Image description
During the Covid-19 pandemic a lot of people found they had time on their hands. With most skateparks closed, Charlie – and many others – helped turn an abandoned pub car park, which had laid derelict for eight years, into a DIY skate park.
Shortlist
Jonathan Damslund
Napalm Girl, 50 Years Later
In 1972, on a road in Vietnam, Kim Phùc Phan Thi was running for her life. She had severe burns on her body, which had resulted from a napalm airstrike. A photograph taken of her at that moment became a symbol of the Vietnam war.
Today, Kim Phùc is at peace, and lives to inspire. She runs her own foundation, with the mission to restore hope for innocent war-torn children. Kim Phùc is no longer ‘the girl in the picture’ – she has transformed into a symbol of courage, peace and hope.
© Jonathan Damslund, Denmark, Shortlist, Open Competition, Portraiture, 2023 Sony World Photography Awards
Donell Gumiran
Nomad Watcher
The young nomad looks after his pet camel. The camel is to the Rajasthani nomad what the yak is to a Tibetan – it is a support system, a source of sustenance and a principal mode of transport.
© Donell Gumiran, Philippines, Shortlist, Open Competition, Portraiture, 2023 Sony World Photography Awards
Angela Perez
Imperfect
What the world might see as imperfections are what make us unique. For this portrait I wanted to strip my subject to their most basic self, removing the colour and background distractions to show them in their true form.
© Angela Perez, United States, Shortlist, Open Competition, Portraiture, 2023 Sony World Photography Awards
Lukas Palatinus
Desert Sisters
Apache sisters from Albuquerque, New Mexico.
© Lukas Palatinus, Slovakia, Shortlist, Open Competition, Portraiture, 2023 Sony World Photography Awards
Mateusz Żurowski
Sirens Dawn
A portrait of a woman I met at the Baltic Sea in Poland.
© Mateusz Żurowski, Poland, Shortlist, Open Competition, Portraiture, 2023 Sony World Photography Awards
Mwana Pwo
Nahary
Nahary started by changing her clothes. Soon after, she let her hair grow and began to dress effeminately. Bit by bit she bought her clothes: a blouse here, a skirt there. When she braided her hair for the first time she loved it. The neighbourhood reacted. Everyone wanted to come and see her. Some neighbours bothered her, but Nahary didn’t care. At that moment she felt like herself: a woman.
© Mwana Pwo, Angola, Shortlist, Open Competition, Portraiture, 2023 Sony World Photography Awards
Louis Park
Anaiwan Ojala, Badminton
This image is of a badminton player named Anaiwan from Wellington, New Zealand. I invited him into the studio at my University to photograph him as part of my graduate project, which aimed to capture the essence of athletes who play non-mainstream sports in New Zealand. Inspired by the many pre-existing in-game photographs of racquet sports, I wanted to create a dramatic and engaging portrait of Anaiwan in the studio.
© Louis Park, New Zealand, Shortlist, Open Competition, Portraiture, 2023 Sony World Photography Awards
Sandra Mickiewicz
Acolyte Holding the Golden Cross.
I went to Norfolk, England, to document the annual National Pilgrimage in Walsingham, which sees people gather from across the UK and the world to celebrate one of the biggest Anglican events. This boy holding a golden cross caught my eye and I asked him if I could take his portrait before he set off in the procession.
© Sandra Mickiewicz, Poland, Shortlist, Open Competition, Portraiture, 2023 Sony World Photography Awards
Nukabari Opuama
Untitled
As a young photographer, one of the major challenges I face is getting a good camera and other accessories to use. For this portrait I used a Speedlight fitted with a softbox and a reflector to bounce light onto my models. Taken at Rivers State University, Nigeria.
© Nukabari Opuama, Nigeria, Shortlist, Open Competition, Portraiture, 2023 Sony World Photography Awards
Gemma Sains
Covered
A drag artist wrapped in tulle. This image was taken in my studio in Stratford, London, using a one-light setup.
© Gemma Sains, United Kingdom, Shortlist, Open Competition, Portraiture, 2023 Sony World Photography Ads
Glenn Homann
Ron
I'd met Ron a few weeks before this image was taken. He dripped of life experience and Aussie charm. He was also very proud of his family heritage, which stemmed from both Ireland and Scotland. He'd travelled over there in the past and wanted to show me just what it meant to him.
© Glenn Homann, Australia, Shortlist, Open Competition, Portraiture, 2023 Sony World Photography Awards
Christopher Wonder
Mama’s Family
I took this photograph of Mama and her family at Agbura community, Bayelsa state, Nigeria, in 2022. I wanted to represent the family bond of the people of the Niger Delta, because in our region of Nigeria we take family very seriously.
© Christopher Wonder, Nigeria, Shortlist, Open Competition, Portraiture, 2023 Sony World Photography Awards
Brian Cassey
Untitled
© Brian Cassey, United Kingdom, Shortlist, Open Competition, Portraiture, Sony World Photography Ads 2023.jpg