You have to see these Sony World Photography Awards images

1st Place, Open, Wildlife

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 with Flamingos and their beauty and elegance gave 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.

Photograph: Alessandra Meniconzi/Sony World Photography Awards

1st Place, Open, Portraits

My art work is a portrait of a young girl called Nastya, who modeled for me in Moscow studio at summer 2016 after I got inspired by a famous French movie “Leon” with a cast of Natalie Portman and Jean Reno. This is the reason why my portrait is called: “Mathilda”, which was photographed as a cosplay of Portman’s role in this movie.

Photograph: Alexander Vinogradov/Sony World Photography Awards

Commended, Open, Culture

The Ritual of Gajan is running from last 100 years in West Bengal, India. This skull is of a woman who died two months back, her face skin not yet properly deformed in a skull. Each year there is a target to collect the skulls from the burial ground. Those who got success they believe their worship will be fully successful. People observe fast during this period devoting themselves to their God.

Photograph: Avishek Das/Sony World Photography Awards

3rd Place, National Awards

A leopard resting in a tree.

Photograph: Bjorn Persson/Sony World Photography Awards

1st Place, Open, Motion

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.

Photograph: Camilo Diaz/Sony World Photography Awards

1st Place, Open, Street Photography

NYC Village Halloween Parade 2016, the spookiest time of the year. The parade began at 7 pm and took place along 6th Avenue. Participants were invited to gather half an hour before the start of the parade.

The theme of this year’s parade was “Reverie”. According to the organisers of the parade: “Most people believe that Halloween is an opportunity to let your imagination free. The truth however, is that the Halloween is more for awareness of ourselves.”

The image “Halloween protagonists” depicts the atmosphere of the world’s most unique parade through the Joker’s smile.

Photograph: Constantinos Sofikitis/Sony World Photography Awards

3rd Place, National Awards

A pod of Atlantic spotted dolphins exhibit their cooperative hunting behaviour as they attempt to catch a juvenile fish that is hiding under the sand. By using echolocation, dolphins are able to find their prey, even when their prey is camouflaged and/or out of sight. This photo was taken in November 2016 during a fieldtrip with the Bimini Biological Field Station in the Bahamas.

Photograph: Eugene Kitsios/Sony World Photography Awards

2nd Place, National Awards

This image was taken at the Bombo Quarry in Kiama NSW. I always wanted to take a photograph that reflects the movement of the water and bring the viewer in to the image following the movement.

Photograph: Federico Rekowski/Sony World Photography Awards

2nd Place, National Awards

Photograph: Husain Hakin Alfraid/Sony World Photography Awards

1st Place, National Awards

Squid are very active at night. I enjoy watching squid wriggle their tentacles into slithering spirals while hovering, and thrust them straight out like a bouquet of tails to swim. Squid can darken and lighten their pigmentation at will, an ability which becomes obvious when they are illuminated by a night diver’s light. This squid was encountered at 5 metres depth and displayed its deadly fangs and claws trying to scare me.

Photograph: Jim Chen/Sony World Photography Awards

3rd Place, National Awards

A mother teaching her child how to jump near us.

Photograph: John Tao/Sony World Photography Awards

1st Place, National Awards

Taken on June 12, 2016, while working in the field, this iguana was near a small creek. I had done several reptile shots until I got this one.

Photograph: Jonatan Banista/Sony World Photography Awards

1st Place, National Awards

This image was taken at SadanCave, Pahan township, Karin state in Myanmar. She is worshipping at the Lord of Buddha. It was created December 11, 2016 at 11:21 am. She is worshipping at the Lord of Buddha. Human have a dream their life to easygoing; we always praying our incomparable Buddha in our mind.

Photograph: Kyaw Win Hlaing/Sony World Photography Awards

2nd Place, National Awards

This photo was taken on February 28, 2016 in the Stuttgart Library, in Germany. I really like this library because it’s like no other library I’ve ever seen, “breaking the rules”. I actually find that this modern and ethereal look helps one concentrate reading a book or studying.

Photograph: Luis Pina/Sony World Photography Awards

1st Place, National Awards

Girl hanging on the bus window.

Photograph: Luís Godinho/Sony World Photography Awards

2nd Place, National Awards

I was photographing in a photo hide on a marsh where a pair of Peregrines (Falco peregrinus) was nesting. The parent in the picture had just caught a prey bird, Ruff (Philomachus pugnax), and was taking the catch to the chicks in the nest.

Photograph: Markus Varesvuo/Sony World Photography Awards

3rd Place, National Awards

Photograph: Mohammad Alnaser/Sony World Photography Awards

1st Place, National Awards

Winter morning scene under the iconic and signature bridge, Howrah of Kolkata, India.

Photograph: Mohammad Amir Hamja/Sony World Photography Awards

3rd Place, National Awards

Gentoo penguins, hunting in the icy cool waters of Antarctica. It’s incredibly interesting to see how synchronised they are with their movements and breaths, as they glide throughout the ocean.

Photograph: Nadia Aly/Sony World Photography Awards

1st Place, National Awards

This image was taken in March 2016 at Mahim bay which is in Mumbai. I was wandering around that area and was waiting for the evening to come to take some silhouette photographs. After a while, my attention went on the noise which was some coming from somewhere nearby. The noise was quite chaotic. From the distance, I saw a group of kids playing around some junk yard cars, screaming, throwing bottles at each other, fighting. It’s only when I went closer that I realised how reckless they were!

Photograph: Nikunj Rathod/Sony World Photography Awards

1st Place, National Awards

The image Swirl was made at the beginning of 2016 at the local pond near Palovec. It shows a moment when small bird kingfisher fly out of water with little fish in his beak but also swirl of water and fish.

Photograph: Petar Sabol/Sony World Photography Awards

3rd Place, National Awards

This is an image of my friend Magda - a ballet dancer of the Polish National Ballet, taken in the kitchen of my apartment in Warsaw, Poland in October 2016. I love ballet and dance and so I took this image to show how talented the dancers are and also just for fun.

Photograph: Przemyslaw Olejarz/Sony World Photography Awards

1st Place, National Awards

I was doing some work around this area then I saw this child. He was enjoying the rain and he was walking on Railway Lines but it’s not understand that it is a railway track.

Photograph: Shabir Mian/Sony World Photography Awards

1st Place, Open, Architecture

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.

Photograph: Tim Cornbill/Sony World Photography Awards

3rd Place, National Awards

A Hmong woman watching sunrise moment at Mu Cang Chai Rice Terrace. This region of northwest Vietnam is poor and relatively undeveloped but very rich in natural beauty. It has been recognised as one of the unique landscapes of Vietnam.

Photograph: Trần Minh Dũng/Sony World Photography Awards