Sony World Photography Awards: the finalists 2021

The world organization of the photos submitted finalists and included in the shortlisted photographers in the professional competition of the Sony World Photography Awards 2021. This year, like all previous 14 years of the award, the organizers of the Sony World Photography Awards have identified the most, in their opinion, the outstanding shots, assessing their technical excellence and a fresh look at the world.

Winner of the "photographer of the year 2021" will be chosen from a group of professional finalists and announced online on 15 April 2021, Just in 2021, attended by more than 330 000 images from 220 countries and about 145,000 entered in 10 categories in the professional competition, is the largest number of works in the history of the competition. Photographers and finalists of the Sony World Photography Awards 2021:

In the "Hymn of the construction site" GU Guanhui (mainland China) represented the image of the construction sites in the County Ninghai Zhejiang province.

The picture was taken from above, where the workers at the site were reduced to abstract forms.

From an abstract point of view there is also a Frank Michalowski (Germany), whose series of Meisterhäuser Bauhaus-Dessau includes layered images homes master Walter Gropius in Dessau. For his project "Eternal hunting grounds" Tomas Vocelka (Czech Republic) decided to photograph a former military complex that was converted into a crematorium for Pets, designed by architect-minimalist Peter Hayek.

Using family heirlooms to create the staging of visual metaphors Sascha Bauer (Russian Federation) explores her family history through the prism of the stormy life of his grandfather, from his childhood in an orphanage to years of service in the Soviet army.

Mark Hamilton Gruchy (UK) The Moon Revisited introduced earlier unprocessed images of the Apollo moon missions of NASA and JPL, which relate to key periods in history, from past wars to the movement pop art and the current pandemic.

"Amelia and I" Luigi Bussolati (Italy) presents photographs from old family album, projected on the landscape of Parma, and along the Po river. The project was conceived in memory of uncle Bussolati, the passionate photographer, who in 1942 was tragically killed himself.

A powerful explosion in the port of Beirut Lorenzo Tugnoli (Italy) documents the destruction after the explosion that shook Beirut in August 2020.

Then in the port city exploded 2750 tons of ammonium nitrate, resulting in hundreds of people died and thousands were wounded.

In "Children of Thatcher" by Craig Easton (United Kingdom) explores the chronic nature of poverty and the consequences of social policy of successive governments on the example of three generations of one family in the North of England.

The Killing Daisyby Vito Fusco (Italy) dedicated to pyrethrum, also known as the "flower of death". This delicate but deadly for insects Daisy is at the center of a thriving industry organic insecticides in Kenya.

"The city under the dusty clouds" by Mohammad Hossein madadi's (the Islamic Republic of Iran) is an urban landscape of Ahvaz, one of the most polluted cities in the world, covered with a cloud of dust and dirt Sepia.

"Net-Zero Transition" Simone Tramonti (Italy) explores Iceland, a country that currently produces 100% of its electricity from renewable sources as a successful example for other countries seeking to a more sustainable future.

"We are driven by the sea", "Sea moves" of Fovame, Antonio pérez (Spain) represents residents of Fovame, a small fishing village in Ghana, in a series of portraits, paired with photos of their abandoned homes, which now lie in ruins because of rising sea levels.

In the "Quiet blocks" Majid of Hojati (Islamic Republic of Iran) is a series of landscapes centered around abandoned buildings that in their silence poetically reminiscent of the stories of those who once inhabited them.

Zaim Andrea Ludovico ferro (Italy) explores the concepts of iconography and devotion, expressed in political propaganda posters that dominate urban landscapes Tripoli, Lebanon.

Volcano Fyodor Savintsev (Russian Federation) depicts the bright colors, variety of natural and otherworldly quality volcanic belt of Kamchatka Peninsula, Russia.

Photojournalist Brais Kout (Spain) is a series of acute and dramatic scenes, exploring the events of his native city Orense in the region Gelisimi, ranging from the impact of the pandemic to forest fires and the carnival season.

In "Citizens of tomorrow" creative Director and photographer of Loli Laburo (Argentina) contrasts the lively street scene, "we know" with the colorful and dramatic set of portraits, depicting the "new norm".

Images taken from various personal projects, documentary photographer and portraitist Laura Pannack (UK) uses symbolism and muted color palette to trigger the vulnerability and closeness with their objects.

For his second project, included in the shortlist, Craig Easton (United Kingdom) is Bank Top, a collaboration with writer and academician Abdul Aziz Hafiz, exploring the representation and distortion of the communities in the North of England.

Julia Fullerton-batten (United Kingdom) took to the streets of his district in West London to capture its neighbors.

Inspired by the movie of John Huston's "the Misfits" (1961), the film "Drag Queen of the Cowboys" Jane Hilton (UK) consists of black-and-white portraits of artists "Drag Queen" of Las Vegas, photographed in "Western" clothes on the background of the Nevada desert.

ANAS agarbatti the (Syrian Arab Republic) touching documenting children's karate school of Wasim of Satta in the village Algina, near Aleppo, where Boys and girls aged 6-15 years unite together to overcome the trauma of war.

On the roofs of Farzana Saleh (Islamic Republic of Iran) captured the Iranian athletes to conquer the rooftops of the city, so during a pandemic to remain in physical form.

Iron Fit from Kenya Patrick Meinhardt (Spain) depicts athletes from all over East Africa, participating in the second contest of Iron Fit on bodybuilding in Nairobi.

Shooting Wet Plate Peter Almeida (Netherlands) shows a series of black-and-white images: glass vases, flowers and fruits that have been artfully photographed using large-format cameras.

The Mexican holiday is a celebration of Mexican food and crafts. A vivid and bright combination of colors and textures Paloma Rincon.

Conceived during the first national isolation in Milan, "Volatile interest" Alessandro Pollio (Italy) is a visual examination of the home environment of the photographer, in which the simple and often humorous compositions of food and everyday objects to represent the memories of days spent in isolation.

"Sea drop" angel Fitora (Spain) — photo essay on the life in a drop of sea water.

"The invasion of locusts in East Africa" Luis Tato (Spain) documents the devastating desert locust in East Africa, destroying entire fields of vegetation and crops. This recent outbreak was the most severe in recent decades in the region, coupled with the limitations of Covid-19 that violate the supply chain of pesticides.

With the help of close-up portraits of aerial and underwater shots of Raw Nature Graeme Purdy (UK) has captured the fierce and majestic beauty of wild animals.

The work of the photographers finalists were evaluated: Natasha Egan, Executive Director, Museum of contemporary photography, Chicago; Sunan Kim, curator, Museum of photography, Seoul, South Korea; the ABC Nagbago, founder and Director of the African artists Foundation and LagosPhoto festival; Lindsay Taylor, curator of the collection of works of art Salford University; Hannah Watson, Director, Trolley Books; and Mike trow, independent curator, photo editor, the Chairman of the jury.

Commenting on the finalists and shortlisted for this year, Mike trow said:

"Integrity, intentionality and sound edits, presented in the draft this year, caused controversy and sincere gratitude to the jury. Photographers have coped with the task in 2020, using the time to dive into personal projects and learn the stories that take place in their local communities.

Their efforts really paid off because the works included in the shortlist and finalists, significantly increased the quality that has made the competition in this year's special".