Sony Photography Awards: Are these the best photos in the world?
FROM a dog caught mid-bath to lions stretched out on the Serengetti, these pics were selected from nearly 140,000 entries from 166 countries.
FROM a dog caught mid-bath to lions stretched out on the Serengetti these images were selected from nearly 140,000 entries from 166 countries across the world.
Renowned for its stunning images that capture extraordinary moments in the everyday, this year the 2014 Sony World Photography Awards received a record number of images.
Photographers from across the world submitted nearly 140,000 images - the highest number in the awards'seven year history.
Astrid Merget, Creative Director of the World Photography Organisation, said the images were inspiring to other photographers.
"I have had the pleasure of witnessing the careful selection and ultimate revelation of the shortlist for seven years now and the results are never less than utterly gratifying," she said.
"Year upon year, we are fortunate enough to receive thousands of entries across each category of our awards, making the process of discovery an invigorating experience. This year is no exception and the awards have once again provided us with an impressive collection of photographs, spanning dozens of genres, styles, locations and subject matters."
Here are a selection for your viewing pleasure:
Disaster Zone P
Set up images to capture a moment that is often missed by the eyes.
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Family Violence in Papua New Guinea
In 2013 Papua New Guinea endorsed the Family Protection Bill which makes domestic or family violence a criminal offence. There are no statistics on family violence in PNG, however the PNG health minister states that an average of 68% of women have experienced some form of violence and as many as one third subjected to rape. Marlin Mark 22, returns to the Medecins Sans Frontieres Family Support Centre, Tari hospital, where she is being treated in Tari the provincial capital of Hela Province in Papua New Guinea. Marlin was attacked by her husband who caused severe injuries by punching her and cutting her with a bush knife.
Red Kushti: an old fight
Kushti, traditional wrestling on red clay, is an ancient art of fighting that goes back to the 5th century BC and practised in India, Pakistan and Iran. Kushti imposes a harsh practice and strict rules on the wrestlers, some of whom start training as young as 5 years old. The practitioners often come from poor backgrounds, to them fighting in the arena means the chance to win a better life and money to support their families.
Bears and Birds ...
This is a series of images in black & white taken at Svalbard.
Vegetables with an Appetite - Carnivorous Plants of Borneo
A photo essay about carnivorous plants from Borneo, and their ways to feed, and otherwise interact with animals, some of which have been recently discovered and only start to get explored by science. Carnivorous plants have evolved independently in several parts of the world, always as a response to nutritionally poor environments, usually swamps and wetlands.
Roads of Grains
Food production is a global challenge. Grain production in Brazil has been growing rapidly, setting records year after year due to expansion of plantation areas and better farming techniques. However, investments in infrastructure mainly related to transportation did not follow the rhythm of the increased production growth.
Indonesia Padang City Tour cattle activity
This group race cow taken in the city of Padang, Sumatra, Indonesia, which has 400 years of history, is the traditional cattle race events, the locals call PacuJawi, usually after rice harvest, choose an open flat paddy fields held two cattle as a group, the rider standing on a wooden shelf control, competitive and exciting game.
Vegetarian Carnivorous Plant
The Flask-shaped pitcher-plant (Nepenthes ampullaria) has pitchers which are not covered by a lid, like most others. The enzymatic setup of its digestive fluid shows that it digests plant matter best, mostly fallen leaf litter, so that one could call this pitcher plant a vegetarian. Series Name: Vegetables with an Appetite - Carnivorous Plants of Borneo Series Description: A photo essay about carnivorous plants from Borneo, and their ways to feed, and otherwise interact with animals, some of which have been recently discovered and only start to get explored by science. Carnivorous plants have evolved independently in several parts of the world, always as a response to nutritionally poor environments, usually swamps and wetlands.
Cenote Dos Ojos II
Cenotes from the Maya word dzonot "well" refers to any locations with accessible groundwater in a deep natural pit or sinkhole. In MA~©xico they exist in the Yucatán Peninsula, and where considered sacred places for the ancient Maya civilisation. Millions of tourists from all over the world visit them every year because of their intrinsic naturalistic beauty and value.
Roads of Grains
Food production is a global challenge. Grain production in Brazil has been growing rapidly, setting records year after year due to expansion of plantation areas and better farming techniques. However, investments in infrastructure mainly related to transportation did not follow the rhythm of the increased production growth..
Kusti Wrestling
Kusti or Pehlwani is a traditional form of wrestling from South Asia practised from ancient times. With the appearance of modern gyms and a lack of support from the government for the sport, the discipline is disappearing
Cenote Car Wash
Cenotes from the Maya word dzonot "well" refers to any locations with accessible groundwater in a deep natural pit or sinkhole. In MA~©xico they exist in the Yucatán Peninsula, and where considered sacred places for the ancient Maya civilisation. Millions of tourists from all over the world visit them every year because of their intrinsic naturalistic beauty and value. This series is an effort to document the unique Copyright: © Christian Vilz_Mexico_Finalist_Travel_Professional, 2014 Sony World Photography Awards This is a very special cenote, that during certain parts of the year, develops a layer in the surface that enhances it´s misterios aura. Also very peculiar are the tiny fishes found hidden in the water plants. Since the plants and fishes are at the bottom, and the layer at the surface, I thought that an upward angle would work best for this image.
Wet Dog 2
Caught mid-bath, a Wet Dog tries to save the last bit of dignity he has. Series Name: Wet Dog Series Description: Wet Dog is a series of portraits of dogs caught mid-bath. The dogs are photographed at a vulnerable moment, half a second before they shake the water off their fur. Sophie's pictures capture their character and, in some cases, recognisable emotions (like annoyance, misery or vengefulness).
The Short Happy Life of a Serengeti Lion
The lion (Panthera leo) is synonymous with wild Africa. Few people realise that illegal killing, relentless habitat loss, and habitat fragmentation has this species in a crisis that must be addressed by the world, not just Africa. Nearly a century ago, there were as many as two hundred thousand lions in Africa. Today, the most recent surveys estimate that there are fewer than thirty thousand wild lions. During the rains this unnamed kopje (rock outcropping) has a waterhole that brings prey for the Vumbi pride. On this afternoon they rested closely together after all five females attacked Hildur, the second male in the resident coalition. Why? Maybe simply because there was not enough food to share.
One in eight hundred
Emmy is five years old. With her parents Martin and Karina and her younger brother Kristian, she lives in the countryside close to Aarhus, in the middle of Denmark. For half a year she has been attending the local kindergarten now. Her parents had to fight with the municipality to find the right spot for Emmy. They realised that inclusion seems not to be the most normal thing in Denmark.
Survivors
The true face of a victim. Every year people in Bangladesh are disfigured beyond recognition by acid attacks. The victims are literally scarred for life. Award-winning photographer Ken Hermann and video journalist Tai Klan visited Bangladesh and returned with a striking series of photos and a documentary that emphasises the resilience of the mutilated victims.
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