In the world of photography we find many contests. One of the most striking due to the amount of the final prize and for the quality of the works presented is the Open of the Sony World Photography Awards. In this year’s edition they have sent more than 170,000 images and we already know the winners of each of the 10 categories. One of them may be the photographer of the year.
The dynamics of this contest is very curious. It consists of several phases until finding the best photographer of the year. First, national winners from the more than 60 participating countries or regions are awarded. Then they award the best individual photography, selecting 100 finalists and 10 winners per category. And it remains to choose the photographer of the year that will be announced on April 12 and that is among those that we are going to meet now.
we found photographers of various nationalities. We highlight the Spanish Vicente Ansola in the category Landscape and the Mexican Leonardo Reyes-González in the category Object… And among the 100 finalists we find other Spaniards (whom we congratulate) such as Luis Manuel Vilariño Lopez, Txema Lacunza Nasterra, Raquel Inés Correa Chiesa, Beatrice Collado Orive or Miguel Angel Mínguez Corella.
This contest, open to everyone, has a final prize of five thousand dollars. To the 10 winners that we are going to discover now give them a sony digital imaging equipment. So right now you have a whole year to prepare and encourage yourself to participate in the next call.
For now, to inspire us and see the world around us in a different way, we are going to discover the 10 winning photographs of this prestigious contest.
We recommend you to see the official page of the contest to discover many more photographs. Surely you will like some of them much more than the award-winning ones, but it is clear that they all deserve such recognition. We hope you enjoy them and read the jury’s opinion on each of them.
I have found it very striking the number of award-winning black and white images. And the proportion of most photographs. They seem to be designed more for Instagram than for a contest… Many are vertical, with a ratio of 4:5 or 4:3… I have rarely seen anything like it. And of course it gives a lot to think about.
Architecture: Anthony Chan (Hong Kong) for Old Meets New
A black and white photograph depicting the chaotic façade of an aging industrial complex, juxtaposed with the elegant front entrance of a skyscraper. The image highlights the clash between Hong Kong’s past and present, contrasting the coexistence of old and new.
Creative: Isabel Salmon (UK) for Untitled
The photographer captures her mother’s experience with vertigo and chronic dizziness. In this portrait, Salmon explores her senses, photographing her mother with her eyes closed under a bright red light, her head bowed as if she was trying to find her balance.
Landscape: Vicente Ansola (Spain) by Exodus
An evocative image of a field of withered and sun-dried sunflowers in Castilla y León. The photographer’s imagination was captured by the proud height of the flowers, reminding him of Spain’s rural past and of the women who worked the arid fields of Castile.
Lifestyle: Utsab Ahamed Akash (Bangladesh) by The Honey Collector
Shows a beekeeper from below as he inspects a tray of honeycombs. A typical countryside scene in Bangladesh, where beekeepers place bee nests near mustard fields and collect honey in winter.
Movement: Raido Nurk (Estonia) for Surfing festival
A shot of a stormy day of surfing in The Hague, The Netherlands. The stark silhouettes of the surfers stand out against the gray waves and pouring rain.
Countryside and Wildlife: Scott Wilson (UK) for Anger Management
A dramatic black and white photograph of a wild Mustang stallion, bowing his head as he kicks up a dust storm in northwestern Colorado, USA.
Object: Leonardo Reyes-González (Mexico) for Second Use II
A still life of discarded objects. Assembled against a blue wall, a broken and balanced hat stand and three-legged chair take on a new elegance.
Portrait: Simone Corallini (Italy) for The Endless Summer – Surf Trip
A black and white portrait of 16-year-old surfer Simone Gentile. Corallini captures Simone fresh from the sea, with drops of water running down her cheeks.
Street Photography: Etienne Souchon (France) for Havana Running Away
A photograph that shows a split second in which a child runs across a street in Havana (Cuba) and turns to look behind him at a car blocking the road. The black and white format, the dilapidated building facades and the vintage car give the image the look of a classic street scene.
Trip: Thanh Nguyen Phuc (Vietnam) by Bike with Flowers
An image depicting a traditional street flower vendor on a bicycle in Hanoi, Vietnam. The bicycle has been photographed just as it passes a wall full of floral decorations, giving the impression that they are spilling from the cyclist’s baskets.
More information| Sony World Photography Awards