The Big Meringue ... Scala dei Turchi (The Turkish Steps) is a white cliff in Realmonte (Sicily), made of a soft limestone and a blinding white marl. Natural erosion has created steps on the cliff face, making it look soft and sinuous, like a big meringue covered with sprinkles (the people sitting and walking on it). Scala dei Turchi is a wonderful spot for viewing the sunset, as the bright white marl turns into a strong orange. Only after shooting this image, while watching it on a bigger screen, I noticed a newlywed couple in the frame kissing for their wedding photoshoot. Exactly at the edge of the cliff. Picture: Placido Faranda, Italy, Entry, Open, Landscape & Nature (2018 Open competition), 2018 Sony World Photography Awards

‘Tajma-Ha’ ... This photograph was taken while I was scuba diving in Cenote Tajma-Ha, Yucatan, Mexico. The yellowish colour of the water is obtained from the high levels of tannic acid there. I’m a PADI instructor and a certified full cave diver. Picture: Joana Villar, Portugal, Entry, Open, Landscape and Nature, 2018 Sony World Photography Awards

‘The child and the reindeers’ ... Every morning, all the reindeer are released so they can graze the all day and at night they all come back themselves. Here we can see one of the Tsataan children taking care of his reindeer before the cold night comes. Picture: Pehuen Grotti, France, Entry, Open, Travel (Open competition), 2018 Sony World Photography Awards

‘Buildings Forest’ ... I wanted to take some different photographs and Hong Kong is full of high buildings. It is difficult to express it on the ground and I thought it would be funny to change the angle of the view. So I used my drone, launching it from the mountain and took this picture. From this angle, we can see that the buildings in Hong Kong are very high and serried. Picture: Songshen Jiang, China, Open, Architecture (Open), 2018 Sony World Photography Awards

‘On White’ ,,, A red fox stands in the snow. I was out for a hike in the early January snow when I cam across a set of fox tracks. I followed them around a curve and found this fox standing in a clearing. I got down to my knees quickly to try not to scare him off and started taking pictures. As some of the heavy snow fell of the trees he paused and turn to see what was making the noise. I have photographed this fox over many years. His nose is so distinctive it helps to identify him. Picture: Chris MacDonald , Canada, Entry, Open, Wildlife (Open competition), 2018 Sony World Photography Awards

‘Galaxies above the winter forest’ ... Galaxies above the forests of Pokljuka. Trees are illuminated by the nearby car on the road. For this image, I simply put the camera directly in the middle of the road at Pokljuka Plateau in Slovenia. Picture: Ales Krivec, Slovakia, Entry, Open, Landscape and Nature (2018 Open competition), 2018 Sony World Photography Awards

‘Touched by the Sun’ ... I took this photo in Lofoten, Norway. I was there for a week in March 2017. The night before, we were chasing aurora for a couple of hours, so when the alarm clock went off very early that morning I was fighting with myself to get up or not to get up. After 4 hours of sleep it was a tough decision. It was the most beautiful sunrise I’ve ever seen. I took many pictures that morning and this is one of them. Picture: Irena Walania, Poland, Entry, Open, Landscape and Nature, 2018 Sony World Photography Awards

‘Back to the future’ ... The photo was taken at TeamLab, Dance! Art Exibition, Shenzhen, China, in a venue called the Crystal Universe. The light illusion is an artwork that uses an accumulation of light points to create a sculptural body. By this time, I had been waiting with my friend for the right composition to happen. I saw a little girl in a red dress running around. I kept on waiting and waiting expecting that she would come to the perfect spot. Luckily she ran out again by the channel. Picture: Sung Lok Cheung, Hong Kong (China), Entry, Open, Portraiture (Open competition), 2018 Sony World Photography Awards

‘African Mystery’ ... The photo was taken during my last trip in Kalahari (Kgalagadi Park, South Africa), last September. The Kalahari lions are famous for their black mane. After a long drive through the park, I came across two of them, sharing a springbok kill. A violent fight took place between the two to get the best pieces. They ultimately headed towards the nearby waterhole, where they got a rest during the sunset, which gave me the perfect opportunity to capture their legendary beauty. Picture: Matthieu Rivart, France, Entry, Open, Wildlife (Open competition), 2018 Sony World Photography Awards

‘Sacred Monk’ ... I was visiting Mahagandayon Monastery at Amarapura (Myanmar) to observe the monastic life. At noon, monks, nuns and novices lined up outside for their main and last meal of the day. Then, they went together to sit in the dining hall and eat. That’s when I stood in front of the side window and took this photo. Picture: Matheus Hobold Sovernigo, Brazil, Entry, Open, Culture, 2018 Sony World Photography Awards

‘Colorful Umbrellas’ ... My idea was good contrast of colorful umbrellas and black-and-white stripe image. I took this photo in rainy day of June 13th, 2017 from the top of a building in Ginza Tokyo looking down the crossing. Picture: Makoto Nishikura, Japan, Entry, Open, Street Photography (Open competition), 2018 Sony World Photography Awards

‘Amazing Flyboard’ .... I captured this photo during the flyboard performance show at Dubai Marina, UAE. Picture: Riyas Muhammed, India, Entry, Open, Motion, 2018 Sony World Photography Awards

‘Fireflies Flying’ ... This photo was taken in Jiangsu, a city in Nanjing province, shooting the Linggu Temple scenic area in June 2017. Due to environmental destruction, I have rarely seen fireflies near my life, not to mention large tracts. My friend told me that at Nanjing’s Linggu Temple there are many fireflies, so we went to photograph them. I hope this wonderful scene will last longer. Picture: Jiamin Lu, China, Entry, Open, Wildlife, 2018 Sony World Photography Awards

‘The Leader’ ... The leader of a group of mandrill monkeys. Mandrills are the world’s biggest monkey species. This photo is taken at a zoo located at West Java, Indonesia. Picture: Shirly Pricillia, Indonesia, Open, Wildlife, 2018 Sony World Photography Awards

‘Nattfari, Husavik’ ... Whale watching is a wonderful experience to enjoy if you travel across Iceland. This boat, Náttfari, is a traditional Icelandic wooden boat sailing the most of the year around Skjalfandi Bay, where you can enjoy this majestic and unique experience of whale watching. The afternoon I took this picture was really unexpected because the morning the weather was truly better. That is the fun part of Iceland. I feel joyful when a normal morning suddenly transforms into an unusual afternoon. Picture: Matteo Redaelli, Italy, Entry, Open, Travel (Open competition), 2018 Sony World Photography Awards

‘Wild Horses’ ... This photo was taken in a village called Hormetci in Kayseri, Turkey. In the village, there are people who take care of the horses and their needs. These horses are often used for riding purposes by men of the village. They sometimes catch “Yılki horses” (a kind of wild horse) to domesticate. Picture: Dilek Uyar, Turkey, Entry, Open, Motion, 2018 Sony World Photography Awards

‘Lighthouse’ ... The photograph was taken in Mallorca, Cap de Formentor. The photograph was taken with a long exposure, waiting for the sunset. Picture: Diego Faus Momparler, Spain, Entry, Open, Motion, 2018 Sony World Photography Awards

‘The Horns at sunrise’ ... I took this photo in Torres del Paine National Park in Chile’s Patagonia region in Feb 2017, I came to this secluded viewpoint in early morning, I was fortunate to get pretty amazing weather.The sunshine shined the famous Cuernos del Paine peaks, they looked magnificent and incredible. Picture: Vincent Chen, China, Entry, Open, Landscape and Nature (2018 Open competition), 2018 Sony World Photography Awards

‘Natural Identity in Fjord’ ... I took this photo on August 2017 in the north of Iceland. This beautiful whale gave me a majestic and smooth presence showing me her natural tatoo-like symbols in her tail, while swimming in a Fjord. It was a really touching experience with such a charming and elegant animal. Picture: Carlos Alejo, Spain, Entry, Open, Wildlife (Open competition), 2018 Sony World Photography Awards

‘Morning Glory’ ... Morning glory hot spring in Winter, Yellowstone National Park, USA. Picture: Huibo Hou, United States of America, Entry, Open, Landscape & Nature (2018 Open competition), 2018 Sony World Photography Awards