Our pick of the best from this year’s Sony World Photography Awards Open Competition showcasing outstanding single images from across the globe.
Attracting over 200,000 entries, the Sony World Photography Awards Open Competition is one of the planet’s most prestigious photo contests, offering a platform to photographers of all ages, backgrounds and experience levels.
This year’s category winners and shortlisted entries have just been announced, in the run up to the naming of the grand overall winner in both the Open and Professional competitions on 13 April.
Check out our favourites from this year’s Open entries here. Interested in seeing more? Selected winning and shortlisted images will be shown as part of the Sony World Photography Awards exhibition at Somerset House from 14 April-1 May 2023. And the full gallery of shortlisted shots can be seen here.
A barn owl (Tyto alba) selects and captures its prey.
Vince Burton, United Kingdom, Shortlist, Open Competition, Travel, 2023 Sony World Photography Awards
A woman milking a cow near Alay Valley, Kyrgyzstan. Located in Central Asia, Kyrgyzstan is one of the few places on Earth where people lead a truly nomadic lifestyle. Fermented mare’s milk is a popular drink and a major source of income for nomads. Most dairy products are made by women, including kumis, kaymak, yoghurt and butter.
Callie Eh, Malaysia, Shortlist, Open Competition, Travel, 2023 Sony World Photography Awards
Pretty in Pink
This very shy subject – a Bargibanti Pygmy Seahorse – was photographed in the Indo-Pacific in Tulamben, Bali.
Charly Clérisse, France, Shortlist, Open Competition, Natural World & Wildlife, 2023 Sony World Photography Awards
The photograph was taken in the Gumai Bill area of Rangunia, Chittagong. The crops produced here can provide three days of food for the people of Bangladesh. When the paddy is ripe, thousands of parrots come down from the hills. Parrots usually prefer undisturbed areas, which is why this area could be called a ‘parrot sanctuary’.
Subrata Dey, Bangladesh, Shortlist, Open Competition, Natural World & Wildlife, 2023 Sony World Photography Awards
Taken in Percha, Italy. These earth pyramids were formed millions of years ago in the Dolomite mountains. On this particular morning they were in low clouds, which adds to the atmosphere.
Robert Bilos, Croatia, Shortlist, Open Competition, Landscape, 2023 Sony World Photography Awards
The young nomad looks after his pet camel. The camel is to the Rajasthani nomad what the yak is to a Tibetan – it is a support system, a source of sustenance and a principal mode of transport.
Donell Gumiran, Philippines, Shortlist, Open Competition, Portraiture, 2023 Sony World Photography Awards
A goat stands proud, enjoying the last rays of light in front of the majestic Aiguille du Grépon peak in France.
Patrick Ems, Switzerland, Shortlist, Open Competition, Natural World & Wildlife, 2023 Sony World Photography Awards
This Mantis shrimp embraces and protects its treasure: thousands of eggs. It takes a few minutes to obtain this visual contact with both eyes, considering they can be moved independently in all directions. Spot lighting was achieved using a snoot, a device that narrows the beam of the flash down to a small point. Harlequin mantis shrimp (Odontodactylus scyllarus) with eggs, photographed underwater in the Lembeh Strait, North Sulawesi, Indonesia.
Andrea Michelutti, Italy, Shortlist, Open Competition, Natural World & Wildlife, 2023 Sony World Photography Awards
Photograph taken on 22 September 2022 in Cangnan, Zhejiang province.
Zuojian Wang, China Mainland, Shortlist, Open Competition, Lifestyle, 2023 Sony World Photography Awards
The famous hot springs at Güroymak, Bitlis, Turkey. The hot springs maintain a temperature of about 40℃, even when the outside temperature is as low as -14℃.
Erhan Coral, Turkey, Shortlist, Open Competition, Travel, Sony World Photography Awards 2023
Part of the photographer’s Modern Alpine Architecture series. “After crossing a glacier and hiking for many hours we arrived at the mountain hut and stayed there for the night. Early in the morning, before sunrise, I started my drone to capture the first light of the new day falling on this beautiful piece of architecture.”
Albrecht Voss, Germany, Shortlist, Open Competition, Architecture, 2023 Sony World Photography Awards
Although this looks like a volcano, it is not – it is a mountain that has a classic volcano shape when seen from this direction. “I had a hard time planning this photograph, as I wanted to make it look like the moon is rising from inside the ‘volcano’. Because I also wanted to achieve this in a single shot, I had to calculate the correct distance and angle that I needed to take my photograph from. In the end, I took this photograph from 10 kilometres away.”
Jordi Coy, Spain, Shortlist, Open Competition, Landscape, 2023 Sony World Photography Awards
Wildebeest crossing the crocodile-infested Mara River, July 2022.
Arnfinn Johansen, Norway, Shortlist, Open Competition, Natural World & Wildlife, 2023 Sony World Photography Awards
Ghosts
The Mundari tribe of South Sudan appear like apparitions among the nightly fires they light to keep the tsetse flies and mosquitoes off their beloved Ankole-Watusi cows. Each night, as the cattle return from grazing, the herders tend to them by massaging ash into their skin to prevent bites.
Max Vere-Hodge, United Kingdom, Winner, Open Competition, Travel, 2023 Sony World Photography Awards
A house sandwiched between two rocks on a spit of land on the coast of Brittany, France. Thankfully, it was a very calm day when I took this photograph, which emphasised the pink granite in the otherwise tranquil setting.
Robert Bolton, United Kingdom, Shortlist, Open Competition, Architecture, 2023 Sony World Photography Awards.
Placing a cover creates a boundary between two parts of a landscape; while protecting the landscape, it segments it into distinct sections. In Cappadocia, Turkey, a manmade cover has been placed that is detached and stands out in this environment among the impressive rock formations. The Cover investigates the limits that are set when creating such separations, and highlights the relationship between material and nature.
Zeynep Demirhan, Turkey, Shortlist, Open Competition, Object, 2023 Sony World Photography Awards
