TIME's Best Portraits of 2011

Aung San Suu Kyi, the General Secretary of Burma's National League for Democracy. From "The First Lady of Freedom," Jan. 10, 2011, issue (cover story).

Platon for TIME

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Tilda Swinton, actress. From "Great Performances," Feb. 21, 2011, issue.

Peter Hapak for TIME

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Annette Bening, actress. From "Great Performances," Feb. 21, 2011, issue.

Peter Hapak for TIME

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Geoffrey Rush and Colin Firth, actors. From "Great Performances," Feb. 21, 2011, issue.

Peter Hapak for TIME

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Hailee Steinfeld, actress. From "Great Performances," Feb. 21, 2011, issue.

Peter Hapak for TIME

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Patti Smith, musician and poet. From "The TIME 100," May 2, 2011, issue.

Marco Grob for TIME

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Jack White, musician. From "A Rock Star Changes His Stripes," May 9, 2011, issue.

Grant Cornett for TIME

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Kristen Wiig, actress and comic. From "The Anti-Comedian," May 16, 2011, issue.

Peter Hapak for TIME

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Henry Kissinger, former U.S. Secretary of State. From "10 Questions," June 6, 2011, issue.

Marco Grob for TIME

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Wallace Shawn, actor. From "Pack Your (Book) Bag," July 11, 2011 issue.

Peter Hapak for TIME

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Viola Davis, actress. From "Help Wanted," Aug. 15, 2011, issue.

Robert Maxwell for TIME

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Vera Farmiga, actress. From "That's the Spirit," Aug. 29, 2011, issue.

Ryan Pfluger for TIME

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Cindy Sheehan, antiwar activist and mother of Casey Sheehan, a soldier who was killed in Iraq in 2004. From "Beyond 9/11: Portraits of Resilience," Sept. 19, 2011, issue.

Marco Grob for TIME

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Dick Cheney, former Vice President of the U.S. From "Beyond 9/11: Portraits of Resilience," Sept. 19, 2011, issue.

Marco Grob for TIME

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Jim Riches, retired deputy chief, New York City Fire Department. From "Beyond 9/11: Portraits of Resilience," Sept. 19, 2011, issue.

Marco Grob for TIME

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William McRaven, four-star Admiral; Commander, U.S. Special Operations Command. From "Beyond 9/11: Portraits of Resilience," Sept. 19, 2011, issue.

Marco Grob for TIME

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Rick Perry, Texas governor and U.S. presidential candidate. From "Rick Perry's Mission," Sept. 26, 2011, issue (cover story).

Platon for TIME

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George Clooney, actor and director. From "10 Questions," Oct. 24, 2011, issue.

Peter Hapak for TIME

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Jayde, a transgender ninth-grader. From " A Separate Peace?," Oct. 24, 2011, issue.

Ryan Pfluger for TIME

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Steven Spielberg, director. From "Tintin in Hollywood," Nov. 28, 2011, issue.

Peter Hapak for TIME

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Bono, musician and activist. From "Q&A," Dec. 12, 2011, issue.

Peter Hapak for TIME

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Tilda Swinton, actress. From "Tilda," Dec. 19, 2011, issue.

Peter Hapak for TIME

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December 21, 2011 4:00 AM EST

“I sometimes think that being photographed by a clicking still camera is infinitely more satisfying to me than shifting about for a whirring moving one,” wrote Tilda Swinton for LightBox in early December. The Academy Award winner was describing her experience being photographed by Peter Hapak in September for TIME, a shoot that yielded images both delicate and intense — not unlike the actor herself.

Finding essence in a single image is a challenge, yet somehow our photographers manage to do it again and again. This year was no exception, as portraits of celebrities, political powerhouses and survivors filled our pages. While each shot displayed the talent of our skilled photographers, TIME’s photo department narrowed the field to select our favorite portraits of the year. From the poised conviction of Aung San Suu Kyi (captured by Platon) to the grief and defiance of Cindy Sheehan, an antiwar activist and the mother of deceased Iraq soldier Casey Sheehan (captured by Marco Grob), to the delighted exuberance of 15-year-old Oscar nominee Hailee Steinfeld (captured by Hapak), 2011’s best shots spoke volumes about their subjects in the way only portraits can.

After all, as Tilda noted when recounting her luminous shoot, “Still portraits operate their own code.”
—Megan Gibson