Selected from over 105,000 entries from across the world, these 10 were named winners of the 2017 Sony World Photography Awards by an expert panel of judges.

Do pictures speak a thousand words, or do they just elicit an emotion? – these 10, do a little bit of both.

Selected from over 105,000 entries from across the world, these photographs were named winners of the 2017 Sony World Photography Awards by an expert panel of judges.

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Each photograph is the winner of its own Open category, which include Architecture, Culture, Enhanced, Motion and Nature. The remaining categories are Portraits, Still Life, Street Photography, Travel, and Wildlife.

So, enough of my words, let these pictures awe you, while the people who took them explain them for themselves.


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'Oculus' - Tim Cornbill

Having just arrived in Berlin on a bright summer's day, my wife and I decided to take a morning walk along the River Spree. We soon came across a large concrete building, and I was immediately struck by its geometry and scale. Across the river, I positioned myself for a single point perspective and waited for the right moment to capture it. A couple came into the viewfinder and I noticed the cyclist out of the corner of my eye. I waited for them to move into the frame and hit the shutter to try and balance the composition.

© Tim Cornbill, United Kingdom, 1st Place, Open, Architecture, 2017 Sony World Photography Awards


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'Tai Chi' - Jianguo Gong

December 10, 2016. Wuhan city in Hubei Province, the Yangtze River, more than 1 thousand and 300 people practicing taijiquan.

 © Jianguo Gong, China, 1st Place, Open, Culture, 2017 Sony World Photography Awards


509_1169_LiseJohansson_Denmark_Open_Enhanced_2017.jpg (original size)'#3 Hearth' - Lise Johansson

'The series Hearth is exploring what it means to feel at home. The inspiration for the work came from the personal experience of returning to Denmark after many years of living abroad, realizing that I lost the warm sense of belonging I once used to have. For this project I’ve photographed architecture models of classic functionalist buildings, some of the earliest representations of what would later become archetypes of the Danish homes. Placing doll-like people in the models, distant, without any connection to their surroundings, Hearth seeks to apprehend the concept of home in its absence. 

© Lise Johansson, Denmark, 1st Place, Open, Enhanced, 2017 Sony World Photography Awards


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'Submerged field' - Camilo Diaz

Everyday aims towards a collective goal. The Colombian national team is immersed in white, grey, and black, fighting together for the ultimate position. With accredited prestige, an invitation was sent to participate in the European Junior Championship, as a guest team.
Ana Maria and her team are constantly fighting, pushing their lungs to the limit and transforming their everyday lack of resources to an idea of opportunity. The volume of water suggests a calm while the surface gives constant chaos. It is in this scenario that the South American team is named youth world champion winners in Norway.

© Camilo Diaz, Colombia, 1st Place, Open, Motion, 2017 Sony World Photography Awards


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'borderline' - Hiroshi Tanita

The boundary line between blue and white, ice and snow which appeared in the pond to which thin ice came into winter.

© Hiroshi Tanita, Japan, 1st Place, Open, Nature, 2017 Sony World Photography Awards


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'Mathilda' - Alexander Vinogradov

Inspired by a movie Leon. Model: Anastasiya Marinina.

 © Alexander Vinogradov, Russian Federation, 1st Place, Open, Portraits (Open), 2017 Sony World Photography Awards


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'Sunrise at Sea' - Sergey Dibtsev

Not necessary to have money to travel by sea. Just use your imagination! Fabric and paper is all you need.

© Sergey Dibtsev, Russian Federation, 1st Place, Open, Still Life (open), 2017 Sony World Photography Awards


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'Halloween Protagonists'  - Constantinos  Sofikitis

Halloween in NYC, one of the world's most unique parades and the spookiest holiday in the fall.

© Constantinos  Sofikitis, Greece, 1st Place, Open, Street Photography, 2017 Sony World Photography Awards


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'Gasing Up At Roy's' - Ralph Gräf

Roy's Cafe, gas station and motel in Amboy, California. Part of my series "Roadside America". This photo was taken at the Historic Route 66.

© Ralph Gräf, Germany, 1st Place, Open, Travel, 2017 Sony World Photography Awards


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'FLAMINGOS SOUL' - Alessandra Meniconzi

I am not a wildlife photographer but when I saw the first time the flamingos on the shallow waters of Walvis Bay I really get crazy! Walvis Bay lagoon is synonymous of Flamingos and their beauty and elegance give me a lot of inspirations. There is not limit for my imaginations: I watched them from early morning till the end of the day. These fascinating-in-pink birds make me to finish the photographic cards very quickly.

© Alessandra  Meniconzi, Switzerland, 1st Place, Open, Wildlife, 2017 Sony World Photography Awards


Each winner received a Sony a7 II camera, and is now in the running to win the Sony World Photography Awards’ Open Photographer of the Year title, a trip to the winners' awards ceremony in London on April 20 and $5,000 US dollars in cash prizes.

(Photos: World Photography Organisation)