‘Emile’ © Nick Dolding, United Kingdom, Winner, Open Portraiture and Winner, United Kingdom National Award, 2018 Sony World Photography Awards. The stylish Emile shot for Paypal looking suitably aloof and hoity in a set with just a little nod towards Wes Anderson.
In the lead-up to its April awards ceremony in London, the Sony World Photography Awards has announced the 10 winners of the Open Competition categories, as well as National Award winners. Selected by an expert panel, the winners of the Open Competition represent the best single images in categories like Portraiture, Street Photography, Architecture, Wildlife, and Travel.
Pulling from the 2018 shortlist, judges had the formidable task of narrowing down the field from a pool of talented amateur photographers. The results show an incredible diversity in the style and talent that makes photography a unique artistic format. “In choosing the winners, the images all had to have something special—whether it be composition, impact, skill, a portrayal of a unique event or informing in a new way,” shared Zelda Cheatle, chair of the Open Competition jury. “Above all else, each winner had to be an exceptional photograph.”
For Nick Dolding, a UK-based advertising photographer who won the Open Portraiture category for his cinematic portrait of a man named Emile, the competition has given him an added boost. “I’ve shot for lots of major brands in the studio and on location but I’m still hungry and have never lost the bug,” he shared. “The success in the competition has just spurred me on again not that I really needed that much encouragement, it’s just fantastic to be appreciated and in such great company.”
In addition to the Open Competition winners, 63 photographs were selected for National Awards, highlighting the best single photograph from a given country. With a record number of entries in the 2018 contest, the National Awards demonstrate the quality of work that was submitted from around the world. From the Philippines and Nepal to Romania and South Africa, the photographs are a vision into global life.
Winners from the Open Competition will now compete for the title of Open Photographer of the Year and will have their work exhibited, along with the National Award winners, at the Sony World Photography Awards Exhibition in London from April 20 – May 6, 2018.
The Sony World Photography Awards announced the 10 category winners from its 2018 Open Competition.
‘Old friends’ © Manuel Armenis, Germany, Winner, Open Street Photography and Winner, Germany National Award, 2018 Sony World Photography Awards. Hamburg, Germany. Spring of 2017. The most graceful lady of her neighborhood, despite the burden of old age. Always stylish, colorful, in good spirits, smiling, never complaining, even though the every day is a struggle and a challenge for her. And never to be seen without her best friend—her little dog.
‘The highest platform’ © Fajar Kristianto, Indonesia, Winner, Open Motion and Winner, Indonesia National Award, 2018 Sony World Photography Awards. The new aquatic stadium for The 18th Asian Games just has opened in Gelora Bung Karno sports complex, Jakarta. It will be held in two cities, Jakarta and Palembang. A diving athlete in the middle of training session while I was capturing this moment.
‘An unexpected meeting’ © Justyna Zdunczyk, Poland, Winner, Open Wildlife and Winner, Poland National Award, 2018 Sony World Photography Awards. I was about to leave the Sequoia National Park when from the corner of my eye I saw a beautiful clearing bathed in A fog. Without thinking too much, I ran with the camera to take some pictures. When I reached the clearing, I heard the crack of broken twigs and I can’t say, that I was not afraid since Sequoia National Park is a home for black bears and people are warned about it at every step. When I turned around, fortunately, there was not any bear, instead, I saw a curious mule deer walking towards me who cheerfully chewed his supper. Soon after other deer joined him and we just stood there together for a while and watched each other. It was one of the most beautiful moments during my trip thru California, this autumn.
‘Shapes of Lofoten’ © Mikkel Beiter, Denmark, Winner, Open Travel and Denmark National Award, 2018 Sony World Photography Awards. This composition is quite popular amongst photographers at the moment and it’s easy to understand why! The beautiful Mount Olstinden has almost the same shape as the roof of this cute yellow cabin and the yellow color creates some amazing contrast to the snow-covered mountain.
This place can be found in the Lofoten Archipelago at the small island named Sakrisøy. I’ve removed a small cabin on the left side during post process. Besides that, color correction, contrast, and sharpness has been done in Lightroom and Photoshop.
‘Sunday Buffet at Jerry Mikeska’s BBQ; Columbus, Texas 2017′ © Richard Frishman, United States, Winner, Open Still Life and Winner, United States National Award, 2018 Sony World Photography Awards. Jerry Mikeska’s BBQ in Columbus, Texas features an all-you-can-eat buffet on Sunday afternoons.
‘Early autumn’ © Veselin Atanasov, Winner, Open Landscape & Nature and Winner, Bulgaria National Award, 2018 Sony World Photography Awards. The autumn has begun to decorate with its colors the woods of the Balkans. National Park – Central Balkan, Bulgaria.
‘Young Minotaur’ © Panos Skordas, Greece, Winner, Open Culture, and Winner, Greece National Award, 2018 Sony World Photography Awards. The picture was taken in the actual palace of King Minos, on the island of Crete. Costume and mask made by me, the model with lots of patience ..my son.
‘The man and the mysterious tower’ © Andreas Pohl, Germany, Winner, Open, Architecture (Open competition), 2018 Sony World Photography Awards. Vertical wind tunnel built in the years 1934 to 1936 for aeronautical studies in Berlin-Adlershof. The photo was taken on 9th January 2017 at 4:26 pm when the dusk already set in. I took the photo because I had it in mind for more than 2 years without a chance…cause there is not much snow in Berlin.
‘every breath you take ‘ © Klaus Lenzen, Germany, Winner, Open, Enhanced (Open competition), 2018 Sony World Photography Awards. The picture was taken in summer 2017 from 35 individual images of swimmers at the triathlon in the Duesseldorf Media Harbor. I was able to take a picture of them from above, while the athletes crossed a pedestrian bridge capturing their very individual “breathing techniques“. I was inspired by the work of Andreas Gursky, therefore I took the individual images with the highest possible sharpness. That enables me to display or print the overall picture in large format.
Here’s a selection of some of the 63 National Award winners selected from the Open Competition of the 2018 Sony World Photography Awards.
‘Eye to eye’ © Brendon Cremer, South Africa, Commended, Open Wildlife and Winner, South Africa National Award, 2018 Sony World Photography Awards. Zimanga game reserve, South Africa – Whilst sitting in an overnight hide on the edge of as waterhole, one never know what animals may come and drink. When this large male leopard showed up, the excitement was profound. It is not often that you get to photograph a leopard eye to eye on its level a mere 4 meters in front of you. Your heart races and adrenaline pumps through your veins, it truly was an experience of a lifetime.
‘The Devil Inside’ © Chintan Shamsher Gauchan, Winner, Nepal National Award, 2018 Sony World Photography Awards. This shot was taken with a friend of mine in an abandoned incomplete tower in Kathmandu.
‘Challenge’ © Don Ferdinand Tabbun, Philippines, Shortlist, Open Culture and Winner, UAE National Award, 2018 Sony World Photography Awards. The photo was taken during the Al Dhafra Camel and Heritage Festival in the western region of Abu Dhabi, the annual occasion to celebrate the rich culture and tradition of the region.
‘Hayder museum’ © Abdulla AL-Mushaifri, Winner, Qatar National Award, 2018 Sony World Photography Awards. Hayder Cultural Center, Baku Azerbaijan
‘Dancing Northern Lights – Monochrome’ © Isabelle Bacher, Austria, Commended, Open Motion and Winner, Austria National Award, 2018 Sony World Photography Awards. Her heart beats north of the Arctic Circle. For four of the most important years of her life, Isabelle Bacher lived in northern Norway, learned to love the light of the Arctic and managed to photographically capture the bizarre fascination. One of her favorite places was a sandy beach overlooking the island of Bleikøya in Vesterålen, an archipelago in Nordland, Norway. In February 2017, on an unforgettable starry full moon night, the Northern Lights danced for several hours over the island.
‘Friendship’ © Md.Tofazzal Hossain, Bangladesh, Shortlist, Open Street Photography and Winner Bangladesh National Award, 2018 Sony World Photography Awards. Childhood friendship.
‘The Boot’ © Nicu Spinu, Romania, Winner, National Awards, 2018 Sony World Photography Awards. Same magical place, Bukovina. A land blessed by God with stunning landscapes and welcoming people.
‘Lightning Strike’ © Santiago Borja, Winner, Ecuador National Award, 2018 Sony World Photography Awards. A storm is developing over the Ecuadorean Amazonia when all of the sudden, one of its powerful lightning leaves the storm and traces a very particular path in the air before hitting the ground away from the storm.
‘Nisha in a cornfield’ © Mirella Lukens, Netherlands, Commended, Open Culture, and Winner, Netherlands National Award, 2018 Sony World Photography Awards. In the photo, you can see Nisha, a 15-year-old Hindu girl, dressed and styled according to modern Indian culture. She wore, among other things, a head ornament and traditional ‘mehendi’ (red henna) on her hands. The photo was made last year on a warm summer morning in July. The location is a cornfield in our hometown Gasselternijveen (Drenthe). It was cloudy that morning, but the sun had enough power to provide a silhouette on the white canvas.
‘Winnie’ © Kenneth O Halloran, Ireland, 1st Place, National Awards, 2018 Sony World Photography Awards. I first met Winnie with her family at the annual Africa Day celebrations in Farmleigh House in Dublin on Sunday the 21st May. I was commissioned by the Irish Times to cover the event which is a celebration of the culture, diversity, and links to Ireland of the continent’s 54 countries. I photographed Winnie with 2 other girls, Yewande Ogunnaike and Favour Nwoga. The African girls were competing in The Miss Africa competition, all three wearing tiaras. Winnie was celebrating her first Holy Communion with her parents, brothers, and sisters. The resulting image appeared on the front page of the following day’s Irish Times Newspaper. I also took a few family photographs and promised to deliver the images in person to their home at a later date. Two weeks later I delivered the photographs and spoke to Winnie’s mother about the possibility of making a portrait of her as a solitary figure, only this time using the back garden as a location.
‘Gas Station’ © Chul-Ui Song, Winner, South Korea National Award, 2018 Sony World Photography Awards.