Portraits aren’t all about those glamor shots and happy-go-lucky school photo shoots. Nope, sometimes photographers want to capture the seedier side of life, or at the very least moodier. These dark, gritty portraits are just that.
There are troubles in the world that shouldn’t be glazed over. That, and there are people who aren’t always cheerful. If one constantly neglects the darker side of life, I’m positive it will not go away but further fester and grow. Also, these dark, gritty portraits are outstanding.
49 Dark Gritty Portraits

49
Play Piercing Self-Portraits
Clare Foxcroft Williams' Pain Ritual Series is Intense

48
Portraits of Crack Addicts
USER by Tony Fouhse Finds Compassion for the Fallen

47
Gothic Promo Portraits
The Twilight Zone in Rome
46
Emotive & Aggressive Portraits
Tom Hoops Dares Us to Look, Then Dares Us to Look Away
45
Portraits of Phone Sex Workers
Coffee Table Book Exposes the Faces Behind the Voices
44
Human Oddity Paintings
The Sketchbook Of Travis Louie Showcases Peculiar Portraits
43
Charismatic Celeb Portraits
Patrick Hoelck Photography Lets the Celebs Do All the Work
42
Futuristic Surrealism
Otherworldly Portraits of Thirteen Queens by Alex & Felix
41
Tattoo Parlor Portraits
'Pinker Tattoo' by Bettina Marton Captures Ink & Piercings Informally
40
Macabre Photography
Rancinan's Blood-Inspired Portraits
39
Chalk Outline Portraits
Fernando Lessa Shoot Features Themes of Control & Domination
38
Gas Mask Portraits
Michel Valentino's Wasteland Children
37
Plant Portraits
Eco Artist Edina Tokodi Creates Living Wall in Brooklyn, NY
36
Retro Criminal Mugshots
Amazing Archive of Criminal Portraits by Least Wanted
35
Melting Makeup Portraits
'Myriam' by Saima Altunkaya is a Beautiful Wet Beauty Shoot
34
Hole in the Head Shots
Calvin Hollywood Amazes with 'Portfolio 2009'
33
Hardened Male Portraits
Jeroen Hofman Captures What it Means to Be a Fishermen and Coal Miner
32
Surreal Digitalized Portraits
DOU by Oleg Duryagin
31
Darkly Sculptured Headdresses
These Platonov Pavel Portraits are Phenomenal
30
Emotion Emanating Portraits
Olaf Wipperfurth Photography
29
Zombified Portraits
Andy Prior's Paintings Have a Disfigured Sense of Humour
28
Surrealistic Cyberpunk Portraits
Almacan's Mechanical Mirage Art
27
Obsidian Portraits
Davide Faggiano Covers Up Subjects to Capture Vulnerability
26
Self-Photoshopping
Pierre Beteille Digitally Modifies His Own Portraits
25
Black & White Stencil Portraits
Street Art By Sten & Lex
24
3D People Panoramas
'Expanded Portraits' by Justin Ponmany
23
Restrained Portraits
Benedikt Renc's ‘Hard Love' Exposes the Seduction in Suppre
22
Glass-Walled Self-Portraits
Shawna X's 'Phases' is a Study in Smeared Seduction
21
Gritty Graffiti Portraits
The Fauxreel 'Face of the City' Series Symbolizes Human Frailty
20
Sinister Projection Portraits
Andrea Pantleo's 'Naturally Implied' is a Shocking Photo Shoot
19
Warped Emo Kids
'Canvas' by Stamatis Laskos Features Disproportionate Portraits
18
Portraits of Controversial Roles
Daniel Radcliffe's Troubled Broadway Character Gets Immortalized
17
Twine Halos
Zlati Zareva's Portraits Show Her Subjects' Dark Side
16
Eerie Outdoor Portraits
'The Gloaming' by Mara Graur Explores the Time Between Sunset & Twilight
15
Aura Color Portraits
Khaled Haider's 'Colors Within' Exposes Our True Selves
14
Dramatic Architect Portraits
Zaha Hadid Poses For Bruce Weber in L'Uomo Vogue
13
Medicating Models
Controversial Pill-Popping Portraits for Vice Magazine
12
Skeletal Portraits
Gianluca Hits the Pop Culture Scene Hard With Anime-Inspired Art
11
Interactive Paper Portraits
Cesar Del Valle Bends Paper to Evoke Emotionality
10
Alien Portraits
Cogliantry's 'Roswell' Series is Fine Art with a Touch of 'X-Files'
9
High Contrastography
Kimiko Yoshida Paints Herself Black for Eerie Self Portraits
8
Fashion Icon Portraits
Timberlake, Jacobs & Moss in Vogue's 'Inspiring Beauty'
7
Cyberspace Portraits
Kristi Ropelski Paints the Human Side of the Internet
6
Portraits of Domestic Workers
‘Domesticas' Explores Relationship Between Servants and
5
Psychedelic Portraits
Gonzalo Bernard Makes Eerie Black & White Self Images
4
Twisted Celebtography
Extreme Beth Ditto Portraits in Dazed & Confused
3
Twisted Portraiture
Kozyndan's Twist On the Classic Art Genre of Portraits
2
Buttoned Mouths and Eye Zippers
Disturbing, Yet Incredible, Portraits
1
Clay-Covered Portraits
Oleksiy Guz's 'LoaMan' Photo Set is a Messy Masterpiece
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