An incredible aerial shot of Iceland’s "braided rivers" has taken first place in the annual Pano Awards, a photography competition dedicated to showcasing the magnificence of panoramic photography. In its 10th year the contest received nearly 5,000 entries from over 70 countries.
From a standpoint of pure aesthetic spectacle, the Epson International Pano Awards annually delivers the most dazzling collection of photographs of any contest around, and this year was no exception. The Awards span two main divisions: Open and Amateur, with the distinction being amateurs are defined as those earning less than US$20,000 per year from photography as an occupation. Other than that, the only major stipulation is that entries must be presented in at least a 2:1 or 1:2 aspect ratio.
Australian photographer Mieke Boynton took out the major Open Photographer of the Year prize for her impressive abstract aerial photography. The winning shots, taken from a Cessna flying over Iceland, turn a patchwork of river patterns into a breathtaking impressionistic canvas, at one point resembling a fire-breathing dragon.
"I absolutely love the raw thrill of flying, and to see the delicate intricacy of Nature's Art from 1,000-2,000 feet above fills me with joy and delight,” says Boynton. “I travel to remote and inaccessible areas – many of which can’t be photographed by drone – and many of these places resemble giant abstract paintings. I am mesmerized and fascinated by Nature’s Abstract Art. I am inspired by the photography of Andre Ermolaev and the artistic styles of MC Escher, Wassily Kandinsky, Piet Mondrian and the Papunya Tula artists.”
Alongside top prizes across the two general categories (Nature/Landscape and Built Environment/Architecture), the competition awards a number of special prizes, including a Digital Art Award, a Highest Scoring Smartphone Image Award, and a Curator’s Award – selected by curator and founder of the Pano Awards, David Evans.
Among the winners sharing over US$50,000 in cash and prizes are a surreal sci-fi vision of Qatar’s National Museum, an otherworldly evocation of a waterfall in New Zealand, and a number of gorgeous old-fashioned landscape shots.
Take a look through our gallery at some of the highlights from this visually sublime panoramic photo contest.
Source: Pano Awards