Arguably the world’s most spectacular photography competition, the Pano Awards continues to deliver awe-inspiring images with an impressive array of awarded shots celebrating the art of panoramic photography, from fairy-tale sunrises to surreal cities poking through the clouds.
“We thought 2020 was a challenging year but 2021 took things to a whole new level,” says David Evans, curator of the competition. “That said, despite the pandemic and so many other challenges the entries this year were nothing short of amazing.”
In its 12th year the competition received more than 5,000 entries from 97 countries. The categories are simple. There are Open and Amateur competitions with each split into Nature/Landscapes or Built Environments. The only major requirement of entry is the images are presented in wide or tall aspect ratios.
The overall Photographer of the Year prize went to Joshua Hermann for a series of gorgeous shots highlighting the mythical beauty of swamp and marshlands in southern Louisiana.
“Growing up in south Louisiana and coming to know the swamp and marshlands from an early age, the unique beauty and interesting ecology of the area has stuck with me throughout my life,” Hermann says. “I hope to share the beauty of these places through my imagery, allow people to get a closer look into the uniqueness of these areas and ultimately to inform them of the importance of protecting these wetlands.”
The Amateur Photographer of the Year award went to Austrian photographer Daniel Trippolt. His awarded shots spanned several continents but all shared a common aesthetic, exemplified by Shining Heart, a stunning shot capturing a heart-shaped road in Slovenia.
“After countless attempts, the moment came when all the factors for a perfect photo came together,” Trippolt explains. “I already knew were to position myself so that the perspective of the heart road was right. Then I had the right morning mood, where the fog moved into the picture from left to right, then a car drove across the street so that the cold street became a stinging heart.”
Other highlights include a striking wide shot of cormorants claiming a several boats in early morning light, an impossibly perfect shot of a figure encased in the reflection of an aurora in Iceland, and several dreamlike sunrise landscape shots that feel from another world.
Take a look through our gallery at more highlights from this wonderful photography competition.
Source: The Pano Awards
