Travel is still not an option right now, but you can explore the world through photography – and the work of finalists and shortlisted photographers in the professional competition for the Sony World Photography Awards 2021, is a good place to start.

The pros showcase “rewards a remarkable body of work for technical excellence and a fresh perspective on contemporary subjects” – including portraiture, landscape and environment.

The winner will be announced on April 15. Until then, enjoy these…

1. From the series Ampelio and I by Luigi Bussolati

2. A Fox from the series Volcano by Fyodor Savintsev

3. From the series Gas Chamber Delhi by Alessandro Gandolfi

4. Pink Dream by (Sergio) (Aparicio) OKOBÉ

5. I Wanna Be Messi by Antonio Aragon Renuncio

6. Urban training by Florian Gruet

7. Minimalistic still life with a cat and chamomile by Igor Kryukov

8. From the series Saving Chimps in the Congo by Brent Stirton

9. Love by Aleksander Nordahl

10. Hymn of the building site-6 by Guanghui Gu