“A boy was singing devotional songs and begging for alms, dressed as a Hindu god. This is a common view on Indian trains, but this boy was charming.” Credit: Arup Ghosh
From poetic rainscapes in China to up-close-and-personal shots of lions in Africa, the Sony World Photography Awards reflect the very best in professional, amateur and youth photography from around the world.
Metro profiles some of the top pictures from the winning entries.
1. Open photographer of the year
“Fenghuang Town in Hunan, also known as the Phoenix Town, is a tourist attraction in China. I capture tourists walking and braving the rain, and picturing the poetic charm of southern China.” Credit: Chen Li
They’re ‘winning’ in the rain
Chinese amateur photographer Chen Li was named as the Open Photographer of the Year. Li’s winning image, “Rain in an ancient town,” was picked from over 65,000 entries as the world’s best picture taken by an amateur. The photograph shows people braving the rain in Fenghuang Town, Hunan, China. “In the background there are old residential buildings and an old stone bridge. This combination enabled a more spiritual atmosphere for the photo,” says Li.
2. Nature & wildlife
American photographer Michael Nichols picked up the top honors in the Nature and Wildlife professional category for his intimate photographs of lions in the Serengeti. There is a sadness at the heart of these images: “Few people realize that illegal killing, relentless habitat loss and fragmentation has this species in a crisis that must be addressed by the world,” says Nichols.
3. People, open category
“A boy was singing devotional songs and begging for alms, dressed as a Hindu god. This is a common view on Indian trains, but this boy was charming.” Credit: Arup Ghosh
Winning image is an act of god
Arup Ghosh’s “Poor God,” winner of the People award in the Open category, shows an Indian boy dressed as a Hindu deity asking for alms on a local train.
4. Current affairs
Women watch police fire tear gas canisters close to where they are standing in Gezi Park, Istanbul. Credit: Guy Martin
Turkish crisis unmasked in striking photograph
Women in Gezi Park, Istanbul, look on as police fire tear gas canisters nearby in Guy Martin’s winning entry for Current Affairs.
5. Portrait
Caught mid‐bath, this dog tries to save the last bit of dignity it has. Credit: Sophie Gamand
Bath time has gone to the dogs
“Wet Dog” by French photographer Sophie Gamand is a series of portraits of caninesmid-bath, shot half a second before they shake their fur. The images show human-like emotions, like surliness and misery.
6. Youth photo of the year
“The photograph was taken during my journey to China on a night train. The girl attracted my attention from the very first moment I saw her. Somehow she perfectly represented the atmosphere you could find amongst the travellers on the train. Most of them were waiting eagerly to reach their destination while looking out of the window and watching the landscape pass by.” Credit: Paulina Metzscher
Amazing gaze
An exquisite photograph of a young girl looking through a window on a night train in China secured 19-year-old Paulina Metzscher from Germany the title of Youth Photographer of the Year.
