Faces of the World

Boy in Window

Photograph by Japoi Cequina, My Shot

A window made of bamboo reflected in the eyes of the boy and created a pattern. His eyes tell a story, as our eyes are the window of our soul.

(This photo and caption were submitted to My Shot.)

Parade Participant, Malaysia

Photograph by Philipp Aldrup, My Shot

Every year after the Chinese New Year, the Chinese communities in Johor Bahru, Malaysia, come together for a huge procession in which the deities of the five different dialects are jointly carried through the whole city. Various performances, operas, and rituals are shown over a couple of days.

(This photo and caption were submitted to My Shot.)

Folk Festival, Croatia

Photograph by Lola Valenti, My Shot

I took this shot during a folk festival in Istria, Croatia.

(This photo and caption were submitted to My Shot.)

Boy in Car, Cuba

Photograph by Serena Amaduzzi, My Shot

It was a rainy day, and I was passing by when I saw this cute little face looking at me. I stopped for a while and looked back at him. He smiled and I laughed. Suddenly I realized I was sharing something special with someone, a kid, who I'd never see again.

(This photo and caption were submitted to My Shot.)

Saudi Woman

Photograph by Faisal Almalki, My Shot

A Saudi older woman (in this case my own mother) posing in the traditional Saudi burka. There are different types of burkas for different regions, and despite what they've come to symbolize, they are a part of tradition and not religion.

(This photo and caption were submitted to My Shot.)

Sailor, Turkey

Photograph by Joshua Schrems, My Shot

I was walking around the port of Kusadasi, and a Turkish ship was in port. This young man was standing by the dock, and I pointed my camera in his direction, asking if it was OK to snap a frame. He immediately went to attention and looked very proud.

(This photo and caption were submitted to My Shot.)

Mongolian Man

Photograph by Charles Meacham, My Shot

This photo was taken while we waited for our van to be fixed in western Mongolia.

(This photo and caption were submitted to My Shot.)

Protestors, Yemen

Photograph by Luke Somers, My Shot

Young men protest in Yemen against President Ali Abdullah Saleh and his 33-year-old administration, itself older than most of those assembled near the front gates of Sana'a University.

(This photo and caption were submitted to My Shot.)

Woman

Photograph by Ali Berrada, My Shot

Paris

(This photo and caption were submitted to My Shot.)

Children, Ethiopia

Photograph by Charles Meacham, My Shot

This picture was taken at a roadside hotel in southern Ethiopia.

(This photo and caption were submitted to My Shot.)

Child, Afghanistan

Photograph by Valentina Bosio, My Shot

Afghan child in the village of Farsi in western Afghanistan

(This photo and caption were submitted to My Shot.)

Temple Drummer

Photograph by Mukul Mhaskey, My Shot

A devotee playing drums at a Hindu temple

(This photo and caption were submitted to My Shot.)

Woman, Rwanda

Photograph by Amanda Siceloff, My Shot

This photo was taken as part of a series of portraits of the women affected by the Rwandan genocide. This woman lost her husband and all eight of her children. She was cut all over her body by machetes and left to die. She survived and has forgiven the men who killed her family.

(This photo and caption were submitted to My Shot.)

Camel Seller, India

Photograph by Soumya Bandyopadhyay, My Shot

A camel seller poses for a photo at Pushkar Camel Fair 2010, held in Rajasthan, India.

(This photo and caption were submitted to My Shot.)

Guard, Russia

Photograph by Jhila Farzaneh, My Shot

Guard outside the Kremlin Wall, Moscow, Russia, 2009

(This photo and caption were submitted to My Shot.)

Marine, Kyrgyzstan

Photograph by Benjamin Taggart, My Shot

We were flying into Kyrgyzstan from Afghanistan at the end of a seven-month deployment to Helmand Province. I caught Sgt. Bushue of the 5th Air Naval Gunfire Liaison Company looking over his shoulder out a window that is just outside of the frame. He is looking back at Afghanistan. I love this shot because it really caught the moment. One last look back at Afghanistan, with the relief that the danger is behind us (you can make out the word "danger" on the wall), which sort of sums it up.

(This photo and caption were submitted to My Shot.)

Vietnamese Woman

Photograph by Long Pham Thanh, My Shot

Mrs. Trai (a Noi Due villager) posed for a portrait at the Lim Festival, Bac Ninh, Vietnam, February 26, 2010. The long red dress indicates the woman is at least 90 years old.

(This photo and caption were submitted to My Shot.)

Young Girl, Venezuela

Photograph by Ana Viloria, My Shot

Faithful representative of childhood, this Venezuelan native is from south of Lake Maracaibo in Zulia. A child who goes beyond beauty, charisma, and hope. Bobures is the town where she was born, grows, and is happy to play.

(This photo and caption were submitted to My Shot.)

Farmers, France

Photograph by Kiritin Beyer, My Shot

The high-top farms of France are among the last outposts of a generational tension that has already played itself out in most other Western communities: a tension between the hardscrabble farming life and the siren song of industrialized urban centers. Are the fathers—the farmers—merely dinosaurs, anachronistic vestiges clinging naively to the ways of times long gone? Or are they our potential boon-bringers, reminders of all that the new generations have forgotten but ought to revive?

(This photo and caption were submitted to My Shot.)

Painted Face, Canada

Photograph by Jack Moslehi, My Shot

I met this gentleman at a pow wow in northern Manitoba. He told me his paint and outfit came to him in a dream.

(This photo and caption were submitted to My Shot.)

Shopkeeper, China

Photograph by Daniel Alecks, My Shot

Tajik shopkeeper, Tashkurgan, Xinjiang Province, China

(This photo and caption were submitted to My Shot.)

Women, Bulgaria

Photograph by Stela Tasheva, My Shot

One morning we went to the lavender fields. When we got to the place, I wanted to photograph the rising sun. Some women arrived. They were very cooperative and wanted me to take photos of them. They grouped on their own and gave me this wonderful natural expression. It is sad that most of them were over 60 years old and still doing hard work in the field, but their positive energy puts a smile on my face each time I look at the picture.

(This photo and caption were submitted to My Shot.)

Man, Cuba

Photograph by Elektra Carras, My Shot

This photo was taken in the streets of the town of Trinidad, Cuba, in January 2011. I noticed this man's eyes from a street away and his look gave me chills. I spoke to him and he simply nodded and indicated that he would let me take his photo. Most likely a "campesino" (farmer), he was calmly observing the busy street activities taking place in front of him. His aura was peaceful; I feel as if I captured his warm and balanced energy.

(This photo and caption were submitted to My Shot.)

Young Boy, Afghanistan

Photograph by Joshua Treadwell, My Shot

Outside Kunduz Province, Afghanistan. The anguish on this young Afghan face is not from the desperation of extreme poverty; it is instead a face of jealousy, given that his older brother (not pictured) just took away his soccer ball.

(This photo and caption were submitted to My Shot.)

Guard, Louisiana

Photograph by Walter Briggs, My Shot

David Lee keeps a watchful eye on an open-air market in Alexandria, Louisiana. Lee, 72, is a local fixture in the downtown area, and although he is not an actual law enforcement officer, the local authorities permit Mr. Lee to adorn himself within reason. They also keep a watchful eye on Mr. Lee for his safety.

(This photo and caption were submitted to My Shot.)

Children, Morocco

Photograph by Francesca Vernia, My Shot

Morocco is made up very disparate regions and desert villages. I took this shot in Ziz Valley, between Rich and Merzouga.

(This photo and caption were submitted to My Shot.)

Woman, London

Photograph by Sarah Abrams, My Shot

I took this image, like many of my others, while traveling around with my camera. This particular image was taken in London's Camden Market, as part of a project I'd given myself to investigate physical identity and how the people drawn to a certain area tend to embody the energy of that place within their appearance. The lady in the picture, despite her bright accessories and make-up, has an undeniable feeling of tragedy to her; her stare is unnerving, almost haunting.

(This photo and caption were submitted to My Shot.)

Young Cowboy, Montana

Photograph by Anders Andersson, My Shot

Beau Sudbrack of Saco, Montana, waits by the fence while waiting for his dad, Dale, to saddle his horse. Both Beau and his sister Jada have their own horses, but Beau still has a lot to learn when it comes to horsemanship. Nevertheless, he loves riding his horse.

(This photo and caption were submitted to My Shot.)

Camel Handler, Abu Dhabi

Photograph by Philipp Griess, My Shot

For hours I was caught by observing a couple of young Emiratis taking care of hundreds of camels during the camel festival in the desert of Abu Dhabi in the city of Madinat Zayed. After a long day, the young guys finally found a way to be accepted by their camels as their guides. And now they form a strong couple.

(This photo and caption were submitted to My Shot.)

Shepherd, Italy

Photograph by Giancarlo Rado, My Shot

Lagorai

(This photo and caption were submitted to My Shot.)

Young Boy, Benin

Photograph by Marziac Benjamin, My Shot

Portrait of a boy getting his hair cut

(This photo was submitted to My Shot.)

Man, China

Photograph by Henri Derudder, My Shot

I captured this portrait in Dali, Yunnan Province, China. This Chinese man wearing the blue Mao jacket from the Cultural Revolution was standing by an old red door, making a colorful contrast between two episodes in Chinese history.

(This photo and caption were submitted to My Shot.)

Lanna Girl, Thailand

Photograph by Lotta Lonnquist, My Shot

Portrait shot of a girl from the Lanna tribe in Chiang Mai

Himba Girl

Photograph by Enric Santianyez Tio, My Shot

The Himba are an ethnic group that lives north of Namibia and south of Angola. Himba people live in small and circular villages. Huts are distributed around a central corral, usually of coats. Men and women love to wear lots of adornments on their bodies. In this picture, an adolescent is inside her hut in a village near Kunene River. From her hair disposition, she is probably married.

(This photo and caption were submitted to My Shot.)

Boy Wearing Mask

Photograph by Jessica Collins, My Shot

My little cousin's Superman birthday party

(This photo and caption were submitted to My Shot.)

Man, Italy

Photograph by Giancarlo Rado, My Shot

A 79-year-old man, after working abroad all his life, has retired in the mountains near San Martino di Castrozza, where he lives alone.

(This photo and caption were submitted to My Shot.)

Vietnamese Woman

Photograph by Marco Manieri, My Shot

A close portrait of a H'mong woman in Sapa, Lao Cai Province, Vietnam

(This photo and caption were submitted to My Shot.)

Children, South Sudan

Photograph by Joseph Thomas Noriega, My Shot

In the latter part of 2010, I was part of a mission in Gogrial, Southern Sudan, under Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders. I served as a surgeon for three months, during which time we were able to help hundreds of people with their medico-surgical problems. I particularly love this photograph, because in the midst of impending war, most of the people, even the children, were still able to project a strong, even inspiring sense of hope.

(This photo and caption were submitted to My Shot.)

Flower Girl

Photograph by Eric Jardin, My Shot

A young flower girl being protected from the chill of the breeze

(This photo and caption were submitted to My Shot.)

Woman, Indonesia

Photograph by Thomas Buttery, My Shot

Beautiful woman photographed in a small co-operative village on the island of Flores in Indonesia

(This photo and caption were submitted to My Shot.)

Fish Dealer, Crete

Photograph by Joshua Schrems, My Shot

This gentleman from Crete worked at a fish store, selling the catch of the day. He was taking a break for a cigarette and I politely held up my camera to see if it was OK to snap a photo. He smiled and nodded and I took a frame.

(This photo and caption were submitted to My Shot.)

Young Boy, Philippines

Photograph by Brian Yen, My Shot

Every child has a favorite plush toy. This boy, who lives in an impoverished shack deep in the jungle of the Philippines, has his too. When you can't afford a stuffed animal, you get to hug one that'll keep you stuffed later.

(This photo and caption were submitted to My Shot.)

Woman, Morocco

Photograph by Amir Fallah, My Shot

A shot token in Morocco during a casual day

(This photo and caption were submitted to My Shot.)

Young Girl

Photograph by Vanessa Hirsch, My Shot

Rachael, kissed by the sun

(This photo and caption were submitted to My Shot.)

Young Boy

Photograph by Nilesh Bhange, My Shot

He is a cowboy, and I found a unique expression in his eyes.

(This photo and caption were submitted to My Shot.)

Woman, London

Photograph by Julian Baird, My Shot

This is a portrait of Elaine Davidson, who I met in London a few days ago. She holds the world record for number of body piercings. Current total is 6,725! Her colorful presentation matched her personality! A lovely person.

(This photo and caption were submitted to My Shot.)

Girl in Carnival Dress, Argentina

Photograph by Jose Marques, My Shot

Carnival in Tolar Grande, Salta, Argentina

(This photo and caption were submitted to My Shot.)