Best Pictures: World Photography Awards 2011
 |
| Photograph courtesy Amit Madheshiya, Sony World Photography Awards |
An open-air movie enthralls remote villagers in India's Maharashtra state in this year's winning picture from the "Arts and Culture" category of the World Photography Awards Professional Competition, which were announced in London.
According to Indian photographer Amit Madheshiya, travelling cinemas visit villages far from movie theaters once a year, screening an eclectic mix of films for the equivalent of about 40 U.S. cents a ticket.
Administered by the World Photography Organisation and sponsored by Sony, the awards are chosen by a panel of 12 judges, which this year was led by British photography critic Francis Hodges and included National Geographic magazine senior photography editor Kathy Moran. (The National Geographic Society owns both the magazine and National Geographic News.)
The 2011 winners—including the selected pictures shown here—were chosen from more than 51,000 submissions from 148 countries. Photographers competed in multiple categories in either the Professional Competition or the Open Competition, for amateur photographers.
The 2014 Sony World Photography Awards
 |
| The knight and his steed, a tropical capture in Costa Rica. |
 |
| China, Jiangyin, Jiangsu. Rows of identical houses with a playground seen in the middle in the city of Jiangyin. |
 |
A man fans flames in Tanauan, Philippines, on
November 19, 2013. On November 8th, 2013, one of the most powerful
storms ever recorded hit the central Philippines. Typhoon Haiyan, a
category five super typhoon swept across the Island states of Leyte and
Samar bringing winds of up to 270km/h and a 15-foot-high storm surge
destroying almost everything in its path. Current official figures
suggest that over five thousand people lost their lives with a further
three million people displaced, though those figures are expected to
rise. Countries all over the world pledged relief aid to help support
those affected by the typhoon.
|
 |
| The world as seen from the outside. |
 |
| In July each year, this heart-pounding scene of wildebeests migration repeats itself in Kenya. |
 |
| Snow-covered trains on tracks leading to an industrial site at the port of Gdynia, Poland. |
 |
| Aerial image of river delta in Iceland. |
 |
| In your youth, nothing can stop you from enjoying
time with your friends, especially not a simple matter of rain during
summer fun. You may grow up and forget the names, but you'll always
remember the moments, the time on the dock with your friends during a
surprise shower. |
 |
| Emotional outpouring of a bride. |
 |
| Pilgrims and devotees cross pontoon bridges at the
Maha Kumbh Mela - the largest spiritual gathering on the planet, held
every 12 years in India. |
 |
| From a study of Gennaro and Maurizio, 16-year-old identical twins with autism. |
 |
| After the concert, at the Guca trumpet festival in Serbia. |
 |
| Penitents of "Las Aguas" (The Waters) brotherhood
wait before the start of their penance during Holy Week in the
Andalusian capital of Seville, southern Spain, March 25, 2013. Hundreds
of Easter processions take place around the clock in Spain during Holy
Week, drawing thousands of visitors. |
 |
| One of a series of images taken at Svalbard, Norway. |
 |
| An overhead view, from the skies above Poland. |
 |
| The White Weapon Wounded by Jimmy Javier Alvarado
with his girlfriend, waiting to be treated at the Hospital Mario
Catarino Rubio of San Pedro Sula -- from a sociological essay on
violence in Latin America. The impotence of pain and hell associated
with a daily theater of war where violence is always in the news. |
 |
| The Kazakhs living in Mongolia have a long history
of riding horses. The nomadic tribes living in prehistoric Kazakhstan
were said to be the first to domesticate and ride horses. Today, the
tradition is still very much alive deep in the remote region of the
Altai Tayan Bogd national park, which borders Russia, Kazakhstan,
Mongolia and China. |
 |
| Caught mid-bath, a wet dog tries to save the last bit of dignity he has. |
 |
| Interior of an abandoned cooling tower. |
 |
| Centuries ago, Inuit hunted the Bowhead whale. At
that time, whale hunting undoubtedly was part of a complex and very
important ritual, if only because of the size of the catch. The position
that the ancestors of today's Inuit occupied in the living world
involved a relationship with the spirit that inhabited each animal but
also their species. |
 |
| Naples, Scampia neighborhood, a large area under
Camorra control, the biggest area in Europe known for drug selling. A
pusher with his gun on the roof of a building called "The Sails". |
 |
| Jorge Herrera prepares for several months leading
up to a fight. Morning and evening for three hours each time. Only on
Sunday does he relax. The training alternates between technique, fitness
and strength. |
 |
| That's dance. |
 |
| Thousands of Hindus sit with lights (Prodip) and
pray to Gods in front of Shri Shri Lokanath Brahmachar Ashram temple
during the Rakher Upobash at Barodi, Narayangonj, Bangladesh. |
 |
Marlin Mark 22, returns to the Medecins Sans Frontieres Family Support
Centre, Tari hospital, where she is being treated in Tari the provincial
capital of Hela Province in Papua New Guinea. Marlin was attacked by
her husband who caused severe injuries by punching her and cutting her
with a bush knife.
|
 |
| Sylvinite mines are one of the most beautiful
places of work I know. The miners work so hard that they do not see the
beauty of the place they work at. Dust and darkness and the beam of the
torch are the only things they know. I wanted to show their hard job and
stunning underground palace. |
 |
| The Tower of David is a skyscraper built in
downtown Caracas, 195 meters high, 45 floors, two towers. Construction
began in 1990 and in 1994 after a strong financial crisis that hit
Venezuela, the construction stopped with only 60% complete, 13 years
after the construction began again. In 2007 the huge building was
invaded by about two thousand families. |
 |
| A baby Orangutan peeking out from his mother's embrace. |
 |
| Rescue workers take part in the rescue of the
eight-story building Rana Plaza which collapsed at Savar, outside Dhaka,
Bangladesh. Reports stated that 1,130 workers died and nearly 2,500
were rescued alive after the eight-story building Rana Plaza that housed
mostly garment factories collapsed on April 24, 2013. |
 |
| Homebound. |
 |
| Emmy, who has Down's syndrome, is five years old.
With her parents Martin and Karina and her younger brother Kristian, she
lives in the countryside close to Aarhus, in the middle of Denmark. For
half a year she has been attending the local kindergarten now. Her
parents had to fight with the municipality to find the right spot for
Emmy. They realized that inclusion seems not to be the most normal thing
in Denmark. Their daughter has been doing great in the new
kindergarten. Her ability to speak and social behavior towards other
kids improved. |
 |
| A muddy face from the mud bath, going into the lake. |
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC Photo Contest 2014
 |
The Independence Day Photo and caption by Marko Korosec |
First Place Winner: The Independence Day
While on storm chasing expeditions in Tornado Alley in the U.S. I have encountered many photogenic supercell storms. This photograph was taken while we were approaching a storm near Julesburg, Colorado, on May 28, 2013. The storm was tornado warned for more than one hour, but it stayed an LP [low precipitation] storm through all its cycles and never produced a tornado, just occasional brief funnels, large hail, and some rain.
National Geographic Traveler Director of Photography Dan Westergren, one of this year's judges, shares his thoughts on the first-place winner:
"This winning photo of a supercell over the plains of eastern Colorado stopped the judges in our tracks. When we first saw the picture we guessed that the photographer probably had dedicated quite a bit of time chasing storms to capture such an amazing sight. But what makes the picture particularly strong is that except for the cloud, the rest of the scene is quite ordinary. The crazy UFO-looking shape gives the impression that it's going to suck up the landscape like a tablecloth into a vacuum cleaner. The unresolved tension in the image makes me want to look at it over and over."
Location: Julesburg, Colorado, USA
 |
| Mea Shearim, Jerusalem, Israel. Photo and caption by AGNIESZKA TRACZEWSKA |
Second Place Winner: Mea Shearim, Jerusalem, Israel
Mea Shearim, the ultra-Orthodox district of Jerusalem. Newly married couple Aaron and Rivkeh will be alone together for the first time after their wedding ceremony. Their marriage was arranged by their families. The 18-year-olds met once to confirm the choice; since then they have been prohibited to meet or even talk.
National Geographic Traveler Director of Photography Dan Westergren, one of this year's judges, shares his thoughts on the second-place winner:
"Photography is a powerful tool for showing the ways that people around the world are clearly different but in many ways the same. The Orthodox fur hat and wedding dress are clues that this picture was taken in a very distinctive place. But the smile and laughter of the bride and groom indicate that these are teenagers reacting to a new situation.
"When I look at the image I can't help but think about the nature of love and marriage around the world. Here is a scene that in many parts of the world could be a young couple on their first date. Because of the clothes they are wearing I know that this is not a lighthearted encounter but the beginning of a lifelong commitment. Any photograph that can make me think that much deserves to be a winner."
Location: Mea Shearim. Jerusalem, Israel
 |
Diver in Magic Kingdom. Photo and caption by Marc Henauer |
Third Place Winner: Diver in Magic Kingdom
Green Lake (Grüner See) is located in Tragöss Austria. In spring snowmelt raises the lake level about 10 meters. This phenomenon, which lasts only a few weeks, covers hiking trails, meadows, and trees. The result is a magical diving landscape.
National Geographic Traveler Director of Photography Dan Westergren, one of this year's judges, shares his thoughts on the third-place winner:
"This shot at first seems like just another diver swimming by underwater. But after viewing it for a few seconds the truth begins to sink in. That is not an aquatic plant! How is it possible for a tree to grow leaves underwater? And that looks like a trail—what creature could create a hiking trail at the bottom of a lake? When we chose this picture we didn't know the particulars of why a view like this exists, but we really wanted to reward the photographer for bringing it to our attention."
Location: Grüner See at Tragöss - Austria
 |
Light Source. Photo and caption by Marcelo Castro |
Merit Prize Winner: Light Source
A young monk finds a perfect light source to read his book inside of his pagoda in Old Bagan, Burma.
Location: Old Bagan
 |
End of the World. Photo and caption by sean hacker teper |
Merit Prize Winner: End of the World
This photo, taken at the 'end of the world' swing in Banos, Ecuador, captures a man on the swing overlooking an erupting Mt. Tungurahua. The eruption took place on February 1st, 2014. Minutes after the photo was taken, we had to evacuate the area because of an incoming ash cloud.
Location: Banos, Ecuador
 |
A Well Earned Rest in the Sahara. Photo and caption by Evan Cole |
Merit Prize Winner: A Well Earned Rest in the Sahara
This photo of Moussa Macher, our Tuareg guide, was taken at the summit of Tin-Merzouga, the largest dune (or erg) in the Tadrat region of the Sahara desert in southern Algeria. Moussa rested while waiting for us to finish our 45-minute struggle to the top. It only took ten minutes of rolling, running, and jumping to get back down.
The Tadrat is part of the Tassili N'Ajjer National Park World Heritage area, famous for its red sand and engravings and rock paintings of cattle, elephants, giraffes, and rhinos that lived there when the climate was milder.
 |
Divine Makeover. Photo and caption by Mahesh Balasubramanian |
Merit Prize Winner: Divine Makeover
Taken during the Mayana Soora Thiruvizha festival, which takes place every March in the small village of Kaveripattinam the day after Maha Shivarathiri (the great night of Shiva). The festival is devoted to Angalamman, a fierce guardian deity worshipped widely in Southern India.
Location: Kaveripattinam, Tamilnadu, India
 |
Ladies in Waiting. Photo and caption by Susie Stern |
Merit Prize Winner: Ladies in Waiting
While exploring Burough Market in London, I was delighted to come across four lovely young women dressed in vintage white dresses, eating ice cream as the local shopkeeper looked on. Are they brides? Or bridesmaids. I don't know, but they are obviously enjoying a very special day.
Location: Burough Market, London, England
 |
Foggy, Small Town. Photo and caption by Duowen Chen |
Merit Prize Winner: Foggy, Small Town
This photo was captured at noon on December 25, 2013, from the castle which is located on the edge of the small town and is the perfect viewpoint for the panorama of the almost intact historical town. The fog and mist suffused and gave the town a sense of mystery.
Location: Český Krumlov, South Bohemian, Czech Republic
 |
"Khotso" Peace at Devil's Knuckles. Photo and caption by Byron Inggs |
Merit Prize Winner: "Khotso" Peace at Devil's Knuckles
On arrival at Jonathan's Lodge our horses took to celebrating liberation from their heavy burdens. With the backdrop of "The Devil's Knuckles" and the afternoon's glow, how could I not take advantage of these magnificent creatures rejoicing? This was the end of the first of a three-day horseback ride through Bushman's Nek, up the Drakensberg escarpment and into Lesothos' Sehlabathebe National Park.
Location: Jonathans Lodge, Qachas Nek, Sehlabathebe National Park, Lesotho
 |
Among the Giants. Photo and caption by James Eimmerman |
Viewer's Choice Winner: Among the Giants
Capturing a brief moment of wonder and awe during a trip to Sequoia National Forest and the Trail of 100 Giants.
Location: Sequoia National Forest, CA
No comments:
Post a Comment