If you want to know what it takes to woo the judges of a pro photography contest, scroll down now.
The spellbinding shortlisted entries in the ‘open’ and ‘youth’ categories of the 2019 Sony World Photography Awards have been revealed – and they’re liable to produce a distinct widening of the eyes. The subject matters range from majestic portraiture to magical landscapes and mischievous wildlife.
This year’s contest saw more than 326,000 entries flood in from photographers around the world – the highest ever number to date.
The ‘professional’ and ‘student’ shortlisted entries will be announced on March 26, with the overall winners from each of the four categories honoured on April 17.
More than 600 selected works selected by the judging panel will then go on show at Somerset House in London until May 6, with over 30,000 visitors expected.
Scroll down to see some of the shots in the running to win…
Nadia Aly from the U.S. said she took this photo on an ‘incredibly cold, snowy, and windy day’ at Snow Hill in Antarctica last October. She explained: ‘These small chicks were patiently waiting for their parents to return from sea with a meal. They huddled up in a group against the ice in an effort to keep warm from the frigid winds. I took this picture to showcase not only the social aspect of these chicks, but also the harsh conditions that they have to endure’. This image has been shortlisted in the ‘open’ category, with the focus being ‘natural world and wildlife’
Canadian photographer Sandi Little said she attended an ‘eagle watch’ event in Sheffield Mills, Nova Scotia, along with dozens of other photographers – and it was during this that she took this amazing picture. Apparently the eagles are fed dead chickens and she stood out to watch the feeding frenzy in minus ten degrees Celsius. This image has been shortlisted in the ‘open’ category, with the focus being ‘natural world and wildlife’
Lifeng Chen from China captured thousands of female Buddhists walking up a hillside in Sichuan during an act of worship. This image has been shortlisted in the ‘open’ category, with the focus being ‘culture’
Kuo Zei Yang from Taiwan took an image of fog hovering over the Tre Cime di Lavaredo peaks in the Italian Alps by night (left), while Lauren Hook from Australia shot a large tent nestling under the stars on the banks of the Colo river in New South Wales (right). Both images have been shortlisted in the ‘open’ category
Md. Akhlas Uddin captured an overcrowded train pulling into Tongi railway station in Bangladesh, with crowds of people lining the tracks. The photographer said the image was taken during a Muslim congregation when around one million worshipers converge. This amazing image has been shortlisted in the ‘open’ category, with the focus being ‘street photography’
Greg Lecoeur from France took this close-up portrait of a grey seal in the Farne Island archipelago off the coast of Northumberland in England. He says that the seal population has declined due to poaching and pollution and although the species is currently protected, many are caught up unintentionally in fishing nets. This image has been shortlisted in the ‘open’ category, with the focus being ‘natural world and wildlife’
Arnaud Guillard from France took this image during the yellow-vest protest in Paris at the Avenue des Champs Elysées. He said when he got closer to the fire he saw this man dressed in a ‘surrealist outfit’. The photographer described the scene as ‘unusual’ with the protester obviously caring about what he looked like. This image has been shortlisted in the ‘open’ category, with the focus being ‘street photography’
Poramin Kanyakool took this photo while travelling through Cappadocia in Turkey. The Thai photographer said it was fantastic seeing the hot air balloons floating against the morning sunshine. This image has been shortlisted in the ‘open’ category, with the focus being ‘travel’
Dikpal Thapa documented locals in Nepal harvesting honey from wild Himalayan bees. The photographer said the hunters remained calm while the bees swarmed and they used fire to smoke them out. Apparently the event takes place twice a year. This image has been shortlisted in the ‘open’ category, with the focus being ‘culture’
This stunning photo shows Mount Bromo in East Java, Indonesia. Roslan Nasir, from Malaysia, said she captured the shot around 4am as the sun rose, with the temperature a little chilly at eight degrees Celsius. This image has been shortlisted in the ‘open’ category, with the focus being ‘landscape’
Alimohammad Karami took this image, which shows people gathering for ‘Noruz’, the traditional Iranian festival of spring. The event is apparently considered as the start of the New Year among Iranians and it is celebrated at the end of March each year. This image has been shortlisted in the ‘open’ category, with the focus being ‘culture’
British photographer Dean Grossmith ventured to the Kölnbrein Dam in Austria to capture this dramatic black-and-white shot. He says the structure was conceived in the 1930s and then only constructed in the 1970s. It is Austria’s tallest dam with a height of 660 feet. This image has been shortlisted in the ‘open’ category, with the focus being ‘architecture’
Chun Kit Kevin So wanted to capture the ‘unique harmony’ of Tokyo and took this shot at Chidorigafuchi during the cherry blossom season. The photographer says the image shows the ‘coexistence of urban and nature’. This image has been shortlisted in the ‘open’ category, with the focus being ‘landscape’
Ukrainian photographer Denys Borysov says he always tries to take a camera with him to ‘catch interesting moments from life’. He captured this photograph of children during a sports lesson while driving by a football pitch in thick fog on his way to work. This image has been shortlisted in the ‘open’ category, with the focus being ‘street photography’
British photographer Tracey Lund took this shot of gannets feeding underwater while travelling around some of Shetland’s remotest headlands. She described the encounter as an ‘unbelievable experience’ and one she will ‘never forget’. This image has been shortlisted in the ‘open’ category, with the focus being ‘natural world and wildlife’
Jeroen Beekelaar from the Netherlands photographed an owl perching on a lantern (left), while Daniel Portch took a picture of a scooter rider outside the Zaha Hadid-designed Aquatics Centre in London to give the building a sense of scale (right). Both images have been shortlisted in the ‘open’ category
Georgios Papapostolou from Greece captured a father and son using traditional methods to milk a goat. Papapostolou says they are ‘still doing the milking the same way as their family used to do a century ago’ on the small island of Astypalaia in the south Aegean sea. This image has been shortlisted in the ‘open’ category, with the focus being ‘culture’
Chinese photographer Zhou Dainan captured this candid family shot in the city of Guangzhou as people turned out for a camping event. This image has been shortlisted in the ‘open’ category, with the focus being ‘street photography’
Qin Fan from China took this image showing a special police brigade in the Hunan Province taking part in ‘extreme physical training to exercise the strength and perseverance of its members’. This photo has been shortlisted in the ‘open’ category, with the focus being ‘motion’