Photography

Gallery: Powerful portraits and peculiar culture from the 2018 Sony World Photography Awards

Gallery: Powerful portraits and peculiar culture from the 2018 Sony World Photography Awards
Flour war in Alicante, in Spain. Professional, Discovery (Professional competition), 2nd Place, 2018, Sony World Photography Awards
Flour war in Alicante, in Spain. Professional, Discovery (Professional competition), 2nd Place, 2018, Sony World Photography Awards
View 49 Images
Flour war in Alicante, in Spain. Professional, Discovery (Professional competition), 2nd Place, 2018, Sony World Photography Awards
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Flour war in Alicante, in Spain. Professional, Discovery (Professional competition), 2nd Place, 2018, Sony World Photography Awards
Flour war in Alicante, in Spain. Professional, Discovery (Professional competition), 2nd Place, 2018, Sony World Photography Awards
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Flour war in Alicante, in Spain. Professional, Discovery (Professional competition), 2nd Place, 2018, Sony World Photography Awards
Black and white image taken on an iPhone 7. Winner of Youth Photographer of the Year for world's best single image taken by any photographer aged 12-19
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Black and white image taken on an iPhone 7. Winner of Youth Photographer of the Year  for world's best single image taken by any photographer aged 12-19
Captured by Student Photographer of the Year, Canada's Samuel Buldoc for world's best series of work taken by any student aged 30 and under
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Captured by Student Photographer of the Year, Canada's Samuel Buldoc for world's best series of work taken by any student aged 30 and under
"Early Autumn" in Central Balkan, Bulgaria. Winner of Open Photographer of the Year, Open, Landscape & Nature, 2018 Sony World Photography Awards
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"Early Autumn" in Central Balkan, Bulgaria. Winner of Open Photographer of the Year, Open, Landscape & Nature, 2018 Sony World Photography Awards
One from a photographic series of staged poetic photographs showing people bearing the burden of plastic wastes in the environment. Winner of Student Photographer of the Year, Student Focus, 2018 Sony World Photography Awards
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One from a photographic series  of staged poetic photographs showing people bearing the burden of plastic wastes in the environment. Winner of Student Photographer of the Year, Student Focus, 2018 Sony World Photography Awards
One from a photographic series of staged poetic photographs showing people bearing the burden of plastic wastes in the environment. Winner of Student Photographer of the Year, Student Focus, 2018 Sony World Photography Awards
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One from a photographic series  of staged poetic photographs showing people bearing the burden of plastic wastes in the environment. Winner of Student Photographer of the Year, Student Focus, 2018 Sony World Photography Awards
A shot from a series depicting Christian pilgrimages around the world. Winner of Photographer of the Year, Professional, Discovery category, 2018 Sony World Photography Awards
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A shot from a series depicting Christian pilgrimages around the world. Winner of Photographer of the Year, Professional, Discovery category, 2018 Sony World Photography Awards
A shot from a series depicting Christian pilgrimages around the world. Winner of Photographer of the Year, Professional, Discovery category, 2018 Sony World Photography Awards
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A shot from a series depicting Christian pilgrimages around the world. Winner of Photographer of the Year, Professional, Discovery category, 2018 Sony World Photography Awards
Omid, who doesn't know his age, stands for a portrait with his homemade skis in Aub Bala's village mosque, Afghanistan
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Omid, who doesn't know his age, stands for a portrait with his homemade skis in Aub Bala's village mosque, Afghanistan 
Atiqullah, who says he's around 9 years old, stands for a portrait with his homemade skis in Aub Bala's village mosque, Afghanistan
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Atiqullah, who says he's around 9 years old, stands for a portrait with his homemade skis in Aub Bala's village mosque, Afghanistan
Rasidatou and Latifatou, 4, pose for a portrait on a street in the Koumassi district of Abidjan, Ivory Coast
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Rasidatou and Latifatou, 4, pose for a portrait on a street in the Koumassi district of Abidjan, Ivory Coast
Mahmoud and Amadou, 12, pose for a portrait on a street in the Koumassi district of Abidjan, Ivory Coast
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Mahmoud and Amadou, 12, pose for a portrait on a street in the Koumassi district of Abidjan, Ivory Coast
Arabian stallion Hafid poses for a photo shoot
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Arabian stallion Hafid poses for a photo shoot
Anton the horse poses for a photo shoot
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Anton the horse poses for a photo shoot
From the series "Storm Systems"
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From the series "Storm Systems"
From the series "Storm Systems"
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From the series "Storm Systems"
Fishing huts on stilts in the Venetian lagoon
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Fishing huts on stilts in the Venetian lagoon
Fishing huts on stilts in the Venetian lagoon
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Fishing huts on stilts in the Venetian lagoon
Blind baseball players Susanna, Giorgio and Peppe having some rest after a challenging match in Bologna
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Blind baseball players Susanna, Giorgio and Peppe having some rest after a challenging match in Bologna
Florin and Peppe, blind baseball players, training for the championship
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Florin and Peppe, blind baseball players, training for the championship
11-year-old Pejman takes a shower before Disability Children Swimming Championships in Tehran province, Iran
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11-year-old Pejman takes a shower before Disability Children Swimming Championships in Tehran province, Iran
A disabled child swimmer waiting for start of the Disability children Swimming Championship in Tehran
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A disabled child swimmer waiting for start of the Disability children Swimming Championship in Tehran
Bangladesh military watch over Rohingya refugees in Balukhali refugee camp, Bangladesh
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Bangladesh military watch over Rohingya refugees in Balukhali refugee camp, Bangladesh 
Rohingya women refugees waits for food aid at in Bangladesh
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Rohingya women refugees waits for food aid at in Bangladesh
Spectators watch a buzkashi match in Dawlatabad, Afghanistan. Buzkashi is an Afghanistani national pastime where riders battle for control of an animal corpse that they carry toward a goal
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Spectators watch a buzkashi match in Dawlatabad, Afghanistan. Buzkashi is an Afghanistani national pastime where riders battle for control of an animal corpse that they carry toward a goal
Horsemen fight for a headless calf carcass during a buzkashi match. Buzkashi is an Afghanistani national pastime where riders battle for control of an animal corpse that they carry toward a goal
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Horsemen fight for a headless calf carcass during a buzkashi match.  Buzkashi is an Afghanistani national pastime where riders battle for control of an animal corpse that they carry toward a goal
Ballet dancers rehearse in Kenya
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Ballet dancers rehearse in Kenya
Ballet dancers head to class in Kenya
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Ballet dancers head to class in Kenya
Rhinoceros snout section with two horn, mounted to a plaque
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Rhinoceros snout section with two horn, mounted to a plaque
Brown bear rug, photographed at the US Fish and Wildlife Service Repository outside of Denver, Colorado
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Brown bear rug, photographed at the US Fish and Wildlife Service Repository outside of Denver, Colorado
Scene of battle in Mosul, Syria
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Scene of battle in Mosul, Syria
Scene of battle in Mosul, Syria
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Scene of battle in Mosul, Syria
Self-portrait, drinking tea in the kitchen
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Self-portrait, drinking tea in the kitchen
Self-portrait
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Self-portrait
Thousands of Palestinian workers gather at so-called "CheckPoint 300", that divides Bethlehem and Jerusalem
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Thousands of Palestinian workers gather at so-called "CheckPoint 300", that divides Bethlehem and Jerusalem
Thousands of Palestinian workers gather at so-called "CheckPoint 300", that divides Bethlehem and Jerusalem
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Thousands of Palestinian workers gather at so-called "CheckPoint 300", that divides Bethlehem and Jerusalem
The village of Lumane Casimir, in Haiti
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The village of Lumane Casimir, in Haiti
The village of Lumane Casimir, in Haiti
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The village of Lumane Casimir, in Haiti
Milk farmer in Intschi, Switzerland
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Milk farmer in Intschi, Switzerland
Milk farmer in Intschi, Switzerland
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Milk farmer in Intschi, Switzerland
The Sowetan daily newspaper that started in 1981 in the segregated township of Soweto in South Africa
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The Sowetan daily newspaper that started in 1981 in the segregated township of Soweto in South Africa
Informal stand with sweets and vegetables in South Africa, which were under restriction for black owners during the apartheid
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Informal stand with sweets and vegetables in South Africa, which were under restriction for black owners during the apartheid
Image titled "Leah on her Primary 7 Prom Night"
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Image titled "Leah on her Primary 7 Prom Night"
Image simply titled "Steven"
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Image simply titled "Steven"
Tanatopraxia in action, a unique academic program in Latin America that consists of beautifying the deceased and arranging them for burials
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Tanatopraxia in action, a unique academic program in Latin America that consists of beautifying the deceased and arranging them for burials
Tanatopraxia in action, a unique academic program in Latin America that consists of beautifying the deceased and arranging them for burials
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Tanatopraxia in action, a unique academic program in Latin America that consists of beautifying the deceased and arranging them for burials
Image from a series examining and re-evaluating our relationship with technology and industry and its impact on our social and cultural consciousnes
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Image from a series examining and re-evaluating our relationship with technology and industry and its impact on our social and cultural consciousnes
Image from a series examining and re-evaluating our relationship with technology and industry and its impact on our social and cultural consciousnes
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Image from a series examining and re-evaluating our relationship with technology and industry and its impact on our social and cultural consciousnes
View gallery - 49 images

This year's Sony World Photography Awards garnered a whopping 300,000-plus submissions from more than 200 countries. This massive assortment of images has now been reduced to a stunning set of winners, which together shine a light on everything from South Africa under apartheid to the Persian tradition of using animal carcasses in sport.

Sorted into two primary contests, Professional and Open, the 2018 Sony World Photography Awards attracted entries from those who takes photos for a living and those more of an enthusiast persuasion. Among the latter group was Bulgaira's Veselin Atanasov, an IT specialist and self-taught photographer who took out the Open category with this beautiful image of Central Balkan National Park in the autumn.

"Early Autumn" in Central Balkan, Bulgaria. Winner of Open Photographer of the Year, Open, Landscape & Nature, 2018 Sony World Photography Awards
"Early Autumn" in Central Balkan, Bulgaria. Winner of Open Photographer of the Year, Open, Landscape & Nature, 2018 Sony World Photography Awards

Winner of the Photographer of the Year Award was Britain's Alys Tomlinson, whose series Ex-Voto depicted the characters and landscapes of religious pilgrimage sites around the world.

A shot from a series depicting Christian pilgrimages around the world. Winner of Photographer of the Year, Professional, Discovery category, 2018 Sony World Photography Awards
A shot from a series depicting Christian pilgrimages around the world. Winner of Photographer of the Year, Professional, Discovery category, 2018 Sony World Photography Awards

Under the Professional banner, awards were also handed out for sub-categories including Architecture, Contemporary Issues, Sport, Still Life and Landscape. Awards were also handed out for Youth Photographer of the Year (for photographers between 12 and 19) and Student Photographer of the Year (student photographers under 30).

Jump on into the gallery to see these fantastic images in all their glory.

Source: World Photography Organization

View gallery - 49 images
1 comment
1 comment
ljaques
This is an awfully political set of pics, other than the gorgeous shot of the gorgeous Arabian horse (first one) and the awesome storm pics.