The Most FANTASTIC Pix You Will See!

The World Photography Organisation has revealed the winners for the Sony World Photography Awards 2024.

Here are the winning entries:

A Colourful Dream by Bibek Kunwar

I took this in a felt ball factory while I was shooting a documentary video.

This small girl was curious about my camera, so while I was on a break I took her picture.

I saw these felt balls lying on the ground and had the idea to photograph the little girl there, covered with the colourful material and asking her to close her eyes as if she were asleep.

Heading Down by Abdulla al-Mushaifri

One of these riders was about to fall after he tried to stand on his horse's back, but his colleague supported him and held his hand.

This photograph was taken in the sultanate of Oman, where horse races are still organised in the classic peer-to-peer racing tradition.

Elephant Sand Bath by Ju Shen Lee

A sand bath protects an elephant's skin against insect bites and keeps it warm in the cooler winter months.

The fine sand found along the Narayani River makes a perfect 'bath'.

The Fisherman's Life by Kyaw Htet

Inle Lake in Myanmar is known for its picturesque scenery.

The local fishermen use a unique leg-rowing technique to propel their boats, and this photograph reveals a serene scene, as a couple fish beneath the shade of a majestic, sprawling tree.

The reflections on the water add an extra touch of beauty to the moment.

Gas Station in Winter Garb by Tomáš Havrda

I took this photograph on my way home from work.

Falling Out of Time by Ana Skobe

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.

At the Border by Vladimir Karamazov

To find yourself at a border, having to leave your life and go looking for another one, is something that has become more and more common in recent years.

September by Viktors Rimarevs

Baltic Sea, Tuja.

Untitled by Yasser Alomari

A supermoon sits at the top of the Saudi Public Investment Fund tower in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

At the Salon by Onyekachi Iloh

I took this photograph in a salon, and was drawn to the way in which the girl's green uniform seemed to be in conversation with the green of the wall.

When I positioned her, I realised that the hair extensions hanging on the wall behind her, and her own short hair, covered by her beret, seemed to say something about a person shielded from the harrowing world of beauty 'standards'.

Approaching Danger by Okan Yilmaz

A lone tree stands, in the vast expanse, A sentinel of resilience, in the dry dance.

Beside, a puddle, a tiny oasis so dear,
Mirroring the threat of drought drawing near.

Illuminated Sanctuary by Mahdin Shafiq Omi

When I went to the Loknath Brahmachari temple in Barodi, Narayanganj, Dhaka, Bangladesh, I observed this temple and the way it was illuminated in the candlelights of the people, as well as the smoke from the burning candles.

Rehearsal by Davuth Van

Competitors practise for Bon Om Touk, a traditional festival that is also known as the Cambodian Water Festival.

Mookambika Gulikan Theyyam by Vinaya Mohan

Gulikan Theyyam (or Guliga Theyyam) is a figure worshipped as Lord Shiva.

In the Karnataka region, this deity is worshipped as the Hindu culture's Guliga Daiva.

This was a challenging low-light photographic situation, as fire was the only light source.

The God Man jumps into the fire and moves all the time, which makes it very difficult to take a clear photograph.

Pabbajja Samanera by Dhiky Aditya

The warm light of the lanterns illuminates the hearts of pabbajja novices in the courtyard of Borobudur temple, Indonesia.

Red Beauty by Natalie Strohmaier

This picture is part of my Unattainable Beauty series, which explores the artificial creation of beauty.

The 'flower model' was hand assembled using needles and wires, and photographed in the studio.

I adjusted the saturation, contrast, colour and brightness in Capture One, then used Photoshop to remove the needles and wires and clean the picture.

Fantasy Shapes by Lourens Durand

A close-up photograph of an arrangement of dry leaves and a snail shell on a black tile.

Traffic Circle by Lim Chien Ting

The design of the Pearl Ring Roundabout in Beijing, China, harmonises seamlessly with the detailed patterns of its surroundings.

Tossing the guns by Wasiri Gajaman

A military display at the annual desert festival in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan, India.

To the Moon by Pascal Fouquet

A SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket transits the moon carrying the X-37B space plane into orbit.

Shockwaves from the rocket cause a ripple effect across the moon.

Feathers in Focus by Mohammad Mirza

The European shag is a medium-sized seabird belonging to the cormorant family.

I took this photograph during a winter trip to Hornoya island in Norway, which gave me the unique opportunity to capture the resilience and beauty of this remarkable bird in its natural habitat.

People of the Misty Oasis: Abdel Qader -- by Karim Osama

Abdel Qader of the Amirab tribe, photographed in the E'daib valley of Mount Elba.

People of the Misty Oasis was a project that attempted to photograph people who, despite their deep ancestral history, have not been properly documented, as they live in the Halaib Triangle.

Light of a New Day by Thanayu Jongwattanasilkul

A man walking along the beach towards Vestrahorn mountain in Iceland.

Highest Mountain in the South of Vietnam by Tran Tuan Viet

With an elevation of 996 metres, Ba Den Mountain in Tay Ninh is the highest mountain in Vietnam's Mekong Delta.

At its summit stands a Bodhisattva statue, which was cast from more than 170 tons of red bronze.

At 72 metres tall it is the tallest bronze Buddha statue in Asia to be located on a mountain peak.

Untitled by Muhammad Saddique Inam

These Pashtun men run an open-air dried fruit market alongside the main road in Gujranwala City, Pakistan, in what is supposed to be a bus stop.

It was captured on a bright, sunny day in winter and is a reflection of life in the city.

Thus Spoke Zarathustra by Reginald James Lorico

I captured this sunrise over Tehran in March. The sunlit building reminded me of the monolith in the film 2001: A Space Odyssey.

Silence by Barbara Szydlowska

I photographed these Japanese-inspired costumes in the hills of the historic centre of Krakow.

Child Sleeping at a Construction Site by Mitul Kajaria

The young child of a daily wage construction worker napping in a makeshift bed at a construction site.

Tree of Life by Chia Jung Chou

Photographed at a beach in Fujian province, China, this image serves as a metaphor for the 'tree of life': the receding tide leaves a trace that looks like the roots of a tree, while a local fisherwoman walks through it.

The overall winners in the Student, Youth, Open and Professional competitions of the Sony World Photography Awards 2024 will be announced on April 18, 2024 and will go on display as part of the exhibition at Somerset House, London (April 19 to May 6, 2024).

For more information about upcoming announcements and winners please visit www.worldphoto.org

PUBLISHED WITH PERMISSION FROM Sony World Photography Awards 2024

Photographs curated by Rajesh Karkera/Rediff.com
Feature Presentation: Ashish Narsale/Rediff.com