Susan Sontag (1933-2004) once remarked that “to collect photographs is to collect the world.” Each year, the Sony World Photography Awards celebrate images that communicate a powerful visual narrative, inviting audiences into an arena – to share and experience the human condition through technically and conceptually innovative images.
The Open competition – held amongst two other Professional and Youth strands – offers photographers the opportunity to showcase their work, no matter where they are in terms of their careers. The award weaves a rich tapestry of the present moment, calling upon practitioners from across the globe to depict and present the world in all its complexity. The competition contains 10 categories which demonstrate this diversity: Architecture; Culture; Creative, Motion, Landscape; Natural World & Wildlife; Portraiture, Travel, Street Photography; and Still Life.
This year’s category winners and shortlists have been announced. In the Landscape strand, Craig McGowan’s prize-winning Ice Reflections (featured image) depicts an image of a solitary iceberg, set against the fjörd walls in Northeast Greenland National Park. The iceberg and surrounding landscape are mirrored in the clear waters of the river. Abstract and visually arresting, the image highlights the fragility and precariousness of the planet; the iceberg looks as though it could be either emerging or sinking into the depths. It seems as thought he photograph is asking questions about the narrative of the planet; can we erase the damage? Can we move forwards?
In the Travel Category, Adrian Guerin is the winning for Riding a Saharan Freight Train – an image taken on the top of a carriage of an iron-ore train. The carriage was passing through Mauritania, making a 700km long journey from the coastal town of Nouadhibou to the Saharan wilderness of Zouérat. Stretching 2.5km in length, it’s one of the longest trains in the world transporting more than 200 carriages loaded with rocks. Guerin’s composition cuts across the centre, presenting clear borderlines – it is suggestive of the boundaries between countries and the perpetual state of motion and exchange of resources.
The overall Open winner will be announced on 9 June on the World Photography Organisation and Sony’s online platforms. For more information, or to see the full galleries, click here.
Credits:
1. © Craig McGowan, Australia, Winner, Open competition, Landscape, 2020 Sony World Photography Awards.
2. © Jonathan Rogers, United Kingdom, Shortlist, Open competition, Travel, 2020 Sony World Photography Awards.
3.Viktor Einar Vilhelmsson, Iceland, Shortlist, Open competition, Landscape, 2020 Sony World Photography Awards.
4. © Adrian Guerin, Australia, Winner, Open competition, Travel, 2020 Sony World Photography Awards.
