Taylor Wessing Portrait Prize, National Portrait Gallery

The Taylor Wessing Portrait Prize showcased a shortlist of sixty photographs taken by a wide range of talented, albeit lesser-known photographers, many of which have stuck in my mind. This image of Dolly Parton, taken by Zed Nelson in 2011, is one of those.

Being one of the few photographs within the show portraying a famous subject, I believe makes this image even more poignant. So used to seeing her within the context of the glamourous lifestyle of a singer, we now witness a quiet, almost fragile woman, complete with contemplative expression. Parton's unawareness of the photo being shot, allows us to see a different side of her character. 


Another image I found particularly compelling is "Erika E. Born In 1910" (below) by Karsten Thormaehlen. Taken from a series called "Happy At One Hundred", this image has an air of dignified positivity radiating from it; a quality little-found throughout the rest of the exhibition. I love the detail of each line upon the subject's face, along with the slight smile upon her lips, each giving viewers a sense of her character.

Similarly, "Anna and Roberto At Home" by Claudia Burlotti, I believe should have been one of the winning portraits from the whole exhibition. This heart-warming image, capturing a loving moment between the photographer's grandparents, depicts genuine emotion caught spontaneously on camera. 

Unlike the winner of the Taylor Wessing prize, I feel Burlotti's photograph depicts the raw emotion that a reliable portrait should encompass. Here, you are able to learn something about the relationship between the subjects, whereas in Jooney Woodward's "Harriet & Gentleman Jack" (The winning portrait, shown below), this attribute is somewhat lost. 

For more information on the Taylor Wessing Portrait Prize, as well as other exhibitions, take a look at the National Portrait Gallery site - http://www.npg.org.uk/