Is the man lying down or doing a headstand? Which way are the stairs going? This photo brings out more questions and intrigue the more you look at it. The unexpected colors and unlikely composition certainly challenged our perception.

Compositionally this photo is incredible. There are layers story and history in every element. The casual nature of the subject suggests that she is completely comfortable in a place where she and her gender have never been welcome in history. Her injury and therefore struggle to attend that day, adds to the relaxed nature of her patriotic celebration alluding to a much more involved story. The numbers on the seats help to suggest the history, leaving me to wonder how many men sat where she is sitting before one (the first) woman was allowed.

The author captures a powerful portrait of an endangered animal that, quite fittingly, uses the chiaroscuro effect to create a mysterious, dark and emotional tone.

Your eyes are instantly drawn to the beautiful cake in the image because of the contrast in colour within the photograph. The food styling around the dessert is soft and simple so it enhances the boldness of the cake without taking any of the focus away. Really enjoy how this was framed and styled. It all works together.

I had a hard time choosing — there were a few that really stood out for me. Ultimately I went with the one that looked the least manipulated while also being a really strong composition. I love the use of negative space, the angles, the cropping, and I love the mixture of structure in light, in shadow, and the sky. Each window tells a small story of its own, and I feel like humanity is an important aspect for me and it is still here despite the composition being very stark and beautiful. I would be proud to have taken this photo.

Minimalism has become a catch-all term describing aesthetics that are often decidedly formal and deadpan in nature. Simone’s photo is by no measure the most minimalist image in framing or subject matter, but it stood out by avoiding the genre’s clichés. It doesn’t look like a desktop wallpaper, or WeWork conference room art. There is an artificial flat quality to it that feels very graphic and striking without trying too hard.

The play on proportions and color directs the viewer directly into eye contact with the subject. This image captures emotional hardness with the angles, structures, and block colors to match the body language and tone. This photo shows how close a mobile camera can bring us into the stories of others. Rich portrait, ready for an album cover.

I love the colors in the shot and the way they play off of each other. I love seeing the lines in her face and the pierce in her eyes. Those things together create a great portrait.

The photo has taken an editorial lens that is clean and concise. This image brings the products to life through elevating the products. I appreciate the combination of tone and shadow play. I can see this image used in a magazine editorial on a shop feature.

I love that there are many ways to interpret this image. I see two contrasting worlds; one very dark and flat, and the other is rich, luminous, textured and alive. I like to imagine that the latter world is slowly spreading and taking over the dark world. The climbing plant just transformed a black dress into a beautiful floral one.

We mean it when we say: our community has built Unsplash to what it is today. Which is why we’re so excited to celebrate a few key members for their outstanding contributions from this past year. From sharing their feedback over on slack, to cheering their fellow photographers on over on Twitter—here are a few people that Unsplash can’t live without.