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Since the beginning of photography, people have made portraits. It has always been fascinating to capture a person in a particular moment as a memory of a certain stage of one's life. What's so interesting about portrait photography is that a photographer does not only capture the physical features of a person, but also their essence, a time period, or a culture. 

Indian Portrait Festival (IPF) Portrait Prize 2021 encourages photographers from the Indian subcontinent (India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Myanmar) to demonstrate their talents and showcase extraordinary portraits. The festival's artistic director Aquin Mathews expressed his excitement about the competition: "every edition we are totally moved by the images. We are happy to see a lot of portraits staying away from the conventional method of shooting people."

The portrait prize winners and finalists have been already announced and we are very excited to show you the beautiful and touching photographs! 

More info: indianphotofest.com | Facebook | Instagram | twitter.com | youtube.com

#1

Winner: "Catrin" By Sujata Setia

Winner: "Catrin" By Sujata Setia

""I’ve never been photographed like this before… with all of my scars, I mean." Catrin said to me.

It left us both thinking of what is the limit on scars? How much can we see? Are we all becoming a part of the world where scars need to look “pretty” too? Just enough, so we can use them to remind ourselves that our lives are better? But not too much… so we can bear looking at them?

Catrin was returning from a ski trip in the French Alps when the coach’s brakes failed and the crash happened.

96% of her body suffered third-degree burns leaving her with a 1 in a 1000 chance for survival. Following three months in a coma, 200 surgical procedures and 4 years of rehab, Catrin defied destiny.

To the prying eyes that meet her every time she steps out of the house, she looks back at them with tenderness and empathy.

"If my scars make you feel better about yours then I am happy for you. I understand you. And that’s what I expect from you as well. Empathy, not sympathy. My scars make me special… unique… differently beautiful. They are life’s brush strokes… and I am in love with this painting."

Scar… not Scary!"

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Keren Kares
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Catrina I am a 3rd degree burn survivor I'm so proud of you!!!

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#2

Finalist: "A Portrait Of A Man Carrying A Child" By Arun Sharma/Pti

Finalist: "A Portrait Of A Man Carrying A Child" By Arun Sharma/Pti

"A portrait of man carrying a child as people who were stranded in crisis-hit Afghanistan arrive by a special repatriation flight of IAF at the Hendon Air Force Station, Ghaziabad. UP. Aug. 22, 2021."

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#3

Finalist: "The Soul Behind The Mirror" By Akash Ghosh

Finalist: "The Soul Behind The Mirror" By Akash Ghosh

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Giles Gallie
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

[Pauline] this child is wealthier than most people in this world.

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#4

Finalist: "Family Crossing" By Shibasish Saha

Finalist: "Family Crossing" By Shibasish Saha

"An image of a family crossing the land which was flooded due to heavy monsoon in the rural areas of West Bengal."

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Cécile V.
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Bet the photographer LOVED the reflections. I don't like them nor trust them.

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#5

Finalist: "Mother And Child" By Sandip Dey

Finalist: "Mother And Child" By Sandip Dey

"Mother and Child portrayed through a window in Sinquerim, Goa. The photograph depicts an everyday moment of love and innocence in the lives of the subjects."

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Mary Rose Kent
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This photo has a lot going on: sharp and blurry, watery and solid, people and objects, love and mystery.

#6

Finalist: "Nothing In Disguise" By Somnath Mullick

Finalist: "Nothing In Disguise" By Somnath Mullick

"A happy-go-hawker with his selling stuff overhead posed for my click. Staying happy is an art, obviously, and earning a livelihood is better to blame."

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#7

Honorable Mention: "Shakti" By Raggeshre Das

Honorable Mention: "Shakti" By Raggeshre Das

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Laci Fuller
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

THIS IS BEAUTIFUL, it portrays everything you would want in a photo. The stop motion is just perfect everything is just captured in place perfectly!!!! <3 HANDS DOWN to this one

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#8

Finalist: "We In Unison" By Aditya Sharma

Finalist: "We In Unison" By Aditya Sharma

"This photo is of parade rehearsals 2021, the time just after the first wave of Covid. ‘We’ is the first word of our constitution. To me, this photo represents our solidarity."

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#9

Finalist: Akshay Nagpal

Finalist: Akshay Nagpal

"Bhavan Kumar, a driver of one of the cranes in the Bandhwari plant, Gurgaon. Living inside the plant they somehow survive on rainy days when the dirty water from the garbage drains into their homes."

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ash
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

As an Indian who lives in Delhi, I have seen this and there are plenty others like this in Delhi and other parts of our beautiful country. These things are the only things I don't like in India

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#10

Finalist: Unnati Sharma

Finalist: Unnati Sharma

"We are living in the world where we are all being judged by skin color complexion but at the same time, people look at skin problem as a scar or judge them by their Karma but nature never judges."

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Jasmine Grewal
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I think this man is just looking out of a window, in India and many other countries around it, windows have bars on the outside and glass window panes inside

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#11

Finalist: "Devotees Busy Celebrating Chhath Puja" By Mili Paul

Finalist: "Devotees Busy Celebrating Chhath Puja" By Mili Paul

"Devotees busy celebrating Chhath Puja in so-called sacred Yamuna, which is rather full of froth and toxic industrial waste, Delhi."

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#12

Honorable Mention: "The God’s Word" By Disha Gupta

Honorable Mention: "The God’s Word" By Disha Gupta

"The subject dressed in Amish just depicts how they covered themselves from everything touched by modernity, they live in simple living, plain dress, Christian pacifism, and slowness."

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Ripley Dog
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

There are Indian Amish? I had no idea, I thought they were a strictly American sect.

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#13

Finalist: "Song" By Devaraj Devan

Finalist: "Song" By Devaraj Devan

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#14

Third Prize: "Layers Of The Mind" By Ritagnik Bhattacharya

Third Prize: "Layers Of The Mind" By Ritagnik Bhattacharya

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#15

Finalist: "Focused Conversation" By Veeresh Babu Rama

Finalist: "Focused Conversation" By Veeresh Babu Rama

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#16

Finalist: "Indian Traditional Sport" By Jayesh Sharma

Finalist: "Indian Traditional Sport" By Jayesh Sharma

"I am trying to show all aspects of Indian traditional sport through my journalism, this picture is of one such traditional wrestler who is preparing himself before the battle."

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#17

Second Prize: "Watch Repairers" By Kushal Gangopadhyay

Second Prize: "Watch Repairers" By Kushal Gangopadhyay

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#18

Finalist: "Portrait Of Groupthink" By Sankar Sridhar

Finalist: "Portrait Of Groupthink" By Sankar Sridhar

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#19

Finalist: "The Spotlight" By Subhran Karmakar

Finalist: "The Spotlight" By Subhran Karmakar

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