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Photography

The pros get weird in the 2022 Sony World Photography Awards finalists

By Rich Haridy
February 21, 2022
The pros get weird in the 2022 Sony World Photography Awards finalists
The Earth Belongings. "A painting of lush nature, with the clean climate of Chahar Mahal and Bakhtiari province’s past, is located in the dry desert of this province. The sign reads: ‘I must remember not to do anything that is against the law of the Earth’."
The Earth Belongings. "A painting of lush nature, with the clean climate of Chahar Mahal and Bakhtiari province’s past, is located in the dry desert of this province. The sign reads: ‘I must remember not to do anything that is against the law of the Earth’."
View 29 Images
Beach Tree, Autumn. "This project was born of the Covid-19 lockdowns, and the impact upon my work as a portrait photographer. Inspired by my home county of Wiltshire, where the distinctive landscape features many knolls with lone trees raised above the horizon line."
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Beach Tree, Autumn. "This project was born of the Covid-19 lockdowns, and the impact upon my work as a portrait photographer. Inspired by my home county of Wiltshire, where the distinctive landscape features many knolls with lone trees raised above the horizon line."
Singapore. "Using digital collage techniques to merge a large number of individual images, cityscapes turn into something between documentation and staging."
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Singapore. "Using digital collage techniques to merge a large number of individual images, cityscapes turn into something between documentation and staging."
Duty of Volunteer During Covid-19
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Duty of Volunteer During Covid-19
Observing Fox. "Over eight months, I spent almost every night sitting at the window of my cottage in the middle of the forest – where wild animals live almost as neighbors of the villagers. I observed her movements and behavior from the darkened room, and took the exposure remotely."
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Observing Fox. "Over eight months, I spent almost every night sitting at the window of my cottage in the middle of the forest – where wild animals live almost as neighbors of the villagers. I observed her movements and behavior from the darkened room, and took the exposure remotely."
Solar Graphic. "In 2021, Lithuania once again experienced a winter of heavy snowfalls - a result of the climate crisis and global warming. Depicted in these photographs are sustainable energy sources such as dams, wind turbines and solar batteries - the very things we need in order to slow down the occurrences of climate disasters."
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Solar Graphic. "In 2021, Lithuania once again experienced a winter of heavy snowfalls - a result of the climate crisis and global warming. Depicted in these photographs are sustainable energy sources such as dams, wind turbines and solar batteries - the very things we need in order to slow down the occurrences of climate disasters."
The Earth Belongings. "Damavand Mountain is located in northern Iran, in the Mazandaran province. It is known as the highest mountain in Iran and the highest volcano in Asia and the Middle East. In the past, the slopes of this mountain were covered with unique anemones, known as Lar and Rineh. In recent years, global warming, low snowfall and air pollution have affected the greenery of this region and led to drought."
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The Earth Belongings. "Damavand Mountain is located in northern Iran, in the Mazandaran province. It is known as the highest mountain in Iran and the highest volcano in Asia and the Middle East. In the past, the slopes of this mountain were covered with unique anemones, known as Lar and Rineh. In recent years, global warming, low snowfall and air pollution have affected the greenery of this region and led to drought."
Stacks at a Gasoline Refinery Processing Crude Oil. "This facility emits a large volume of the usual panoply of toxic fumes: lead mercury, benzene, chromium, sulfuric acid, and dioxin. It ranks 233 on the list of greenhouse gas producers, which still puts it high on the list of the causes of the climate crisis."
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Stacks at a Gasoline Refinery Processing Crude Oil. "This facility emits a large volume of the usual panoply of toxic fumes: lead mercury, benzene, chromium, sulfuric acid, and dioxin. It ranks 233 on the list of greenhouse gas producers, which still puts it high on the list of the causes of the climate crisis."
The Forbidden Zone. "This photo was shot at the Milad Tower in Tehran on 27 March 2021. I thought the columns looked like a prohibition sign, so I used it for a conceptual photo."
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The Forbidden Zone. "This photo was shot at the Milad Tower in Tehran on 27 March 2021. I thought the columns looked like a prohibition sign, so I used it for a conceptual photo."
Protection. "There are few sights as magical as watching whales while in the ocean with them. This mother protects her calf as they meander past. A few seconds and it's over."
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Protection. "There are few sights as magical as watching whales while in the ocean with them. This mother protects her calf as they meander past. A few seconds and it's over."
Disturbed Landscape. "This canvas is actually a toxic waste pond of a copper mine, located in the province of Huelva, Spain, which has been captured in aerial shots. With a maximum surface area of 125 hectares and a capacity of 22 cubic hectometres, the equivalent of 8,800 Olympic swimming pools, the Gossan-Cobre reservoir is today the largest toxic sludge pond in Europe."
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Disturbed Landscape. "This canvas is actually a toxic waste pond of a copper mine, located in the province of Huelva, Spain, which has been captured in aerial shots. With a maximum surface area of 125 hectares and a capacity of 22 cubic hectometres, the equivalent of 8,800 Olympic swimming pools, the Gossan-Cobre reservoir is today the largest toxic sludge pond in Europe."
The Earth Belongings. "A painting of lush nature, with the clean climate of Chahar Mahal and Bakhtiari province’s past, is located in the dry desert of this province. The sign reads: ‘I must remember not to do anything that is against the law of the Earth’."
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The Earth Belongings. "A painting of lush nature, with the clean climate of Chahar Mahal and Bakhtiari province’s past, is located in the dry desert of this province. The sign reads: ‘I must remember not to do anything that is against the law of the Earth’."
Cycling Alone. "This photo was taken in Tehran on 25 April 2021.This line directs the eyes, so I added a cyclist."
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Cycling Alone. "This photo was taken in Tehran on 25 April 2021.This line directs the eyes, so I added a cyclist."
Loyal Fans. Football players of the Bohemians Prague 1905 team thank their fans after a match against FK Příbram on 15 December 2020.
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Loyal Fans. Football players of the Bohemians Prague 1905 team thank their fans after a match against FK Příbram on 15 December 2020.
Hidden Dimension. "A photo series captured at an altitude of about 300-400 metres. A bird’s eye view that inspires me every time I take off and climb into the Latvian airspace with the pilot of an ultralight plane."
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Hidden Dimension. "A photo series captured at an altitude of about 300-400 metres. A bird’s eye view that inspires me every time I take off and climb into the Latvian airspace with the pilot of an ultralight plane."
On the Car Windshield. "The fox jumped onto the windshield, observing my camera. I wasn't prepared to photograph this scene, but I knew she would be coming back in an hour-and-a-half, I set the lights up and waited in a dark room. I was lucky she jumped up again and watched the camera click inside the car."
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On the Car Windshield. "The fox jumped onto the windshield, observing my camera. I wasn't prepared to photograph this scene, but I knew she would be coming back in an hour-and-a-half, I set the lights up and waited in a dark room. I was lucky she jumped up again and watched the camera click inside the car."
Labyrinth of Speleothems. A diver navigating his underwater scooter through a chamber full of stalactites and stalagmites, showing the raw nature and amazing textures of the flooded caves in Mexico.
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Labyrinth of Speleothems. A diver navigating his underwater scooter through a chamber full of stalactites and stalagmites, showing the raw nature and amazing textures of the flooded caves in Mexico.
Hardness. A green-eyed carpenter bee, holding a small blue crystal.
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Hardness. A green-eyed carpenter bee, holding a small blue crystal.
Planet X Blues. "The overall aim of this project is to transport the viewer’s imagination to another world that exists outside of time – and in doing so, to invoke conversation around themes of futurism amidst the darker side of human ideals. All of these images were taken in 2021 in Iceland, during the pandemic."
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Planet X Blues. "The overall aim of this project is to transport the viewer’s imagination to another world that exists outside of time – and in doing so, to invoke conversation around themes of futurism amidst the darker side of human ideals. All of these images were taken in 2021 in Iceland, during the pandemic."
Sea Horse. 125 images were stacked together to create this image using glycerine as the background medium, and with a backlit base LED light source.
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Sea Horse. 125 images were stacked together to create this image using glycerine as the background medium, and with a backlit base LED light source.
Blueprint. "In this work, I imitate the process of creating a cyanotype by using digital post-production techniques to retrace the outlines of the buildings. The result is a multi-layered image resembling an architectural blueprint."
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Blueprint. "In this work, I imitate the process of creating a cyanotype by using digital post-production techniques to retrace the outlines of the buildings. The result is a multi-layered image resembling an architectural blueprint."
The Bright G 1. "Taken in Dubai in 2019, the image of this unique building shows how the light dances on it, looking like the letter G between the highlights and shadows."
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The Bright G 1. "Taken in Dubai in 2019, the image of this unique building shows how the light dances on it, looking like the letter G between the highlights and shadows."
Sea Lion Hunting 2. "Like an Olympic athlete performing a perfectly choreographed routine, the sea lion preys on these sardines. The sardines’ only hope is to dive into the deep dark blue but the sea lion knows this and pins them to the surface waiting for its moment to strike."
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Sea Lion Hunting 2. "Like an Olympic athlete performing a perfectly choreographed routine, the sea lion preys on these sardines. The sardines’ only hope is to dive into the deep dark blue but the sea lion knows this and pins them to the surface waiting for its moment to strike."
Nemo's Garden. The biospheres are located 40 metres off the Noli shore – a small village on the Ligurian coast. They are constructed 6-12 metres below the surface of the water, to enable the plants to draw the necessary source of light for their development.
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Nemo's Garden. The biospheres are located 40 metres off the Noli shore – a small village on the Ligurian coast. They are constructed 6-12 metres below the surface of the water, to enable the plants to draw the necessary source of light for their development.
Measuring Time. A split-level shot of a massive 12-metre stalactite that formed into the dry cavern millions of years ago, and stopped growing 8000 years ago when the cave flooded.
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Measuring Time. A split-level shot of a massive 12-metre stalactite that formed into the dry cavern millions of years ago, and stopped growing 8000 years ago when the cave flooded.
Waterworld
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Waterworld
Red Beds. Developed during the Jurassic and Tertiary period, this is a red rock system in the Himalayan orogeny. With the uplift of the Earth's crust, the hillside retreated – mainly through the collapse process. The remaining red sandstone has formed in isolation after long-term weathering, exfoliation and water erosion, resulting in strange rocks and stones.
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Red Beds. Developed during the Jurassic and Tertiary period, this is a red rock system in the Himalayan orogeny. With the uplift of the Earth's crust, the hillside retreated – mainly through the collapse process. The remaining red sandstone has formed in isolation after long-term weathering, exfoliation and water erosion, resulting in strange rocks and stones.
Dorf. The photo is a photo montage of a historic village house and local forests and plants taken in the Croatian agricultural region of Slavonia. The photo is part of a broader story about the mass exodus of people from the region. The photo montage was created in 2021 and its parts were shot in 2020 and 2021.
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Dorf. The photo is a photo montage of a historic village house and local forests and plants taken in the Croatian agricultural region of Slavonia. The photo is part of a broader story about the mass exodus of people from the region. The photo montage was created in 2021 and its parts were shot in 2020 and 2021.
Empty Messages
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Empty Messages
Bare Land. An uninhabitable volcanic desert in the Icelandic Highlands. The climatic conditions here are so harsh that, for the majority of the year, life doesn’t thrive.
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Bare Land. An uninhabitable volcanic desert in the Icelandic Highlands. The climatic conditions here are so harsh that, for the majority of the year, life doesn’t thrive.
View gallery - 29 images

The professional finalists and shortlisted shots in the 2022 Sony World Photography Awards offer an incredible glimpse at the current state of contemporary photography. This year’s top picks focus on surreal pandemic images, compelling drone shots, and one curious urban fox.

The photography competition, one of the biggest in the world, encompasses four separate contests: Professional, Youth, Student and Open. The Professional contest spans 10 categories and demands photographers enter a portfolio or body of work.

Sea Lion Hunting 2. "Like an Olympic athlete performing a perfectly choreographed routine, the sea lion preys on these sardines. The sardines’ only hope is to dive into the deep dark blue but the sea lion knows this and pins them to the surface waiting for its moment to strike."
Sea Lion Hunting 2. "Like an Olympic athlete performing a perfectly choreographed routine, the sea lion preys on these sardines. The sardines’ only hope is to dive into the deep dark blue but the sea lion knows this and pins them to the surface waiting for its moment to strike."

This year the Professional contest attracted a record-breaking 156,000 entries. Jury Chair Mike Trow says he was surprised at the depth and variety of images submitted considering the ongoing pandemic certainly would have made it difficult for photographers to journey out into the world and explore novel subjects.

“At points we all may have felt that the ongoing Covid crisis meant that the world had shut down but when reviewing these projects it is clear nothing could be further from the truth,” says Trow. “To have the chance to see so much work from across the world is both humbling and energising.”

Nemo's Garden. The biospheres are located 40 metres off the Noli shore – a small village on the Ligurian coast. They are constructed 6-12 metres below the surface of the water, to enable the plants to draw the necessary source of light for their development.
Nemo's Garden. The biospheres are located 40 metres off the Noli shore – a small village on the Ligurian coast. They are constructed 6-12 metres below the surface of the water, to enable the plants to draw the necessary source of light for their development.

Weird and surreal perspectives seemed to dominate this year’s Professional shortlist, from Australian photographer Serena Dzenis’ series turning architecture in Iceland into a sci-fi portrait of a future space colony, to Giacomo d'Orlando’s alien-like take on an experimental underwater greenhouse.

Labyrinth of Speleothems. A diver navigating his underwater scooter through a chamber full of stalactites and stalagmites, showing the raw nature and amazing textures of the flooded caves in Mexico.
Labyrinth of Speleothems. A diver navigating his underwater scooter through a chamber full of stalactites and stalagmites, showing the raw nature and amazing textures of the flooded caves in Mexico.

Environmental themes also dominated many top picks this year. A particular highlight is Majid Hojjati’s series "The Earth’s Belongings" placing older lush landscape images amidst current desolate frames highlighting the acute impact of global warming.

Take a look through our gallery at more highlights from this year’s impressive Professional shortlist.

Source: World Photo Organization

View gallery - 29 images

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PhotographySony World Photography AwardsDrone photographyCompetitionAwardsPhotographers
1 comment
Rich Haridy
Rich Haridy
Rich has written for a number of online and print publications over the last decade while also acting as film critic for several radio broadcasters and podcasts. His interests focus on psychedelic science, new media, and science oddities. Rich completed his Masters degree in the Arts back in 2013 before joining New Atlas in 2016.

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ljaques
#4, the foxy little lady, of course.