The World In Focus

While it may have felt like the world has been put on pause for many of us these last two years, the world of photography continues to bring us the snapshots of lives continuing to march forward. Our planet is a swirling watercolour of tastes, textures and people creating unique experiences in every moment, never to be the same ever again. So while we can’t ever hope to experience everything this world has to offer, an army of photographers around the planet are determined to bring these experiences right to our doorstep, or at the very least, to these very pages.

This year, over 340,000 images from 211 territories were submitted to the Sony World Photography Awards 2022 and over 170,000 were entered to the Open competition. The overall winners in the Student, Youth, Open and Professional competition of the Sony World Photography Awards 2022 will be announced later this year in April. They will then go on to be displayed in an exhibition at Somerset House in London, England. For now, let’s take a look at a selection of the National Award winning finalists.

A City Among the Clouds
Wonyoung Choi

“This is a photograph from Bukhansan Mountain in Seoul, South Korea. Lots of people climb the mountain to view the sunrise, but it’s a rare sight to see the city covered in clouds as the sun rises. I’ve gone there many times and was lucky to finally see it. I feel gratitude towards Mother Nature for changing Seoul’s architecture from monotonous to colourful.”
© Wonyoung Choi, Korea (Republic of), Winner, National Awards, Architecture, 2022 Sony World Photography Awards

Above
Viktor Einar Vilhelmsson

Strapped in and standing above a big cliff. Watching the glacier go over the edge and fall 200 meters to the ground.
© Viktor Einar Vilhelmsson, Iceland, Winner, National Awards, Landscape, 2022 Sony World Photography Awards

The Beauty of Northern Lights Above the Arctic Henge
Juan Pablo Méndez Garzona

This picture combines two photos taken during my trip to Iceland. The first one was taken at the Arctic Henge, a group of structures located in Raufarhofn on the northeastern tip of the Melrakkaslétta peninsula. The second one is the sky full of northern lights, which I captured a few days later. For me, this composition represents an open door full of possibilities for those who dare to walk into the unknown.

© Juan Pablo Méndez Garzona, Guatemala, Shortlist, National Awards, Creative, 2022 Sony World Photography Awards

Golden Snake
Yawar Abbas

In the light from this spectacular sunset the cold desert at Skardu looks like a Golden Snake.
© Yawar Abbas, Pakistan, Winner, National Awards, Travel, 2022 Sony World Photography Awards

Struggle of Life
Amal Prasad

The life of a village fisherman is not an easy one – it’s a struggle for survival.
© Amal Prasad, Sri Lanka, Winner, National Awards, Lifestyle, 2022 Sony World Photography Awards

Turquoise Lake
Marcin Giba

I took this photo of a turquoise lake in Poland with a drone in Autumn 2021. Let us not be deceived by the blue colour of the water, or the colour of the sand. It is the result of human activity interfering with the natural environment. You cannot bathe in this lake, and the water is poisonous.
© Marcin Giba, Poland, Winner, National Awards, Landscape, 2022 Sony World Photography Awards

Born of Fire
Filip Hrebenda

A photo from my ‘Born of Fire’ series. It was the first photo I took on my expedition to the volcanic area of Fagradalsfjall in southwestern Iceland. Volcanoes are a rare opportunity to observe the complete transformation of a landscape. Places that were only recently valleys and meadows became hills, craters and lava fields. Being there was a great experience.
Copyright: © Filip Hrebenda, Slovakia, Winner, National Awards, Landscape, 2022 Sony World Photography Awards

Sumo Wrestling 10
Chin Leong Teo

Two sumo wrestlers attempting to trip each other out of the ring in a split-second finish.
© Chin Leong Teo, Singapore, Winner, National Awards, Motion, 2022 Sony World Photography Awards

Around the Moneo 1
Mariano Belmar Torrecilla

Moneo is the Murcia City Hall building. Around it you find a variety of very different people. This shot is part of a series made in that place.
© Mariano Belmar Torrecilla, Spain, Winner, National Awards, Street Photography, 2022 Sony World Photography Awards

Big Statue in the Middle of the City
Kunuch Chutmongkolporn

This photo was taken in Bangkok, Thailand, on 27 October, 2021. The Big Buddha statue is from Wat Paknam Bhasicharoen. Around the fourth week of October, the sun sets behind the statue. To get a high-impact shot, I used a super-telephoto zoom lens to compress the sun with a bird, the statue, and the city in the foreground.
© Kunuch Chutmongkolporn, Thailand, Winner, National Awards, Travel, 2022 Sony World Photography Awards

Le Mont.Saint-Michel at Sunset
Cigdem Ayyildiz

For me, this piece of art on the shores of Normandy is a candidate for Eighth Wonder of the World; providing a legendary view and atmosphere especially at sunset and when the tide is low.
Copyright: © Cigdem Ayyildiz, Turkey, Winner, National Awards, Landscape, 2022 Sony World Photography Awards