One of the world’s biggest photo contests, the Sony World Photography Awards, has revealed the finalists and shortlisted entries for its Professional competition. From profound works of photojournalism to surreal and creative abstract entries, this prestigious contest is an effective snapshot of the best photography in the world right now.
The Sony World Photography Awards spans four individual competitions: Professional, Youth, Student, and Open. The main difference between the Professional and the Open competitions is the Professional competition focuses on portfolios of work comprising between 5 and 10 images.
Out of the massive 345,000 images submitted across the four competitions in the 2020 Awards, more than 135,000 were entered into the Professional competition. This record-breaking volume of entries spanned 203 countries or territories.
Ten categories are available to enter, including the usual Architecture, Landscape and Sport options, as well as Documentary, Still Life and Creative. This year saw the addition of a new category called Environment, designed to address the growing importance of the topic.
As expected, the shortlisted entries and finalists are a spectacular assortment of images. Highlights include Korean photographer Chang Kyun Kim’s profound look at the remaining traces of America’s internment camps where those of Japanese ancestry were imprisoned during World War II; Nicholas Muir’s collection of striking images from the devastating recent Australian bush fires; and Ruben Wu’s beautifully surreal images using drones to paint with light.
The winners of the competition will be announced at a ceremony in London on April 16, 2020.
Take a look through our gallery at more highlights from the impressive finalists and shortlisted images.
Source: Sony World Photography Awards