10 Photographs You HAVE To See Today

The winning, and also the most stunning pictures of the Sony World Photography Awards 2024, organised by World Photography Organisation are out!

The top pics, in 10 interesting categories, were chosen from among more than 395,000 images sent in from 220 plus countries.

The overall winner of all the categories will be announced on April 18 in London at a special awards ceremony.

Jaguars, lighthouses, swimming pool beauties, mobikes, chemical crystals, chairs... Have a look at this splendid mix of photographs that were the category winners:

Caiman Crunch
Winner in the Natural World & Wildlife Category

Ian Ford of United Kingdom submitted a striking photograph, named Caiman Crunch, of a jaguar attacking a caiman crocodile on a river bank.

Ford and his camera tracked a jaguar as she stalked her prey, and caught the precise moment of her pouncing on the unfortunate croc.

Says Ford: 'We had bid farewell to our São Lourenço River lodge (Brazil), marking the end of our Pantanal adventure, but as we were leaving we heard that a jaguar had been spotted roughly 30 minutes away.

We raced to the scene and encountered this sleek female jaguar stalking her prey. Our boat -- and my camera -- was perfectly positioned as she pounced on an unsuspecting caiman'.

©Ian Ford, United Kingdom, Winner, Open Competition, Natural World & Wildlife, Sony World Photography Awards 2024

Zenande, Sinawe, Zinathi and Buhle
Winner in the Portraiture Category

A picture titled Zenande, Sinawe, Zinathi and Buhle was submitted by Michelle Sank of United Kingdom. It was taken at Sea Point Pavilion, Cape Town, the capital of South Africa, of four penisve teens at the pool.

'This image is part of my ongoing series Ballade, which is a poetic homage to my birthplace' explains Sank. My strongest memories are of Sea Point Promenade and the Pavilion swimming pool, although due to apartheid it was only for the privileged white population.

'Returning in 2023 I was again drawn to these spaces where little seems to have changed in terms of structure and recreation, but they now celebrate cultural and social diversity'.

©Michelle Sank, United Kingdom, Winner, Open Competition, Portraiture, Sony World Photography Awards 2024

The Hand
Winner in the Street Photography Category

Callie Eh of Malaysia sent an unusual shot -- The Hand -- which is of just a waving hand of presumably the bridegroom, whose face is hidden, in a wedding procession in Bhaktapur, Nepal.

Eh describes his frame: 'A groom waves enthusiastically while passing by during a ceremonial procession for a wedding in Bhaktapur, Nepal.

©Callie Eh, Malaysia, Winner, Open Competition, Street Photography, Sony World Photography Awards 2024

Between Calm and Catastrophe
Winner in the Travel Category

Yan Li, who lives in China, is the creator of Between Calm and Catastrophe. The image draws out the contrast between a serene village in the middle of Lake Titicaca, and a totally un-tranquil advancing wildfire on the shore.

'On Lake Titicaca, between Peru and Bolivia, a tranquil floating village stands in stark contrast to the approaching wildfire, a dramatic testament to nature’s dual disposition', comments Yan Li.

©Yan Li, China Mainland, Winner, Open Competition, Travel, Sony World Photography Awards 2024

Coalition
Winner in the Object Category

Toni Rinaldo of Indonesia bravely entered a picture of merely two chairs -- Coalition. And won in his category!. But what a carefully framed portrait of two inanimate objects that can say so much.

Rinaldo remembers, 'I took this picture in a waiting room. The difference in colour of the two chairs, next to one another, caught my eye. This reminded me of my country, Indonesia, where different cultures exist side by side, and that is what makes people interested in visiting it'.

©Toni Rinaldo, Indonesia, Winner, Open Competition, Object, Sony World Photography Awards 2024

Falling Out of Time

Winner in the Architecture Category

From Slovenia comes Ana Skobe's Falling Out of Time, of a majestic sky, endless sea, a sliver of land, a lone person and geometrically-designed lighthouse that offers plenty of impact.

'Bathed in soft evening light, a lighthouse rises into the clear sky, its clean, sleek, geometric design contrasting with the coastal landscape. Positioned at its base is a figure -- a contemplative man gazing out at the expanse of the ocean before him. The juxtaposition of the solitary silhouette against the infinite horizon creates a moment of reflection and connection with the vastness of the ocean', says Skobe.

©Ana Skobe, Slovenia, Winner, Open Competition, Architecture, Sony World Photography Awards 2024

Untitled
Winner in the Creative Category

The Netherlands' Rob Blanken could not settle on a title for his complex, curious amazing photograph of crystals of amino acids B-alanine, L-glutamine and glycine. There's a lot we have never seen before!

Belanken's description is terse: 'A 5x enlargement of crystals of amino acids (B-alanine, L-glutamine and glycine), photographed with the help of polarising filters'.

Moonrise Sprites over Storr
Winner in the Landscape Category

The folks from the UK have taken a lot of prizes in this competition. Liam Man, UK, has a cracker of a picture of the Isle of Skye in Scotland. Titled cutely, Moonrise Sprites over Storr, his lens recorded for eternity the moon rising -- no it's not the sun -- and the lights of drones, like UFOs, above Old Man of Storr hill in a blizzard.

Recalls Man, 'As a moonrise burns across the horizon, lights dance above the Old Man of Storr in Scotland. This iconic rock formation was illuminated with powerful lights attached to drones, which cut through the darkness to reveal the icy landscape. Blizzards howled for the majority of the night, leaving mere minutes to execute this photograph before the moon became too bright'.

Twende Ziwani
Winner in the Lifestyle Category

Twende Ziwani or Let's Go To The Lake, by Alvin Kamau of Kenya, presents a studio shot brimming with panache and p'zazz.

'This editorial photoshoot was inspired by haute couture fashion culture. The photograph was taken in a studio in Nairobi, Kenya. 'Twende Ziwani' is Swahili for 'Let's go to the Lake'. The model's pose shows him carrying his shoes on his shoulders while looking to his side. The title also refers to Lake Victoria, the largest lake in Africa and the source of the Nile River', offers Kamau.

Rider Getting Down and Dirty
Winner in the Motion Category

Samuel Andersen, Norway, presents the prettiest pic of a puddle ever, called Rider Getting Down and Dirty. And a photograph so full of action it could be a video. Pretty dirty too. How did his lens fare post that giant splash?

Says Andersen, 'A rider passes through a muddy part of the course at the Norwegian National Championships in Hafjell Bike Park, Norway. As I was using an 11mm fisheye lens I needed to get really close to get this shot, and both myself and my gear ended up getting splashed. It was worth it though, as the backlighting from this angle was very effective.

Published with permission from Sony World Photography Awards 2024.

Feature Presentation: Ashish Narsale/Rediff.com