Amateur Photographer of the Year

Here are the top ten images uploaded to Photocrowd from Round Two, People & Portraits, with comments by the AP team and our guest judge

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Round Two People & Portraits

Portraiture is always a challenge. It can be easy to become overwhelmed by our own ideas, or distracted by the technicalities of studio flash, or confused by the pattern and modelling of natural light. There's potential to forget there's an individual in front of the camera who might need directing and who has a story to tell. A successful portrait has an edge - a certain something that, in a split second, reveals some small detail or nuance about the person. It encourages the viewer to look longer and deeper into the image, and possibly come up with an interpretation that even the photographer hadn't thought of.

1 Azim Khan Ronnie, France

Drying clothing under the sun 100pts

Canon EOS R5, 16-35mm at 16mm, 1/320sec at f/10, ISO 100

A fabulously dynamic shot that makes the very most of an ultra-wideangle view. Shooting from ground level looking upwards demonstrates imagination and a clear vision, going way beyond the usual record of a scene such as this. Azim has captured the man's arms outstretched, at exactly the right moment, at the same time ensuring he released the shutter as the man's face isn't covered by any of the fabric. The divison of the frame into opposing colours of orange and blue is excellently seen and captured, too.

2 Aung Chan Thar, Thailand

Happy moment 90pts

Nikon D7200, 24-120mm at 38mm, 1/125sec at f/7.1, ISO 250