Laura Crimmins, Held Together (PEOPLE & PORTRAIT 2025)

In Held Together, a moment of raw vulnerability is caught mid-thought, where the weight of emotion sits just behind the eyes. The subject’s gaze doesn’t ask for pity, only presence. With her hand pressed to her temple and hair falling loosely around her, the image speaks to the invisible labour of holding oneself together through exhaustion, grief, or simply the relentlessness of life. Surrounding fragments, tissues, a phone, paperwork, hint at a life paused, mid-chaos. This portrait invites viewers into the unspoken space between breaking down and carrying on.

Images have been resized for web display, which may cause some loss of image quality. Note: Original high-resolution images are used for judging.