2016 Sony World Photography Awards: 16 breathtaking shots

The $30,000 prize (Rs 19.8 lakh) is up for grabs at the Sony World Photography Awards.

With barely weeks left to enter the 2016 Sony World Photography Awards, the world's biggest photography competition, photographers from around the world, including India, have been submitting some of the most stunning images -- many capturing breathtaking shots of mother nature at her finest.

Here are some of the entries received in the competition, made available to Rediff.com by the Sony World Photography Awards

Photographer's Note: I captured this photo of a crocodile and lizard battling. The crocodile was sunbathing when the lizard suddenly attacked. Photograph: Hendy Lie/Indonesia/Entry/Open/Nature & Wildlife/2016 Sony World Photography Awards

Photographer's Note: In late summer the Euopean hamster gets ready for hibernation. He fills up his pouches with grains, roots, plants or insects and transports them into his food chamber (that's why he is running). Photograph: Julian Ghahreman-Rad/Austria/Entry/Open/Nature & Wildlife/2016 Sony World Photography Awards

Photographer's Note: I wanted to capture this long exposure image right in the middle of a dark night with the Milky Way showing. The image shows a woman walking along a path, a path which seems to lead up to the Milky Way. She may be heading to her physical home for now, but eventually we all return to our stellar origins as starstuff. My goal was to capture a portrait that displays not just the physical aspects of a person, but a portrait of her whole being as a part of a larger universe. Photograph: Kimmo Kuisma/Finland/Entry/Open/Low Light/2016 Sony World Photography Awards

Photographer's Note: Ineffable. Photograph: Mildreth Vasquez Lopez/Colombia/Entry/Arts & Culture/Open/2016 Sony World Photography Awards

Photographer's Note: Pelicans competing for food at Jurong Bird Park, Singapore. Photograph: Nikhil Rasiwasia/India/Entry/Open/Split Second/2016 Sony World Photography Awards

Photographer's Note: A group of red flamingos arguing. Their noisy encounter accompanies their red bodies as they were ballet dancers with tutus. Photograph: Pedro Jarque Krebs/Peru/Entry/Open/Nature & Wildlife/2016 Sony World Photography Awards

Photographer's Note: Old smartly dressed man laughing towards the heavens after some good fortune. Photograph: Otieno Nyadimo/Kenya/Entry/Open/Smile/2016 Sony World Photography Awards

Photographer's Note: An angry man. Photograph: Rengga Marantica/Indonesia/Entry/Youth/Portraits/2016 Sony World Photography Awards

Photographer's Note: Tribal women of Gujrat in India wearing traditional silver ornaments and blessing a newly married girl. Photograph: Sanghamitra Sarkar/India/Entry/Open/Smile/2016 Sony World Photography Awards

Photographer's Note: The picture was taken near Three Peaks refuge, located in the heart of the Dolomiti di Sesto, Italy. I used a graduated neutral density in combination with a neutreal density filter to extend the exposure time up to 66 seconds. Photograph: Stefan Achorner/Austria/Entry/Open/Nature & Wildlife/2016 Sony World Photography Awards

Photographer's Note: Motocross rider surfing dunes in Villa Gesell, Argentina. Photograph: Ariel Pasini/Argentina/Entry/Open/Split Second/2016 Sony World Photography Awards

Photographer's Note: Digital Manipulation. A giant giraffe crossing Corrientes Avenue in Buenos Aires. Photograph: Jose Maria Perez/Argentina/Entry/Open/Enhanced/2016 Sony World Photography Awards

Photographer's Note: Northern Norway. Photograph: Manfred Voss/Germany/Entry/Open/Travel/2016 Sony World Photography Awards

Photographer's Note: Isadora after bathing, happy and still adjusting to life. Photograph: Marcio Yuzo Oshiro/Brazil/Entry/Open/Smile/2016 Sony World Photography Awards

Photographer's Note: This image was taken on my (cracked) iPhone on board a flight from Oslo, Norway into London Heathrow on July 28, 2015. Photograph: Maria Farrelly/UK/Entry/Open/Architecture/2016 Sony World Photography Awards

Photographer's Note: A young boy training hard in the pool to participate in the yearly triathlon while other kids are playing. The image was taken at Sandsbeach resort pool in Lanzarote. Photograph: Petra Van Borm/Belgium/Entry/Open/Split Second/2016 Sony World Photography Awards