A model displays a creation by designers members of the Carabobo Sostenible program who present a collection made of corn cob husks, plastic, and paper in front of the facade of the Virgen del Carmen church in the town of Mariara, Carabobo state, Venezuela, on August 3, 2023. (Photo by Juan Carlos Hernandez/AFP Photo)

A motorcyclist, Helton Garcia dressed as Santa Claus, rides his motorcycle before handing out gifts to children in a rural school in Santo Antonio do Descoberto, state of Goias, Brazil on December 10, 2023. (Photo by Adriano Machado/Reuters)

People celebrate the traditional Fiesta de las Aguedas on February 6, 2022 in Andavias, Zamora, Castilla y Leon, Spain. This celebration, also known as “El dia de las mujeres”, is a deep-rooted tradition in Castilla y Leon, especially in rural areas. The day of the Aguedas has its origin in the cult of Santa Agueda, and is celebrated every February 5. (Photo By Emilio Fraile/Europa Press via Getty Images)

Festival-goers take photo inside of Spectra, a seven-story spiral walkway up to a viewing deck, at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio, California, on April 17, 2022. (Photo by Valerie Macon/AFP Photo)

A farmer waits for customers at a wholesale vegetable market in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh state, India, Sunday, July 25, 2021. (Photo by Rajesh Kumar Singh/AP Photo)

Photographer Howard Schatz had an idea: place actors in a series of roles and dramatic situations to reveal the essence of their characters. Such was the premise behind his book, In Character: Actors Acting, which captures some of Hollywood’s most emotive stars in the act of, well, making faces. Luckily for us, he continued the tradition for Vanity Fair. Here are some of the best.

Overall winner: The Art of Flight by Alwin Hardenbol (University of Eastern Finland). A panning shot of a Dalmatian pelican in flight. The picture was taken on Lake Kerkini in Greece. (Photo by Alwin Hardenbol/2020 British Ecological Society Photography Competition)

Revellers take part in New Year's Eve celebrations in Kyiv, Ukraine on December 31, 2020. (Photo by Valentyn Ogirenko/Reuters)