We’re lucky to live in an age where we can find beautiful photos of anything we want online. Adorable puppies, stunning culinary creations, remote places in nature and even close-ups of tiny insects are at our fingertips. But we’re all capable of taking striking photos, because some of the most captivating subjects are human beings!

Below, you’ll find some of the most beautiful and eye-catching photos of people that have been shared in this subreddit that’s dedicated to capturing the human experience. So enjoy scrolling through these pictures, and keep reading to find a conversation with professional photographer Sergio Garcia!

#1 Two Girls Kissing In Front Of An Anti-Gay Protest

Image credits: DENllZ

#2 Woman In Blue

Image credits: moab-girl

#3 This Is The Woman Whose Handwritten Calculations Were Responsible For Taking Us To The Moon, Katherine Johnson, Was An American Mathematician & Nasa Employee. Born: August 26, 1918, White Sulphur Springs, Wv Died: February 24, 2020, Newport News, Va. She Was 101

Image credits: stalwart_rabbit

There are infinite fascinating things on this planet, and one of those things just happens to be: us! There are over 8 billion people on Earth who speak thousands of different languages and have millions of unique habits, physical features and experiences. So as mundane as it may seem to capture people on film, it can actually teach us a lot about ourselves and others around us to take photos of one another.

That’s something that the subreddit we’re featuring on this list understands. Noting on their homepage that “beauty is in the eye of the beholder,” this group is dedicated to sharing “high quality images of humans.”

“We are focused on looking at what humans are, more than what they do,” the community’s about section states. “To show you how humans exist. How people show their emotions and inner self.”  

#4 An Aztec Dancer

Image credits: HighsenBurrg

#5 Iranian Chess Player Dorsa Derakhshani Plays For The Us Team After Being Banned From Playing Without Her Hijab In Her Own Team

Image credits: zeromig

#6 Four Tibetan Monks Came Into This Guy's Drag Show In Beijing Because They Were Drawn In By The Music And Laughter

Image credits: whats8

As far as the rules of this subreddit, there are only a few simple ones: share portraits only (faces must be visible), include as much context about the image as possible, and only submit static images. Aside from that, members are free to share as many stunning, fascinating and eye-catching photos of celebrities, their grandparents, their friends and people they meet while on vacation as they like.

While taking photos of people might seem simple, there’s no question that we love looking at one another (and ourselves), even on social media. According to a study from Georgia Tech University, photos with human faces are 38% more successful on Instagram than pictures without people. These photos are also one third more likely to attract comments.    

#7 Stanislav Petrov, The Man Who Made The Decision Not To Fire At The United States After A Faulty Report From The Russian Missile Detection That A Nuke Had Been Fired, What Probably Prevented WWIII

Image credits: hardypart

#8 A Bath With Clean Water In Mozambique

Image credits: dimitris_25

#9 Mother And Daughter In Traditional Attire From Chiapas, Mexico, By Evangeline C. Rodriguez

Image credits: MarsNirgal

As far as why we enjoy looking at photos of humans so much, Saeideh Bakhshi, the Georgia Tech College of Computing Ph.D. student who led the study, says that it’s something we start doing at birth. “Even as babies, people love to look at faces,” she explained. “Faces are powerful channels of non-verbal communication. We constantly monitor them for a variety of contexts, including attractiveness, emotions and identity.”

#10 Child Sleeping With Reindeer In Mongolia

Image credits: spicedpumpkins

#11 "The Beauty Of Ireland"

Image credits: RiceyHD

#12 Kate Menson From Ghana

Image credits: reddit.com

To learn more about what makes a portrait particularly captivating, we reached out to professional photographer Sergio Garcia, who was kind enough to share some of his thoughts with Bored Panda. "What makes a photo of a person really hit home for me is when it nails a raw moment that gets you to do two things: stop and think," the expert shared. "Lighting, environment, and action—or the lack of it—can make you stop. Then, the 'think' comes in. What's the story here? What happened 10 minutes after the shot? What was I up to when I captured it? The questions don't stop, and neither should they."

Sergio also pointed out that what makes a photo striking is subjective. "A grandma in the midwest snapping pics of her grandkids on her new iPhone would find them striking," he noted. "So, context is king. And no, you don't need fancy gear to capture something meaningful."

#13 My 86 Year Old Math Teacher. He’s Been Teaching For 6 Decades

Image credits: MichaelScott315

#14 Little Girl And Her Horned Lizard At The Venice Beach Pet Show, California, 1936

Image credits: notbob1959

#15 Ridiculously Photogenic German Police And Protester

Image credits: HighlyCharming

As for amateur photogs who want to take great pictures of their friends, Sergio suggests that they aim for "interesting" over "high quality."

"People remember photos that grip them, not necessarily those that are technically impeccable," he explained. "So, amateurs: craft a storyline around your portraits. Imagine taking a city dweller and photographing them as a farmer in times square. That'd turn heads. Or go subtle, shoot against a simple backdrop but direct your subject's expressions. Both are intriguing." 

"For the tech-savvy, yeah, basics like composition and lens choice matter," Sergio added. "I enjoy my 85mm for close-ups and my 35mm for broader frames."

#16 Amazonian Girl And Her Pet Sloth

Image credits: Paul-Belgium

#17 Little Girl Is Thrilled By Her Dad's Amazing Balancing Act In Melbourne, Australia - C.1940

Image credits: Reporter_at_large

#18 Construction Worker Jason Oglesbee Rescues A Woman From The Des Moines River

Image credits: HeStoleMyBalloons

We were also curious about some of Sergio's favorite photos that he's ever taken. "Early on, I shot a friend as if he'd just been in a fight—fake blood, white shirt, the works," the photographer shared. "One image still haunts me; it's how he threw his head back and how the 'blood' splattered on his teeth."

"Another gem was with an actor from Stranger Things. We riffed on different themes, and when he said he used to be in a band, it clicked," Sergio told Bored Panda. "I got shots of him miming guitar play and then evolving to this 'shocked-at-the-mirror' look. It's how he brought those emotions to life that still strikes a chord with me."

#19 A Nepali Girl During Holi, The Festival Of Colors. Photo By Mihaela Noroc In 'The Atlas Of Beauty'

Image credits: aakash54

#20 College Girl Being Catcalled During A Photoshoot. This Is The Exact Moment She Heard It

Image credits: bulabulabambam

#21 I Met A Woman With A Possum And A Beautifully Sincere Smile

Image credits: ladypugsworth

Sergio also left us with some wise words about taking photos of people: "Portrait photography isn’t just about nailing the technique. It's empathy, intuition, and finding gems in everyday life. So keep pushing those boundaries, keep shooting, and, most of all, keep connecting."

If you're in need of a great photographer, be sure to visit Sergio's website!

#22 An Old Man With His Cat

Image credits: abruski

#23 Maldivian Model Raudha Athif

Image credits: RyanSmith

#24 A Little Girl In Northern Iraq Helping To Block A Flare From Hitting My Lens

Image credits: paperisdelicious

We don't all have professional photogs at our fingertips, though, so we enjoy taking photos of our own faces as well (as anyone with an Instagram can attest to). There are over 300 million pictures on the app that have been hashtagged “selfie,” and countless more being shared every single day. Faces are incredibly important to us, as we’re likely to notice them first and pay closer attention to them than any other part of the body.   

#25 Dancer In Dublin

Image credits: sussoutthemoon

#26 Usually, I Don't Smile In Pics So This Is Very Rare. My Friend Took This While I Wasn't Paying Attention At A BBQ Recently

Image credits: Dupreechristoph

#27 This Is Sandra. She's 25 And Just Started Her Own Falconry

Image credits: hardypart

Some people even share selfies online because they can help them feel more confident and boost their self-esteem. 41% of adult women and 65% of teens report that posting selfies and other flattering pics of themselves has a positive impact on their self-confidence. 40% of teens even note that social media helps them “present their best face” to the world.    

#28 A Woman's Last Moments With Her Friend

Image credits: kylegetsspam

#29 A Couple In A Photo Booth, 1960s

Image credits: Paul-Belgium

We hope you’re enjoying looking at these photos that celebrate how beautiful humans are, pandas. Keep upvoting the ones that you find particularly captivating, and let us know in the comments what some of your favorite photos of people are. Then, if you’re interested in checking out another Bored Panda article featuring pictures of humans “doing human things,” we recommend reading this piece next! 

#30 Traditional Gowns And Braids Of The Pomak Village Of Startsevo, Bulgaria

Image credits: AxelAbraxas

#31 Culturally Different Brothers In Burma

Image credits: ThatEnglishKid

#32 Four Women At Chicken Bone Beach, A Segregated Beach In Atlantic City By John W. Mosley, 1960s

Image credits: notbob1959

#33 Ethiopian Beggar Boy With Blue Eyes On The Streets Of Jinka, By Mike Eloff

Image credits: Kresley

#34 A Woman From Luzon Photographed In 1875

Image credits: RyanSmith

#35 22 Year Old Penha Goes From Aldeia Yanomami, Amazonas - Brazil, 1997

Image credits: BricksHaveBeenShat

#36 Emotions Of A Woman After Giving Birth, By Kristen Lewis

Image credits: liveinsociety

#37 Mother And Child By François Pache, Omo Valley, Ethiopia

Image credits: notbob1959

#38 A Little Girl Holds A Flipper As She Walks With A Penguin Family Around The London Zoo In 1937

Image credits: Reporter_at_large

#39 Indian Dancer At The Spring Festival

Image credits: reddit.com

#40 Rabari Shepherd In Rajasthan, India, Photo By Steve Mccurry, 2009

Image credits: Slow-moving-sloth

#41 Lithuanian Woman In Traditional Garb

Image credits: Z3F

#42 A Tribesman From Rural Papua New Guinea With His Face Painted Like An Undead Spirit

Image credits: arijitdas

#43 Two Children On A Bank In Alabama, 1956

Image credits: snowsnothing

#44 Aboriginal Man, Tom Noytuna And His Son, Use A Newly Installed Telephone For Their First Time At A Remote Outstation At Korlobidahdah, Central Arnhem Land, Australia ... (C.1980)

Image credits: Reporter_at_large

#45 Nihang Sikh, Photo By Mark Hartman

Image credits: drednaught

#46 When A Vacation By The Sea Collides With The Arrival Of Refugees

Image credits: hardypart

#47 Himba Woman, Namibia

Image credits: depreseedinparis

#48 Mother Fixing Her Sons Hair On A Train

Image credits: Lilyan_Lilia

#49 Japanese Samurai During The Last Days Of The Tokugawa Shogunate, Circa 1865

Image credits: huaxiaman

#50 West African Exiled 'Desert Rock' Group Tinariwen. Shot By Thomas Dorn

Image credits: MightyGrey