The Winners of ‘The Human Element’ Photo Contest From TIME and ASMP

Jaron Schneider
A Young Trainee Matador sits at the table in his Grandfathers home. His Grandfathers paintings surround him. David has been born in to a generational bullfighting family.
“David Fuentes” by Owen Harvey | A Young Trainee Matador sits at the table in his Grandfathers home. His Grandfather’s paintings surround him. David has been born in to a generational bullfighting family.

Last September, TIME Magazine and the American Society of Media Photographers (ASMP) launched a new global photography competition called “The Human Element,” seeking to showcase portrait photography in all its forms. The winners have been announced, and they are gorgeous.

NSFW Warning: Some of the images below show implied or partial nudity.

“The Human Element” is divided into five categories: portraits in the world, portraits of influence, portraits of family, and finally the open category and a series category. The winners, therefore, represent the best in each of these categories but the judges also awarded a “Best in Show” that was also the winner of its own category. Prizes include a paid TIME photo assignment, custom three-month mentorship with the photo editors of TIME, and over $16,000 in cash.

TIME Magazine says that over 2,200 images were submitted across five categories, with the winning photos hailing from nine different countries including Bangladesh, Poland, and Iran. The photo above, taken by Owen Harvey, won top honors in the Portraits of the World category and was also named best in show.

Below are the other winning images from each category along with a caption written by the photographers that describes the photo.

Portraits in Family Category Winner — Maria Louceiro

Finding home in the embrace of chosen family.
“Mayila & Marlene” by Maria Louceiro | Finding home in the embrace of chosen family.

Portraits in Influence Category Winner — Aixiao Li

two women at home
“Wig in the Bathroom from the series ‘I Am with Me'” by Aixiao Li | When the COVID-19 pandemic broke out in 2020, I was forced to stay at home for a long time. While everyone began to maintain social distance, I wanted to get in touch with people in reality. I started to explore the mostly unknown private spaces of strangers. We chatted and did everyday things together, and they lent me their clothes and accessories so I could ‘be them’. A tacit understanding between my subjects and me was, ‘When I give you a sense of security you need to keep me safe’. This kind of private connection involved exchanging so much personal information that we started to ‘become’ each other.

Open Category Winner — Sonali Ohrie

Mother's Journey, 001
“Mother’s Journey, 001” by Sonali Ohrie | Captured through Sonali Ohrie’s lens, this image features her own mother donning her wedding dress post-divorce, marking a pivotal moment in a series documenting the South Asian diaspora. 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.

Series Winner — Ryan Schude

Portraits of people associated with different museums
“Also On View: Unique and Unexpected Museums of Greater Los Angeles” by Ryan Schude | 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. The final output is set to be published as a full length monograph in the Fall of 2024, showcasing not only the portraits you see here but a small selection of the building’s exteriors and exhibits. Having visited over 700 such institutions in the last decade, my collaborator and author of this book has curated the selection of museums that we photographed in the previous 2+ years.
Portraits of people associated with different museums
“Also On View: Unique and Unexpected Museums of Greater Los Angeles” by Ryan Schude
Portraits of people associated with different museums
“Also On View: Unique and Unexpected Museums of Greater Los Angeles” by Ryan Schude
Portraits of people associated with different museums
“Also On View: Unique and Unexpected Museums of Greater Los Angeles” by Ryan Schude
Portraits of people associated with different museums
“Also On View: Unique and Unexpected Museums of Greater Los Angeles” by Ryan Schude
Portraits of people associated with different museums
“Also On View: Unique and Unexpected Museums of Greater Los Angeles” by Ryan Schude

To see all of the top images along with the second-place finishes, check out TIME’s full story.

Image credits: All photos are individually credited and provided courtesy of TIME and the ASMP.

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