Action/Sports Winner: Tri Nguyen, 39, technology consultant and photographer, Alexandria, VA

Tri Nguyen’s visceral perspective on the world of professional boxing has caught our attention more than once; in fact, he won First Prize in our November 2012 Your Best Shot competition. This plaintive photograph of Todd “White Lightning” Wilson, bleeding from the head in the ring after absorbing an accidental head-butt early in a fight, shows why. Shooting ringside, Nguyen (www.georgetownproductions.com) found this solitary moment during a fight so rough that Nguyen had to wipe blood off his camera lens between rounds. Isolating his subject from spectators, coaches, and his opponent, Nguyen expertly captures the fighter’s dogged determination and focus that led him to victory.

Tech specs: Canon EOS 7D with 50mm f/1.2L Canon EF lens; 1/500 sec at f/1.8, ISO 1600. Crop and exposure adjusted in Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 4.