Open shortlist & category winners: first look

The results of the Open competition, highly anticipated by photographers and photography lovers worldwide, have been announced! The 17th edition saw over 395,000 images from over 220 countries and territories.

The Open competition has ten diverse categories which reflect the many faces of the photographic medium. Each category winner receives digital imaging equipment from Sony and will go on to compete for the prestigious Open Photographer of the Year title and a $5,000 (USD) prize. 

We dive into the stories behind the photographs shot by category winners.

ARCHITECTURE
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.’

CREATIVE
Rob Blanken

‘A 5x enlargement of crystals of amino acids (B-alanine, L-glutamine and glycine), photographed with the help of polarising filter.'

LANDSCAPE
Liam 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.’

LIFESTYLE
Alvin Kamau

'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.’

MOTION
Samuel 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.’

NATURAL WORLD & WILDLIFE
Ian Ford

‘We had bid farewell to our São Lourenço River lodge, 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.'

OBJECT
 Toni Rinaldo

‘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.'

PORTRAITURE
Michelle Sank

‘This image is part of my ongoing series Ballade, which is a poetic homage to my birthplace. 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.'

STREET PHOTOGRAPHY
Callie Eh

‘A groom waves enthusiastically while passing by during a ceremonial procession for a wedding in Bhaktapur, Nepal.’

TRAVEL
Yan Li, China Mainland

‘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.

The Open Photographer of the Year will be announced at the black-tie awards ceremony on 18 April in London. The winning photographs will be shown at the upcoming Sony World Photography Awards 2024 exhibition, opening on 19 April.

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