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The best photos rejected from the National Portrait Gallery's Taylor Wessing Prize

The Portrait Salon Awards 2017 celebrate images submitted to, and rejected by, the Taylor Wessing National Portrait Gallery Photographic Portrait Prize.

Andy Lo Po Disabled and non-disabled dancers standing in a lineAndy Lo Po
Andy Lo Po's picture captures the current line-up at contemporary dance company Candoco

The awards were founded by Carole Evans and James O Jenkins in 2011.

Artist Julie Cockburn selected 46 images for this year's exhibition, on 16 November 2017 in London Fields.

She says: "As an artist who looks at and works with portraits every day, I thought that selecting from the submissions to Portrait Salon would be a straightforward process - but it was one of the hardest things I have done, testing me, educating me and touching me in ways I had not expected."

James Perolls A person wearing a dress standing on a grassy hillJames Perolls
"Alexander hid his passion to cross-dress until July 2016. This photograph documents the first time he wore women's clothing outdoors," says photographer James Perolls
Dave Imms Daniel Karl Thrastarson, Reykjavik, 2016Dave Imms
Dave Imms's picture was taken during an initiative in Iceland to encourage young people to reject substance abuse and to promote health and family bonding
David Eaton Two girls standing on a beach holding camerasDavid Eaton
Rhiannon & Rhiannon was taken by David Eaton
Harry Borden A school boy sitting on a chairHarry Borden
"My portrait is of my son Oscar. I was inspired to make this image when I noticed the proliferation of enamel badges on his lapel. I guess they confer status within the hierarchy of the school," says Harry Borden
Will Hartley A young woman next to a swimming pool smoking a cigaretteWill Hartley
Maria, Spring Break, Cancun, Mexico, 2017 was taken by Will Hartley
Dean Belcher An elderly lady wearing a woolly hat and coatDean Belcher
Dean Belcher photographed Mary, who lives in a home for people with long-term mental illness, in Dulwich, south London
Jasper Fry A boy wearing a tracksuit in a stadiumJasper Fry
Jasper Fry photographed Abdoulie, who plays for Afro Napoli United, which focuses on anti-racism and integrates refugee footballers with Neapolitans
Leon Foggitt An elderly man sitting on a chairLeon Foggitt
Chris was photographed by Leon Foggitt, at Submit to Love Studios, home to a collective of self-taught artists who have had brain injuries
Lewis Khan A lady with her hair in a hair netLewis Khan
Gina and is one of a series of images produced by Lewis Khan during an artist residency at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, London
Mark Aitken A lady lying on a sofa looking at the cameraMark Aitken
Mark Aitken photographed Phylis in Cressingham Gardens estate, Tulse Hill, south London
Nicola Muirhead An elderly lady lying in bed looking at a wall clockNicola Muirhead
As part of her series on Trellick Tower, in west London, Nicola Muirhead photographed Edith
Sarah Lee Two school children lying on a sofa looking at a televisionSarah Lee
Sarah Lee photographed twins Joe and Duke Brooks, 15
Matt MacPake A caterer sitting in a canteenMatt MacPake
Matt MacPake photographed Carol, a cracker packer at Carr's of Carlisle
Tom Barnes Jeremy CorbynTom Barnes
Tom Barnes photographed Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn for Shortlist Magazine

The exhibition of 46 portraits can be seen at The Atrium at Ravensbourne, London, from 23 November to 7 December 2017.