07 February 2023

Sporty shots, inspiring locations and feisty fashion dominate in Sony World Photography Awards

07 February 2023

The World Photography Organisation has revealed the National Award winners for the Sony World Photography Awards 2023 (worldphoto.org/sony-world-photography-awards).

The National Awards program, set up by the World Photography Organisation and Sony to support local photographic communities around the world, involved 55 countries this year.

The awards involve winners from each country, from Latin America to Asia, Africa to Europe, showcasing international talent in photography.

The winning photographs draw inspiration from stunning locations, gorgeous fashion and the movement of the human body, and will have you itching to explore more of what the world has to offer.

Dynamic Athlete by Sandra Handschin

Handschin is from Basel, Switzerland and created this inspiring athletic image. revealling: “To demonstrate the dynamic nature of this young Swiss athlete, I worked with water splashes and gelled lights.”

Run by Mawaruddin Mawaruddin

This image of an athlete at the Asian Para Games competition by Mawaruddin exemplifies speed and determination.

Retro Vibes by Adil Javed

“As a fan of the 1980s, I wish today’s technology was available in those days,” photographer Javed says, when discussing this shot of a model with a French-style bob, full denim jumpsuit, and retro telephone, which is complemented by more modern tattoos on her arm.

The Jetty by Eng Tong Tan

This beautiful 132-second long exposure shot of a jetty at Desaru, Malaysia will have avid travellers eager to explore.

Turtle Dream by Thiện Nguyễn Ngọc

In this picture, the photographer explains that “a female diver glides peacefully alongside a friendly sea turtle off the coast of the Perhentian Islands, Malaysia – a harmonious coexistence between humans and nature.”

Siren’s Dawn by Mateusz Żurowski

This is, the photographer says “a portrait of a woman I met at the Baltic Sea in Poland,” which exudes natural beauty and combines stark nature with stunning, long red hair.

Jumping Rope by Leo Huang

Huang says “I recorded this moment from a low angle, so I could include the clouds in the sky and make the picture more dramatic.” Skipping is big in Taiwan, with the tag #freestylejumprope totting up 672k views on TikTok in the East Asian country.

Untitled by Fabian Jung

This portrait of a young man in an American-style trucker cap is a playful combination of colourful modern fashion and stern expression. To achieve the lighting effect, Jung says, “I positioned my model behind a piece of broken glass, which was illuminated by a red LED strip.”

The overall winners in the Student, Youth, Open and Professional competitions of the Sony World Photography Awards 2023 will be announced on April 13, 2023, and will go on display as part of the exhibition at Somerset House, London.

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