Creativity is undoubtably a key part of creating a portrait considered iconic. This week, we talked with four photographers on the inspiration behind their creative portraits that won them Icon Awards recognition. Explore iconic portrait photography in this week’s Photos of the Week by Richard Wood, Jen Hargrove, Rachel Owen, and Alvaro Ruiz Nogues.

See the live judging for the next round of the Icon Awards in fabulous Las Vegas at WPPI in March 2025.

Richard Wood, Richard Wood Photography

When Richard Wood (@Richard_wood_photographer and @Richard_wood_commercial) of Richard Wood Photography hosted the Imagination Series online course for The Portrait Masters, he created this re-imagination of Da Vinci’s Last Supper as a meeting of the underworld. The iconic portrait photography image earned the photographer a First Place and Grand Award in the Creative Division: Portrait Creative in the Icon Awards.

Wood wanted the image to look as if the underworld was planning to take over the world, including details like maps and atlases. He built the image piece-by-piece as a composite because he was working with two models and he wanted a wide shot without the wide-angle distortion. He took the shots with a Canon R5 and two Godox AD600s with diffused umbrellas.

“To be honest, I think I had all the advice I needed quite early,” Wood says. “I was originally inspired by Sue Bryce back in 2011, who spoke about value in your work. I also joined the NZIPP (New Zealand Institute of Photography) which is the NZ governing body of sorts in the industry here. When you belong to a body like this, you have access to so many mentors eager to give their advice in all aspects of photography.”

Jen Hargrove, Jen Hargrove Photography

This iconic portrait was a spur-of-the-moment idea, says Jen Hargrove of Jen Hargrove Photography. The model, Rich Cox, was attending Hargrove’s pet and child photography workshop in Boston. Hargrove says that Rich has the sort of face and persona that can inspire a thousand images, and so with a Santa suit and a couple minutes in the hotel lobby, she created this emotive portrait. She captured the image with the Nikon D850 and 70-200mm f2.8 lens and asked her husband to hold up the Godox AD200 with a translucent umbrella because she couldn’t access her light stands at the time. The image earned her Third Place in the Individual Portrait Division of the Icon Awards.

“Always make sure that you are NOT the best in the room,” Hargrove advises. “By surrounding yourself with others who are at a level above yours, it gives you the opportunity to learn, and a lot of times it lights the fire to be better because who wants to be the worst in the room?” 

Rachel Owen, JR Owen & Co

Photographer Rachel Owen (@jrowenco) and her makeup artist Kylee Ann (@kyleeannartistry) had an ice queen image pinned on their inspiration board for almost a year before finally finding the opportunity to put the idea into practice when commissioned for a Pro Prints billboard campaign. Working with the makeup artist as well as costume designer, Illuminescent Design (@illuminescentdesign), Owen photographed the model on a green screen in her studio, creating a composite using images from the Ice Castles in Wisconsin. She captured the shot with the Canon 5D Mark IV and a Canon 50mm f1.4 lens, later receiving a First Place in the Creative Division: Fashion and Beauty for the Icon Awards.

If she could go back in time to give herself advice as she was just starting out, Hargrove would say, “Good choice. Photography is going to be the most rewarding career that will bring you more joy and opportunity than you can imagine. There will be tough times, but as long as you keep at it, everything comes to fruition.” 

Alvaro Ruiz Nogues

For this image, photographer Alvaro Ruiz Nogues (@alvaroruizfotografs) wanted to represent the strength and history of the older generation. The rifle symbolizes a protective, fighting stance, while the worn-down environment helps visualize the resistance to being forgotten. He captured the shot with the Nikon D850 with a 14mm lens. Nogues placed a Profoto B10 series flash with a Profoto Softbox Octa 90 outside the room’s window to simulate the look of natural light while allowing deep contrast and dramatic shadows. The image earned Second Place in the Individual Portrait Division of the Icon Awards.

“The advice I’d give myself would be to be patient and trust the creative process,” Nogues says. “Early on, it’s easy to feel impatient and want to achieve perfect or quick results, but photography is an art that takes time to understand–light, emotions, and the stories you want to tell. I’d also tell myself to explore without fear. Many times, I held back because I was afraid to experiment with styles or subjects that seemed outside my comfort zone. Now I know that the best images come when you allow yourself to break boundaries and follow your curiosity.”

Dig into our Photos of the Day Archives for even more timeless photos, eye-catching portraits and wedding photos. Submit your wedding, editorial, documentary and other interesting imagery (up to five images at a time) to: [email protected].

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