The 2016 Sony World Photography Awards, the world's biggest photography competition, has revealed the shortlists for its Professional, Open and Youth competitions. A record-breaking 230,103 images were submitted this year, from 186 countries. The total number of entries received by the Sony World Photography Awards since its launch has now surpassed one million.
The Open competition received 95,541 entries, across ten categories (Nature and Wildlife, Low Light, Travel, Split Second, Smile, Architecture, Arts and Culture, People, Enhanced, and Panoramic). In this gallery, IBTimes UK presents a selection of images from the Open shortlist. (See the Professional shortlist.)
Andrey Narchuk, Russia, Shortlist, Open, Nature and Wildlife. Baby fur seal, Commander Island, Bering SeaAndrey Narchuk, 2016 Sony World Photography AwardsSimona Tedesco, Italy, Shortlist, Open, Nature and Wildlife. Four centimetres of mightiness moves slowly and relentlessly on a tree, while the moon rises on the background. The rhinoceros beetle is a nocturnal insect. During the day they stay safe under cover of trees and with the summer they become very active, flying at dusk to find a mate, 2016 Sony World Photography AwardsValter Bernardeschi, Italy, Shortlist, Open, Nature and WildlifeValter Bernardeschi, 2016 Sony World Photography AwardsImre Potyó, Hungary, Shortlist, Open Nature and Wildlife. The mass swarming of Danube mayfly (Ephoron virgo)Imre Potyó, 2016 Sony World Photography AwardsEric Madeja, Switzerland, Shortlist, Open, Nature and Wildlife. "I came across this juvenile flying fish while diving in open water near Tubbataha Reefs, Philippines. Juvenile flying fish are often spotted hovering just below the surface, hiding inside natural or manmade debris, drifting the ocean currents. Juvenile flying fish can be attracted by light at night, but during the day they tend to swim away as soon a diver approaches. It took me hours to get close enough and this photograph was taken just when the sun was setting, beautifully illuminating the clouds at the horizon."Eric Madeja, 2016 Sony World Photography AwardsYiorgos Doukanaris, Cyprus, Shortlist, Open, Low Light. Life in the refugee camp in Calais, FranceYiorgos Doukanaris, 2016 Sony World Photography AwardsVincent Frascello, US, Shortlist, Open, Low Light. After a large winter storm on the South Island of New Zealand, many of the roads in Cental Otago were closed and impassable. A few days of waiting for roads to clear was hard for me – so I hiked into Aoraki / Mount Cook National Park and made it to the Hooker Valley. I camped here, on the frozen Hooker Lake, and saw some of the clearest and darkest skies of my life. This is a shot of the Milky Way arching over Mount Cook and the Hooker ValleyVincent Frascello, 2016 Sony World Photography AwardsTheng Sin Chong, Malaysia, Shortlist, Open, Low Light. A bright moon shines on a cemetery in IcelandTheng Sin Chong, 2016 Sony World Photography AwardsSai Aung Main, Myanmar, Shortlist, Open, Low Light. An old man smokies at an ancient temple in Bagan, MyanmarSai Aung Main, 2016 Sony World Photography AwardsKei Nomiyama, Japan, Shortlist, Open, Low Light. Fireflies blink in a beautiful bamboo forest. This picture was taken under a little moonlightKei Nomiyama, 2016 Sony World Photography AwardsTugo Cheng, Hong Kong, Shortlisted, Open Competition, Travel. A fisherman farms the sea in between bamboo rods constructed for aquaculture off the coast of southern ChinaTugo Cheng, 2016 Sony World Photography AwardsAdriano Neves, Portugual, Shortlist, Open Competition, Travel. The Cuernos del Paine mountain range reflected over the glacial waters of Lake Nordenskj in Torres del Paine National Park in Patagonia... Or perhaps a vision of the Garden of Eden?Adriano Neves, 2016 Sony World Photography AwardsLesley Hall, UK, Shortlisted, Open Competition, Travel. Taken at the U Bein bridge in Myanmar, taken from a boat on Taungthaman lakeLesley Hall, 2016 Sony World Photography AwardsKhairel Anuar Che Ani, Malaysia, Shortlisted, Open Competition, Split Second. "The image was taken in Bali during Melasti Festival, conducted once a year in conjunction with Nyepi or Silent Day. These young girls were waiting for their turn to perform. They looked stunning with their bright coloured costumes and heavy make-up, however the expression on each girl's face especially the yawning one gives this image an extra 'ummpph'."Khairel Anuar Che Ani, 2016 Sony World Photography AwardsPetra Van Borm, Belgium, Shortlisted, Open Competition, Split Second. Young boy training hard for his triathlonPetra Van Borm, 2016 Sony World Photography AwardsDmitry Ivanov, Russia, Shortlisted, Open Competition, Split SecondDmitry Ivanov, 2016 Sony World Photography AwardsMD Tanveer Rohan, Bangladesh, Shortlisted, Open competition, Smile. After a long, tiring day a group of kids who are studying at a Madrasa (school for religious studies) near Dhaka play a game of football, and celebrate by kicking sand into the air in the soft rays of the evening sunMD Tanveer Rohan, 2016 Sony World Photography AwardsAlexander Ingle, UK, Shortlisted, Open Competition, Smile. It's Easter, and after a large celebratory meal, a moment's peace is an opportunity for a nap. The youngest member of the Nawrot family, having none of it, climbs onto the sofa and prepares to wake Dziadzia Jacek (his grandfather). This brief moment before jumping on his grandfather's legs is one of pure joyAlexander Ingle, 2016 Sony World Photography AwardsJack Lawson, UK, Shortlisted, Open Competition, Smile. "Local children outside a school in a rural area of Ghana rushed over to greet me as soon as I got out my camera."Jack Lawson, 2016 Sony World Photography AwardsGultekin Alkurt, Turkey, Open, SmileGultekin Alkurt, 2016 Sony World Photography AwardsNils Olof Wendel, Sweden, Shortlist, Open, Architecture. "I found this interesting view of a water tower in Uppsala, Sweden."Nils Olof Wendel, 2016 Sony World Photography AwardsJavad Rooein, Iran, Shortlist, Open, ArchitectureJavad Rooein, 2016 Sony World Photography AwardsLaurian Ghinitoiu, Romania, Shortlist, Open, Architecture. A design mistake of the UK pavilion? The shot was taken during the opening of the Expo 2015. A layer of water was covering the floor making it very slippery and dangerous. While the visitors were waiting for permission to enter the pavilion, one of the hosts went in the centre to check if was still rainingLaurian Ghinitoiu, 2016 Sony World Photography AwardsKyaw Bo Bo Han, Myanmar, Shortlist, Open, Arts and Culture. Monks and Novices go round and accept offerings on a mountain in Aungban, Shan State, MyanmarKyaw Bo Bo Han, 2016 Sony World Photography AwardsMohammad Ponir Hossain, Bangladesh, Shortlist, Open, Arts and Culture. Hindu believers sit together on the floor in Lokenath Brahmachari Temple at Swamibag in Dhaka and pray to Lokenath Brahmachari, an 18th Century Hindu saint and philosopherMohammad Ponir Hossain, 2016 Sony World Photography AwardsLongxiang Xie, China, Shortlist, Open, Arts and Culture. Snow falls on Buddhist monks at Langmu Temple, Tibetan autonomous prefectureLongxiang Xie, 2016 Sony World Photography AwardsKarolis Janulis, Lithuania, Shortlist, Open, People. People perform a mass yoga exercise in a central park in VilniusKarolis Janulis, 2016 Sony World Photography AwardsNikunj Rathod, India, Shortlist, Open, People. "One day when I was cycling through an abandoned/deserted area in Mumbai I encountered a group of street kids who were aiming for birds in the sky using their slingshots. I managed to convince them to demonstrate their shooting skills by aiming for a bottle. Surprisingly the situation became quite competitive among them as each wanted to show off."Nikunj Rathod, 2016 Sony World Photography AwardsMichele Liberti, Italy, Shortlist, Open, People. "My photos are taken wandering in my spare time in my city - Naples."Michele Liberti, 2016 Sony World Photography AwardsDaniel Arranz Molinero, Spain, Shortlist, Open, People. Taken in Almeria, SpainDaniel Arranz Molinero, 2016 Sony World Photography AwardsLewis Outing, United Kingdom, Shortlist, Open, People. This image was taken at a York RI RUFC. Rob Cuthbertson holding the ball, with his York RI teammate Darren LonsdaleLewis Outing, 2016 Sony World Photography AwardsCarlos F Turienzo, Spain, Shortlist, Open, Panoramic. This panorama was taken on 10 July 2015 in A Veiga, Spain. It consists of eight vertical photos showing the Milky Way archCarlos F Turienzo, 2016 Sony World Photography AwardsDikky Oesin, Indonesia, Shortlist, Open, Panoramic. Borobudur, IndonesiaDikky Oesin, 2016 Sony World Photography Awards
All the shortlisted photographers are now competing to win their category and the Open Photographer of the Year title, as well as the latest digital imaging equipment from Sony. Winners will be announced at a gala ceremony in London on 21 April. The winning and shortlisted images will go on show at Somerset House, London from 22 April to 8 May and will be published in the 2016 edition of the Sony World Photography Awards book. To book your exhibition ticket, please visit worldphoto.org/2016exhibition.
