare providers can play a role by screening for loneliness and connecting patients with resources.
As a humanitarian photographer,I use my camera to illuminate the lives and stories of people and communities that are overlooked . My work is driven by a strong commitment to truth, dignity, and the power of visual storytelling. I strive to capture moments of grace , beauty , resilience, vulnerability, and strength, offering a window into the worlds that deserve to be seen and understood. This work aims to challenge perceptions, evoke empathy, and inspire action. Each image is a testament to the human spirit – an invitation to witness, reflect, and engage. By bringing attention to this social issue,I hope positive change will begin.
www.michelezousmer.com
@humanityisart
All about Michele Zousmer


Raul Cacho Oses (Spain)

This project is a visual exploration of the Guerewol festival and the Wodaabe people of Niger—a nomadic community known for their rich aesthetic culture and expressive rituals. Through intimate portraits and scenes from daily life, the series captures a moment of cultural continuity in the vast landscapes of the Sahel. It reflects on identity, beauty, resilience, and the silent strength that lives in tradition.
raul-cacho.format.com
@raulcachophoto


Michael Knapstein (United States)

The Unforgotten
My photographic series “The Unforgotten” was created to honor and preserve the rapidly disappearing family farm and the rural agricultural tradition that helped build the American Midwest. During my lifetime, we have lost more than 105,000 family farms just in my home state of Wisconsin. While these traditional small farms are falling victim to corporate agriculture and urbanization, their legacy is still honored with events that celebrate the proud agricultural heritage of the Midwest. Often, these gatherings include antique agricultural equipment, sometimes dating back to the days of steam power. I explored this world for several years by attending more than 50 small agricultural fairs and rural festivals across the Midwest. I was drawn to this subject matter because these people and their farm equipment – both once symbols of progress and innovation – now stand as relics of a bygone era. The resulting images speak to themes of rural identity, memory, loss, history, heritage, pride, family, community and sense of place. To express the timeless nature of this material, I approached this project from a “straight photography” perspective in the spirit of Group f/64. My approach was informed by the iconic work of WPA artists and mid-century modernist photographers such as Adams, Weston, White, Strand, Parks and Evans. My work was also influenced by the American Regionalism movement and the work of artists including Wood, Benton, Curry, Wyeth and Hopper. These proud people and their farm machines may eventually fade into the mist of time. But perhaps through my images, their stories may forever remain Unforgotten.
www.knapsteinphotography.com
@mknapstein
All about Michael Knapstein


Lukasz Spychala (Poland)

Echoes is an intimate story encapsulated in a series of portraits of twin girls who, although almost identical at first glance, conceal two separate worlds. Their similarity acts like an echo: one image is reflected in the other, creating the illusion of unity. Each echo, although similar to the original sound, never sounds exactly the same. The same is true for them. The Echoes series is a reminder of the importance of finding one's own voice, even if it sounds similar to another. At the same time, it celebrates the unbreakable bond of family - a relationship that, like an echo, carries through life, sometimes quietly, sometimes clearly, but always in the present. It is a portrait of strength, closeness, and beautiful diversity in unity.
www.lukaszspychala.pl
@koneser_fotografii
All about Lukasz Spychala


Tom Zimberoff (United States)

Robert Flynn Johnson, the Emeritus Curator of the Fine Art Museums of San Francisco (i.e., the Legion of Honor and the de Young Museum). It was made at my request after an informal visit.
A portrait is the still life of a human being—a collaboration, a performance, a kind of psychological hack; the way it allows viewers to stare into a stranger’s eyes without apology. And when they look, they can’t help imagining what the sitter is thinking or feeling, though observed neither in real-time nor moving about in the real world. Portraits remind us that others are always looking at us, and we are all subject to someone else’s perception.
An impulse to create art helps define humanity. Seeing humans as the subjects of art comes full circle with portraiture. A portrait is made, not taken. When photons bounce off living beings and pass through the aperture of a glass lens, propelled by an occult force called “the mind’s eye” to converge on a light-sensitive substrate inside a dark box, two parties on either side of this contraption—the camera—are committed to telling a short story for one endlessly enduring moment. I aim to preserve what happens when people allow themselves to be seen. That’s the magic I chase.
zimberoff.com
@zimberoffphoto
All about Michael Knapstein


Jelisa Peterson (United States)

My long term, ongoing project of making portraits with children began in 1993 while I was an intern in Zimbabwe for two years. Soon after, I fell in love with Mozambique because the children really knocked my socks off. Since 1996, the year I first traveled to Mozambique, I’ve focused the bulk of my time and work with them. Their charming company has continued to intrigue and delight me ever since. I lived in the northern city of Pemba for several years. Eventually, Mozambique Island became my favorite place to work by far. The slow and easy vibe coupled with the friendliness of the people made me long to return. But what has impressed me most about the place is that despite great challenges with poverty, health, education and political conflict, the children have shown me the origin of the strength I notice all around me. I continuously find moments of true joy and community while watching the children play, socialize, learn and care for one another. Nothing gets in their way because these special moments make the rest of their challenging lives possible.
jelisapeterson.com
@jelisapeterson


Pamela Connolly (United States)

Salon Studies looks at women between the ages of 40 and 65 and the choice they make to either alter their appearance by dying their hair, or allowing it to ‘go gray.’ For many, this decision is fraught with strong emotions, among them a fear of aging and societal judgement.
The hair coloring process includes sitting before a mirror for up to 45 minutes, facing one’s visage without the normal signifiers of hairstyle and clothing. Torsos covered by capes and heads covered with chemicals one is left to sit and stare in the mirror while the solutions cure. This stripped down state reveals a vulnerability I find compelling.
These portraits were made with a 4x5 view camera and film. I ask my subjects to look closely at their reflections in the mirror. As a result these photographs are about being looked at; by oneself, the camera, the photographer, the viewer, and a society that values youth above all.
www.pamconnollyphoto.com
@pamconnollyphoto
@landaugallery


Erhan Coral (Turkey)

I took this portrait while visiting the Karo people in Ethiopia’s Omo Valley. She stood calmly in front of the camera, her expression steady and unfiltered. It was a simple but meaningful encounter that reflects the everyday rhythm of village life.
erhancoral.com
@ecoralphotography
All about Erhan Coral


Brian Cassey (United Kingdom)

Kuku Djungan elder Alfred Neal OAM marks his one hundredth birthday today with a community celebratory event in Yarrabah north Queensland. Alf was born in the early 1920’s on his beloved country at Ngarrabullgan (Mount Mulligan) 100 kilometres west of Cairns. He was moved to the indigenous community of Yarrabah near Cairns and baptised at the age of 2 and grew up in dormitories. His earliest memories were of learning white man law alongside the centuries long traditions of aboriginal lore. Alf sees his Aboriginal culture as the driving force and ‘best thing’ in his life.
The former bush lawyer and cane cutter, affectionately known by his family as “Popeye”, has long served as an advocate for indigenous rights.
In 2019 Alf was awarded ‘Medal of the Order of Australia’ (OAM) for ‘Service to the Aboriginal community, particularly to the 1967 Referendum Campaign’. Alf was a member of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Advancement League that successfully waged a decade long fight for the referendum which eventually resulted in Indigenous peoples recognition in Australia’s Constitution.As late as April this year Alf was holding court with ‘Voice From The Heart’ campaign indigenous luminaries at the launch of the ‘Yarrabah Statement’ in the township … a commitment to see a constitutional enshrinement of a First Nations Voice.
The image of Alf and his three week old great great grandson Kailan Murgha was made at their Yarrabah home.”
www.briancasseyphotographer.com
@brian_cassey
All about Brian Cassey


Randy Bacon (United States)

Love Your Neighbor is a portrait-based storytelling project that invites you to pause, look closely, and truly see the people we so often pass by without a second thought. Each portrait and accompanying narrative represents a real person who lives, works, or passes through my community—photographed entirely along Commercial Street, a place that itself reflects layers of history, struggle, and renewal. And while all of the exhibit participants were photographed on Commercial Street, the themes of the project transcend geography; this work could represent any neighborhood. At its heart, it speaks to our universal longing for connection and our shared human need for community. The creative process was deliberately simple yet intentional. Each participant was invited with no preparation, no prior knowledge of what we’d ask. Everyone answered the same set of questions, in the same order. This approach created a level playing field—removing expectation, allowing raw honesty, vulnerability, and unexpected beauty to surface. The uniform structure became a kind of mirror, reflecting both the individuality and shared humanity of each person. I began this project with a deep desire to bridge divides. In a world increasingly defined by difference and distance, I wanted to create something that would remind us how powerful it is to simply see one another. Not just to look—but to listen. What surprised me most were the patterns that emerged. Without prompting, people opened up about grief, hope, forgiveness, resilience, and love. There was an unmistakable common thread—people want to be known, to be heard, to matter and to make a positive difference in this world. The honesty I was met with, again and again, was humbling and uplifting. Love Your Neighbor isn’t about fixing or judging. It’s about witnessing. My hope is that this collection of faces and voices challenges each of us to step a little closer—to listen with more intention, to love with fewer conditions, and to remember that our neighbors might not be who we expect… and that’s exactly the point.
www.randybacon.com
@randybacon
All about Randy Bacon


Ron Cooper (United States)

Couples In a world in which individuality is often emphasized, these images are of pairs of people -- couples specifically. These portraits capture the subtle choreography of human connection. Photographs in this series explore balance, tension, intimacy, culture and separation. Often the connection is physical: a hand holding another, a mirrored posture, a shared gaze or laugh. Other times the connection is emotional -- an invisible thread felt more than seen. These images are made in or just outside of the subjects' home and document not only the relationship between the subjects, but also something of their lifestyle, circumstances and culture. I typically do not pose the subjects, I simply ask them to sit together in whatever fashion is most comfortable for them. Some subjects chose a very formal look, others offer a broad smile, laugh or other interaction with each other, and with the camera.
www.ron-cooper.com
@roncooperphotography
All about Ron Cooper


Rona Bar and Ofek Avshalom (Israel)

“Lois & Carey” is a photographic series that explores the intimate, intergenerational relationship between a mother (Carey) and daughter (Lois), both Jewish artists living in London. Set entirely within the walls of their home, the project is a nuanced portrait of familial closeness, personal expression, and the unspoken tensions that shape lifelong bonds. in capturing the microcosm of one family, it speaks to broader truths about womanhood, queerness, aging, and the quiet revolutions that happen within the home. At its core, the work is about the complex dance between mothers and daughters—how identity is inherited, resisted, and reinvented. The tension between queerness and family legacy is treated not as conflict, but as coexistence—messy, honest, and real. The series invites the viewer to feel rather than to analyze, to absorb the texture of a relationship rather than define it.
www.thefotometro.com
@fotometro.art


Olivia Mazzola (Italy)

This image is part of a photographic project entitled“ La Danse des Lumières” where I use light-painting as the main technique to portray my subjects. I am fascinated by the mystery light-painting creates, a subtle play between the concealed and the discretely revealed, allowing the magic of light to appear. In complete obscurity, I actually make fluid movements around my subjects like a small dance, applying light brushstrokes and awaiting for its revelation.
@liv_art_photography
All about Olivia Mazzola


Yixu Wang (China)

This photographic series explores identity and societal expectations. Through staged portraits, I respond to society’s standardised notions of happiness and success for women. These images appear to capture significant moments in life, but are they truly my own choices and reality?
yixu99.github.io
@yiiii_xxu
All about Yixu Wan


Migle Golubickaite (Lithuania)

This portrait series captures the quiet, often overlooked moments where a person’s true essence comes to light. Each image is a still encounter—an invitation to pause and truly see. These aren’t just faces; they are landscapes of memory, vulnerability, resilience, and presence.
The power of these portraits lies in their silence. They don’t speak, yet they say everything. In a glance, a breath, a shift in gaze, the subject reveals something deeply human—something words can’t quite reach. Through this work, connection becomes central: between subject and photographer, between image and viewer, between presence and emotion. A powerful portrait doesn’t just show someone—it feels like them.
miglegolubickaite.eu
@miglegolubickaite
All about Migle Golubickaite


Alan Wieder (United States)

I began taking pictures in Cuba in late 2016 and returned in 2018 and 2023. I photographed mostly in Havana and Santiago de Cuba. Each of my photo journeys were connected to workshops led by Peter Turnley. The images in this series and others were exhibited in 2023 at Gallery 114 in Portland, Oregon.
www.streetpixx.com
@alanwieder