“Eternal Triangle” by Joshua Hermann (USA). 2021 Open Photographer of the Year.
The world’s largest competition for panoramic photographers has just announced its winners. With over 5,000 entries from amateur and professional photographers in 97 countries, the 2021 EPSON International Pano Awards is a celebration of creativity. American photographer Joshua Hermann was awarded the title of Open Photographer of the Year for his gorgeous images of cypress trees growing from the swamps of Louisiana.
“It is an honor to have my images selected in the Open Category alongside so many wonderfully talented photographers,” Hermann shared. “One of the great things about photography is its ability to inform. Growing up in south Louisiana and coming to know the swamp and marshlands from an early age, the unique beauty and interesting ecology of the area has stuck with me throughout my life. I hope to share the beauty of these places through my imagery, allow people to get a closer look into the uniqueness of these areas and, ultimately, to inform them of the importance of protecting these wetlands.”
The awards celebrate both amateur and professional photographers, who enter into categories focusing on the natural world or the built environment. There is also a special virtual reality, 360-photo award. Russian photographer Oleg Gaponyuk took home the top prize in that category for his image of Jellyfish Lake in Palau. When viewed properly, it’s an incredible, immersive experience.
The great success of the competition, which is run by EPSON Australia, speaks to the resilience of photographers even in difficult times. “Who would have thought the Pano Awards would again be so successful during such another challenging year,” said Craig Heckenberg, managing director of EPSON Australia. “This commitment to excellence and continued success are two of the many reasons Epson has been a proud sponsor of the Pano Awards for the past 12 years we are delighted, but not surprised, at its continued popularity. The quality bar is raised every year and Epson is proud that our technology helps the photographers realize their passion and bring these amazing images to life.”
See more incredible panoramas from the 2021 EPSON International Pano Awards.
Juan López Ruiz (Spain). Fourth Place, Open, Built Environment/Architecture.
“Tonal Intersection” by Mark Brierley (Australia). Winner, Open, Built Environment/Architecture.
“Above the Clouds” by Florian Kriechbaumer (UAE). Winner, Amateur, Built Environment/Architecture
“Jellyfish Lake” by Oleg Gaponyuk (Russia). Winner, VR/360 Award Winner.
Gheorghe Popa (Romania), Second Place, Open, Landscape/Nature
Pedro Nogales Tena (Spain). Third Place, Amateur, Built Environment/Architecture.
Max Rive (Netherlands). 2021 Curators Award.
Tom Sheckels (USA). Highest Scoring IAPP Member.
Alexey Matveyev (Russia). Second Place, VR/360
Jinyi He (China). Third Place, Open, Landscape/Nature.
Andrew Dickman (Australia). Highest Scoring Smartphone Pano.
Manuel Enrique González Carmon (Spain). EPSON Digital Art Prize.
Sharad Haksar (India), Seventh Place, Open, Built Environment/Architecture
Sarah Wouters (Thailand). Sixth Place, Amateur, Built Environment/Landscape
Ray Jennings (Australia). 2021 Nikon Australia Award.
Ky Nhan Cao (Vietnam). Fourth Place, Amateur, Nature/Landscape.
Martin Podt (Netherlands). Second Place, Amateur, Landscape/Nature.
Sergey Aleshchenko (Russia). Fifth Place, Amateur, Nature/Landscape.
Paul Dodd (Australia). Second Place, Open, Built Environment/Architecture.
Hin Kau Chan (Hong Kong). Second Place, Amateur, Built Environment/Architecture
“Shining Night” by Daniel Trippolt (Austria). 2021 Amateur Photographer of the Year.