TIME and the American Society of Media Photographers (ASMP) have announced the winners of their first collaborative photography competition, “The Human Element”.

London based advertising and documentary photographer Owen Harvey won 1st place and Best in Show with his portrait of David Fuentes, a matador trainee born into a multi-generational bullfighting family, sitting at a table in his grandfather’s home, surrounded by his grandfather’s artwork.

“The Human Element” portrait photography competition, Maria Louceiro.
Photo by: Maria Louceiro. Winner: Portraits of Family. Title: Mayila & Marlene. Finding home in the embrace of chosen family.

Thousands of photographers submitted to the “The Human Element” photo competition from across the globe, with winners coming from the US, the UK, Germany, Poland, Bangladesh, Iran, China, and Italy. The competition aims to celebrate diversity of the human experience while touching on timely themes like climate change, gender identity, loss and love.

Prizes included over $16,000 in cash prizes, a paid photo assignment for Time, a three-month mentorship with the photo editors of Time, and lifetime complimentary Membership in ASMP. Categories in the General and Student Divisions included: portraits of family, portraits in the world, portraits of influence, an open category (including work made using AI), and a series category (for thematic series of three to six images).

“The Human Element” portrait photography competition, Sonali Ohrie
Photo by: Sonali Ohrie. Winner: Open Category. Title: Mother’s Journey, 001. This image features Sonali Ohrie’s mother donning her wedding dress post-divorce, marking a pivotal moment. The narrative unfolds from a strict Hindu-Punjabi upbringing, where exploration was confined to a ‘safe’ marriage. Now, liberated from an arranged union, Sonali’s mother navigates a world previously deemed too perilous for a lone woman. The ongoing series explores her journey towards freedom, self-discovery as a single mother, and redefining ‘home’ after it fractures.

You can see all the winners of “The Human Element” photo competition on TIME’s website.

“The Human Element” portrait photography competition,
Photo by: Ryan Schude. Winner: Series. Title: Also On View: Unique and Unexpected Museums of Greater Los Angeles. Caption: Portraits of people associated with a selection of 63 under-appreciated museums in the greater Los Angeles area. The museums highlighted share an aspect of history and culture for the region and subject matter they represent which might otherwise go unseen.

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