Sony World Photography Awards: The winning pictures
Sony has honoured the winners of its World Photography Awards at an event in London. The title of "Photographer of the Year" went to Portuguese photographer Edgar Martins for his series "Our War".
Edgar Martins wins the title "Photographer of the Year" and also the portrait category of the Sony World Photography Awards. These were awarded on Thursday in London. Martin's series "Our War" is a tribute to his good friend, the photojournalist Anton Hammerl, who was killed in the Libyan civil war. Here are all the winners in the professional category.
Photographer of the Year, winner of the portrait category: Edgar Martins
Our War by Edgar Martins is an unusual, nuanced homage to the late photojournalist Anton Hammerl, who was kidnapped and killed by government militias on 5 April 2011 during the Libyan civil war. Frustrated by the unsuccessful attempts to find out where his friend's remains were, Martins took matters into his own hands and travelled to Libya. He was secretly brought into the country by a petrol smuggler. Here is the link to the whole series.
Portfolio category: James Deavin
James Deavin's portfolio was taken in the first half of 2022 in Saudi Arabia, where he was living at the time. According to the photographer, there is no conscious connection between the images, except that he was looking for special photos that could eventually develop into projects. Here is the link to the whole series.
Category Creative: Lee-Ann Olwage
What do girls dream about? And what happens when a supportive environment is created where girls are empowered and given the opportunity to learn and dream? The right to play creates a playful world in which girls are shown in a self-determined and positive way. For this project, the photographer worked with girls from Kakenya's Dream in Enoosaen, Kenya, who have been able to protect themselves from female genital mutilation and child marriage. They show what the world can look like when girls are given the opportunity to learn in an environment that supports them and their dreams. Here is the link to the whole series.
Architecture category: Fan Li
The Tieshan Cement Plant is located in the city of Guilin in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in southern China. The plant was built in 1996 and played an important role in the economic development and urbanisation of Guilin. However, as the cement factory was originally located in the scenic Li River area of Guilin, it has now been relocated, leaving behind the old buildings, water towers, swimming pools and railway tracks. Here is the full series.
Documentary Projects category: Hugh Kinsella Cunningham
Almost 20 years after a conflict that cost the lives of five million people, the Democratic Republic of Congo is once again descending into chaos. While the renewed conflict with the M23 rebels, the massacres and regional militarisation have attracted the world's attention this year, women's important articles on peace remain invisible. Despite the escalating violence, some women are trying to establish a dialogue between the armed actors and the communities. They monitor human rights violations, warn of impending violence and appeal to the rebel leaders to stop the attacks. In doing so, they are taking immense risks. Here is the link to the whole series.
Landscape category: Kacper Kowalski
At the beginning of winter, Kacper Kowalski set off on a journey in search of harmony. Driven by instinct, he ventured further and further until he had crossed the boundaries of rationality. When he could, he flew over frozen waters, fascinated by their icy forms. Between January and March, he completed 76 solo flights with a gyrocopter or a motorised paraglider, covering around 10,000 kilometres and spending 200 hours in the air. His photos were taken from an altitude of around 50-150 metres above bodies of water near Tricity in northern Poland. Here is the link to the whole series.
Nature and Wildlife category: Corey Arnold
Cities Gone Wild is an exploration of three clever animals - black bears, coyotes and raccoons - that have uniquely adapted to survive and even thrive in the human-built landscape while other animals disappear. Corey Arnold has been observing these animals in cities across America to take a closer look at how wildlife is adapting to increasing urbanisation. Here is the full series.
Environment category: Marisol Mendez and Federico Kaplan
The Miruku series focuses on the Wayuus, an indigenous people from La Guajira in the Colombian coastal desert. Commissioned by the British Journal of Photography and WaterAid, the project explores how a combination of climate change and human negligence has led to the Wayuus' diverse members suffering from a crushing water shortage. In the region, the problem is cyclical and multifaceted. While some communities achieve some stability during the rainy season, temperatures inevitably rise and dry out the land again. Global warming exacerbates this, causing drought and famine and destroying the facilities and equipment that help provide clean water. Here is the link to the whole series.
Still life category: Kechun Zhang
Landscape gardening is a practice that dates back to ancient times; Nebuchadnezzar II, king of the Babylonian Empire, had a garden built in the sky for his princess, which became known as the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. The Sky Garden series takes its name from this story. In Wenjiang, where the photographer lives, there are exotic trees and rocks from all over the world, including Japanese black pines and maple trees. Every day, workers lift these trees and rocks with mobile cranes, transport them and plant them in newly created parks, neighbourhoods or city streets. Here is the link to the whole series.
Sports category: Al Bello
Kelsie Whitmore is the first female professional baseball player to play in an all-male league. She plays outfield and pitches for the Staten Island Ferryhawks in the Atlantic League of professional baseball. She made her Atlantic League debut on 22 April 2022 as a pinch runner, and on 1 May she became the first woman to play left field in an Atlantic League game. Just three days later, she became the first woman to pitch in an Atlantic League game. Here is the full series.
My fingerprint often changes so drastically that my MacBook doesn't recognise it anymore. The reason? If I'm not clinging to a monitor or camera, I'm probably clinging to a rockface by the tips of my fingers.