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1 of 22Aung 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 -
2 of 22Tilda Swinton, actress. From "Great Performances," Feb. 21, 2011, issue.Peter Hapak for TIME -
3 of 22Annette Bening, actress. From "Great Performances," Feb. 21, 2011, issue.Peter Hapak for TIME -
4 of 22Geoffrey Rush and Colin Firth, actors. From "Great Performances," Feb. 21, 2011, issue.Peter Hapak for TIME -
5 of 22Hailee Steinfeld, actress. From "Great Performances," Feb. 21, 2011, issue.Peter Hapak for TIME -
6 of 22Patti Smith, musician and poet. From "The TIME 100," May 2, 2011, issue.Marco Grob for TIME -
7 of 22Jack White, musician. From "A Rock Star Changes His Stripes," May 9, 2011, issue.Grant Cornett for TIME -
8 of 22Kristen Wiig, actress and comic. From "The Anti-Comedian," May 16, 2011, issue.Peter Hapak for TIME -
9 of 22Henry Kissinger, former U.S. Secretary of State. From "10 Questions," June 6, 2011, issue.Marco Grob for TIME -
10 of 22Wallace Shawn, actor. From "Pack Your (Book) Bag," July 11, 2011 issue.Peter Hapak for TIME -
11 of 22Viola Davis, actress. From "Help Wanted," Aug. 15, 2011, issue.Robert Maxwell for TIME -
12 of 22Vera Farmiga, actress. From "That's the Spirit," Aug. 29, 2011, issue.Ryan Pfluger for TIME -
13 of 22Cindy 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 -
14 of 22Dick Cheney, former Vice President of the U.S. From "Beyond 9/11: Portraits of Resilience," Sept. 19, 2011, issue.Marco Grob for TIME -
15 of 22Jim Riches, retired deputy chief, New York City Fire Department. From "Beyond 9/11: Portraits of Resilience," Sept. 19, 2011, issue.Marco Grob for TIME -
16 of 22William 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 -
17 of 22Rick Perry, Texas governor and U.S. presidential candidate. From "Rick Perry's Mission," Sept. 26, 2011, issue (cover story).Platon for TIME -
18 of 22George Clooney, actor and director. From "10 Questions," Oct. 24, 2011, issue.Peter Hapak for TIME -
19 of 22Jayde, a transgender ninth-grader. From " A Separate Peace?," Oct. 24, 2011, issue.Ryan Pfluger for TIME -
20 of 22Steven Spielberg, director. From "Tintin in Hollywood," Nov. 28, 2011, issue.Peter Hapak for TIME -
21 of 22Bono, musician and activist. From "Q&A," Dec. 12, 2011, issue.Peter Hapak for TIME -
22 of 22Tilda Swinton, actress. From "Tilda," Dec. 19, 2011, issue.Peter Hapak for TIME
“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
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