Meet The Finalists, Sony World Photography Awards 2022

IMAGE: Bull riding is the most dangerous sport in rodeo. During the ride, cowboys must follow the rules while facing a test of nerves with a tough bull. The rider depends on bullfighters to distract the bull until he is safely out of its range.
On this moment in September 2021, one bullfighter is distracting the bull as the rider is being thrown off. Photograph: Zhenhuan Zhou, China, Shortlist, Open, Motion, 2022 Sony World Photography Awards

IMAGE: One of my lifelong dreams was to meet the famous mountain gorillas. I stayed in the Bwindi forest for three days, and trekked twice into the Bwindi rainforest in order to meet the Nkuringo family.
Rwamutwe became the new upcoming Silverback of this family. To see them so close was a thrilling adventure -- the social interactions between them, and the way they interact with visitors, was fascinating. Photograph: Brice Tribollet, Switzerland, Shortlist, Open, Natural World & Wildlife, 2022 Sony World Photography Awards

IMAGE: In order to express the texture of smoke in a cool way, I shot it on a rainy day. I was able to capture an atmosphere, as I'd aimed for. Photograph: Hiroki Nose, Japan, Shortlist, Open, Motion, 2022 Sony World Photography Awards

IMAGE: A murmuration of starlings over Lough Ennell in County Westmeath, Ireland. Photograph: James Crombie, Ireland, Shortlist, Open, Natural World & Wildlife, 2022 Sony World Photography Awards

IMAGE: Captured in Esplanade du Trocadero, Paris, in 2021. Photograph: © Ludovic Le Guyader, France, Shortlist, Open, Street Photography, 2022 Sony World Photography Awards

IMAGE: Magma rises directly from the mantle, driven by gigantic gas bubbles 10-15 metres in diameter, which burst at the surface.
As a squall blanketed the Reykjanes peninsula with clouds and heavy rain, I ascended to the base of Geldingadalir, Iceland's youngest volcano.
I flew my drone blindly through the clouds. When I reached the crater the lava was emerging with unusual force, scattering the incandescent rock like oil on a canvas. Photograph: Luis Manuel Vilariño Lopez, Spain, Shortlist, Open, Landscape, 2022 Sony World Photography Awards

IMAGE: A man transports his work baskets on the back seat of his bicycle accompanied by his sharply defined shadow. This picture was taken from an attic near the Guadalmedina River in Malaga, Spain. Photograph: Miguel Angel Mínguez Corella, Spain, Shortlist, Open, Street Photography, 2022 Sony World Photography Awards

IMAGE: Dreams of freedom at the horse stables, captured in 2021 in Kermanshah, Iran. Photograph: Shabnam Maleki, Iran, Shortlist, Open, Creative, 2022 Sony World Photography Awards

IMAGE: A group of elephants relax, and lie down in a murky river as locals bathe alongside them, which creates a cloud effect in the murky water.
The animals, part of a circus, are cleaned twice a week in the shallow waters of the Karatoa stream in Bangladesh. Photograph: Sujon Adikary, Bangladesh, Shortlist, Open, Travel, 2022 Sony World Photography Awards

IMAGE: This was taken on Lago di Braies, while exploring the Dolomites among brothers; waking up before dawn and going to bed after twilight, to enjoy the most beautiful light of the day! Photograph: François Philippe, France, Shortlist, Open, Travel, 2022 Sony World Photography Awards

IMAGE: A candid street moment taken from the Barbican Centre in London.
The fact that this was taken during the second national lockdown complimented the fact that she was alone practising her basketball skills amongst the cold brutalist architecture this place has to offer, adding a sense of scale and isolation. But in turn, also hope. Photograph: Jonathan White, United Kingdom, Shortlist, Open, Street Photography, 2022 Sony World Photography Awards

IMAGE: There is a lot of amazing architecture in Chongqing, for geographical reasons. Photograph: Junming Chen, China, Shortlist, Open, Architecture, 2022 Sony World Photography Awards

IMAGE: A man is staring back at a life-sized photo of a T-Rex. It looks like the man and the dinosaur are playing a staring game.
A replay of David versus Goliath -- but who will have the final laugh?
This dangerously impossible mission catches the attention of a mother and her daughter. Photograph: Kantaya New, Singapore, Shortlist, Open, Lifestyle, 2022 Sony World Photography Awards

IMAGE: I was overwhelmed by this new generation of solar panels. Immediately, I saw the association with a sea that now supplies us with energy, instead of food. Photograph: Manuel Schmidt, Germany, Shortlist, Open, Landscape, 2022 Sony World Photography Awards

IMAGE: While the man is making honeycombs in the village house, his wife takes care of the dairy business. Photograph: Osman Maasoglu, Turkey, Shortlist, Open, Lifestyle, 2022 Sony World Photography Awards

IMAGE: Herds of Red Deer live freely in Richmond Park, London. The fog on this September morning helped, as I took this image of a hind reaching up to eat some leaves. Photograph: Thomas Barry, Ireland, Shortlist, Open, Natural World & Wildlife, 2022 Sony World Photography Awards

IMAGE: My best friend saw it first. A single lion, lying under a bush, looking for shade. Not exactly an unfamiliar sight, as lions choose to save precious energy in the savanna heat.
I needed something better. Lions should evoke respect with their image. We went to check it out and it turned out to be the last lion to leave, in a group of nine.
A magnificent sight to behold. We were face to face with Sala's pride. Sala means 'prayer' in Swahili, but is also a camp in the Maasai Mara. Often, prides bear the name of a close landmark. Photograph: Tiho Trichkov, United States of America, Shortlist, Open, Natural World & Wildlife, 2022 Sony World Photography Awards