The shortlist for the 2014 Sony World Photography Awards was recently announced by the World Photography Organisation. Photographers from 166 countries submitted nearly 140,000 images (69,114 Professional entries; 65,512 Open entries and 4,928 Youth entries images), the highest number of entries in the awards’ seven year history. From the submissions the judges have selected an eclectic shortlist representing the very finest in international contemporary photography from the past 12 months.
All the shortlisted images will go on show at Somerset House, London, from 1-18 May as part of the 2014 Sony World Photography Awards Exhibition. The winners of the Open and Youth categories will be announced on 18 March. Professional category winners and the coveted L’Iris D’Or/ Sony World Photography Awards Photographer of the Year title will be announced at a gala ceremony in London on 30 April. The L’Iris D’Or winner will receive $25,000 (USD) and the Open Photographer of the Year will receive $5,000 (USD).
To see all of the shortlisted winners, visit worldphoto.org
1. What are you staring at !?
Chin Boon Leng, Singapore
Shortlist, Nature & Wildlife
A baby Orangutan peeking out from his mother’s embrace.
2. Samsara
Wolfgang Weinhardt, Germany
Shortlist, Travel
All scenes were taken in early 2013. This year I had the pleasure to join the pilgrims and devotees of the Maha Kumbh Mela – the largest spiritual gathering on the planet, held every 12 years. Furthermore I travelled different parts of Indonesia and South India to complete my buffalo race-catalogue. An impressive trip to the Javanese miners of Kawah Ijen and other familiar insights was another highlight.
3. The Mongol
Simon Morris, United Kingdom
Shortlist, Travel
A hunter rests in his little house on the plains ..western Mongolia with his Eagle which is hooded and cat under the table!
4. Aerial Series
Emmanuel Coupe-Kalomiris, Greece
Shortlist, Landscape
All images were taken in the southern and central parts of Iceland. These areas were carefully scouted and selected for their particular qualities such as formations and color pallet.
5. Be Cheerful Even in the Darkest of Times
Samantha Fortenberry, United States
Shortlist, Low Light
In your youth, nothing can stop you from enjoying time with your friends, especially not a simple matter of rain during summer fun. You may grow up and forget the names, but you’ll always remember the moments, the time on the dock with your friends during a surprise shower.
6. Bears and Birds…
Wilfred Berthelsen, Norway
Finalist, Travel
This is a series of images in black & white taken at Svalbard.
7. Homebound
Ata Mohammad Adnan, Bangladesh
Shortlist, Split Second
Homeless children in Chittagong, Bangladesh
8. Cost of slavery
K. M. Asad, Bangladesh
Shortlist, Current Affairs
“This building will stand a hundred years,” owner boasted just a day before collapse. The next morning, it came down. “Aha re,” the people shook their heads and asked sympathetically So sad. “Shoitaner shoitan,” they cursed the owner of the building. The devil’s devil. The number of dead bodies crossed thousand so fast. Thousands of mourners have gathered at the ruins of a garment factory building (Rana Plaza at Savar). Rescue workers take part in the rescue of the eight‐storey building Rana Plaza which collapsed at Savar, outside Dhaka, Bangladesh. Reports state that 1130 workers died and nearly 2500 were rescued alive after the eight‐story building Rana Plaza that housed mostly garment factories collapsed on 24 April 2013.
9. The Depth of Winter
Kacper Kowalski, Poland
Finalist, Landscape
An overhead view, from the skies above Poland.
10. Wax System
Fabrizio Cestari, Italy
Shortlist, Portraiture
Celebrity portraits of the star system. Real glances, fake faces. One of the most shoots of my life at the Museum of Madame Tussaud.
11. Mother and Son
Denis Dailleux, France
Shortlist, People
A most Christ‐like image, a bare‐chested son rests near his mother. Why does this image of the mother‐son relationship move us so? Because the son, by his nudity, looks as fragile as he was on the day of his birth? Because the mother seems fulfilled by the presence of son, who completes her? These images from our Mediterranean roots strike us because they come the dawn of time, and the same time, rest at the heart of the modern psyche.
12. Zeybecks
Hasan Baglar, Cyprus
Shortlist, Nature & Wildlife
That’s Dance, Sunward and Zeybeks.
13. The Calm Before the Storm
Sean Batten, United Kingdom
Shortlist, Architecture
Someone cycling through the Greenwich foot tunnel in London, even though you’re not suppose to!
14. Survivors
Ken Hermann, Denmark
Finalist, Portraiture
The true face of a victim Every year people in Bangladesh are disfigured beyond recognition by acid attacks. The victims are literally scarred for life. Award‐winning photographer Ken Hermann and video journalist Tai Klan visited Bangladesh and returned with a striking series of photos and a documentary that emphasizes the resilience of the mutilated victims. It is not the almost indistinguishable scar tissue at the left
15. Untitled
Yao Wang Chong, Taiwan
Shortlist, Split Second
Emotional outpouring of bride
16. Indonesia Padang City Tour cattle activity
YongSheng Zheng, China
Finalist, Sport
This group race cow taken in the city of Padang, Sumatra, Indonesia, which has 400 years of history, is the traditional cattle race events, the locals call PacuJawi, usually after rice harvest, choose an open flat paddy fields held two cattle as a group, the rider standing on a wooden shelf control, competitive and exciting game
17. Big Cat, Little Cat
George Logan, United Kingdom
Shortlist, Campaign
‘Big Cat, Little Cat’ is an advertising campaign for Whiskas cat food.
18. Wet Dog
Sophie Gamand, France
Finalist, Portraiture
Wet Dog is a series of portraits of dogs caught mid‐bath. The dogs are photographed at a vulnerable moment, half a second before they shake the water off their fur. Sophie’s pictures capture their character and, in some cases, recognizable emotions (like annoyance, misery or vengefulness).
19. Rakher Upobash
Suvra Kanti Das, Bangladesh
Shortlist, Arts & Culture
An old Hindu woman sits with lights (Prodip) and prays to God in front of Shri Shri Lokanath Brahmachar Ashram temple during the Rakher Upobash at Barodi, Narayangonj. Thousands of Hindu devotees sits with Prodip and prays to God in front of Shri Shri Lokanath Brahmachar Ashram temple during the Rakher Upobash at Barodi, Near Dhaka, Bangladesh. Lokenath Brahmachari who is called Baba Lokenath was an 18th Century Hindu saint and philosopher in Bengal. Hindu devotees fast and pray in earnest to the gods for their favours during the ritual called Kartik Brati or Rakher Upobash traditionally. An old Hindu woman sits with lights (Prodip) and prays to God in front of Shri Shri Lokanath Brahmachar Ashram temple during the Rakher Upobash at Barodi, Narayangonj.
20. Muddy Smile
Alpay Erdem, Turkey
Shortlist, Smile
A muddy face from the mud bath going into the lake
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