In pictures: Sony World Photography Awards

  • 6 March 2017

A selection of the shortlisted photographs in the world’s largest photography competition.

  • Mount Fuji Ann Ric

    The shortlist for the Sony World Photography Awards competition has been released with the winner set to be announced on 20 April. We present a selection of potential winners, drawn from more than 220,000 entries, including this one by Ann Ric which captures Mount Fuji during Japan's Fujisan Marathon.

  • Beach in Salento Vito Leone

    A colourful picture is of beach goers in Salento, Italy, was captured from above Vito Leone.

  • A man in a panda suit holds a panda Ami Vitale

    Ami Vitale photographs a captive-bred panda bear at Wolong Nature Reserve in China. Handlers wear panda suits to protect the cubs from becoming used to human contact.

  • A woman sits in her house Anisleidy Martínez Fonseca

    Carmen Sajeras, 85, was born in Cuba, from a Spanish emigrant family. She told photographer Anisleidy Martinez Fonseca that she was nostalgic for the years before the Revolution.

  • A crowd of men Emrah Karakoc

    Emrah Karakoc's picture shows the huge crowds at the Mourning of Muharram event in Ardabil City, Iran.

  • A baptism Beniamino Pisati

    In Tbilisi, Georgia, Beniamino Pisati depicts a crying infant being baptised according to Orthodox rites.

  • A couple sit on a bed Mahesh Shantaram

    As part of Mahesh Shantaram's series on racism in India, he photographed a young couple. He explains: "Hamza came all the way from Nigeria to study human rights in India. This I found surprising. I didn't know one could study that subject here, except perhaps to study its spectacular absence. Hamza is by far the most sensitive guy I've ever met on this tour of Africans in India. When I asked to photograph him in his wallpapered dwelling, he requested that he be joined by his love, Shukura, a student of nursing."

  • A young boy sits on his bed Christina Simons

    Salvador, aged six, is a "torero," or trainee bullfighter. He sits on his bed, waiting to depart for the afternoon bullfight in Plaza Mexico.

  • An outdoor swimming pool Julien Chatelin

    Julien Chatelin's photograph is of an outdoor pool in Fuling, China, capturing the economic development of newly built cities.

  • A girl sits in a car Yulia Grigoryants

    This photograph, by Yulia Grigoryants, is of nine-year-old Syuzanna. She sits in a makeshift shelter in Gyumri, Armenia. Ten days previously, her father took his life because of debt.

  • A plant is toppled over Andrés Gallardo Albajar

    Talking about his photograph of an Alicante building, Andres Gallardo Albajar says: "When arriving at the spot, it really felt like I interrupted these little palm trees while fighting, and they were pretending nothing happened."