Image description
The opening ceremony for this school in Tianjin, China, was scheduled for September 4, 2022, and more than 2,000 people were expected to attend. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic no one was there. The neat rows of brightly coloured chairs create a strong sense of order in this lonely photograph, where everything seems to be fake.
Shortlist
Liberty
Catch Me If You Can
In summer, kids love to play in the water fountains close to my home in London. I took this photograph using a telephoto setting on my zoom lens and converted the photograph to black and white to emphasise the contrast between the cold water and the kids chasing each other.
© Liberty McAuley, United Kingdom, Shortlist, Youth competition, Your Everyday, 2023 Sony World Photography Awards
Edmond Leong
Untitled
I photographed this scene in Shah Alam, Malaysia, having spotted this girl with a funny facial expression. It was a fast-paced environment and I only had a small window of opportunity to take the shot. I quickly checked my camera settings and prepared my off-camera flash before I stepped into the scene and took the photograph, applying a slight Dutch angle to my composition.
© Edmond Leong, Malaysia, Shortlist, Youth competition, Your Everyday, 2023 Sony World Photography Awards
Natálie Navrátilová
Are They Alive?
I put some seaweed and fish toys into an inflatable paddling pool in the middle of summer and took pictures of my siblings in the water. The aim was to warn us of how the world could be if we carry on as we are: people will die and only plastic fish will remain.
© Natálie Navrátilová, Czechia, Shortlist, Youth competition, Your Everyday, 2023 Sony World Photography Awards
Eason Zhang
Car and Reflection
I was attracted to this scene by the juxtaposition of the dog in the car, and the person in the rear-view mirror. I pressed the shutter to capture the moment.
© Eason Zhang, China Mainland, Shortlist, Youth competition, Your Everyday, 2023 Sony World Photography Awards
Katarzyny Akermana
Surrounding Beauty
This photograph is a beautiful look at the uniqueness of animals. I took the photograph facing towards the setting sun to create the strong, warm backlighting and atmospheric flare, making sure that I didn’t underexpose the shot in the process.
© Katarzyny Akermana, Poland, Shortlist, Youth competition, Your Everyday, 2023 Sony World Photography Awards
Emily Cho
Record of the Year
This self portrait was taken in a studio with the camera on a tripod. At the time, my life revolved almost entirely around preparing for exams and creating my art portfolio, and I felt that these routines were imprinted on my body. So, for this photograph I attached the paper I had been studying to my face and stood next to one of my paintings.
© Emily Cho, Korea, Republic Of, Shortlist, Youth competition, Your Everyday, 2023 Sony World Photography Awards