Professional and amateur photography around the world is thriving. Proof: The Sony World Photography Awards reported the highest number of submissions in the awards’ eight-year history in 2015, a 24% increase on the 2014 competition.

Take a look here at this year's Professional, Open, and Youth shortlists, which include images ranging from a newborn baby in France, to the desolation of the war in Ukraine.

Professional Competition

1. "Futuristic Archaeology", Republic of Korea, Conceptual, by Daesung Lee

35% of Mongolians are living a nomadic life and depend on their land for survival ... This project attempts at recreating the museum diorama with actual people and their livestock in a real place where decertifying in Mongolia. – Daesung Lee

2. "Couples in Shower", United Kingdom, Lifestyle, by Julia Fullerton-Batten

"Everland is the largest theme park in Korea. This is the open shower in Caribbean Bay." – Julia Fullerton-Batten

3. "Caesar", France, Portraiture, by Christian Berthelot

"Caesar are portraits of children ... They were all born by caesarean section and they only have a few seconds of life – all survived." – Christian Berthelot

4. "First Sight", West Bengal, India, Contemporary Issues, by Brent Stirton

"Blind girls Sonia, 12, and Anita Singh, 5, [were] born into poverty with congenital cataract blindness." – Brent Stirton

5. "A Life Apart: The Toll of Obesity", United States, Contemporary Issues, by Lisa Krantz

"At almost 600 pounds, Hector Garcia Jr finds simple daily tasks like bathing a challenge." – Lisa Krantz

6. "Ganges, Death of a River", Italy, Landscape, by Giulio di Sturco

"Hindu devotees' along the banks of the river Ganges get ready to soak in the water of the sacred river, India, in 2008." – Giulio di Sturco

7. "Tooting Bec Lido, London", United Kingdom, Campaign, by Jonathan Syer

"Lidos were perhaps at their most popular between the wars when people took their holidays here in England. " – Jonathan Syer

8. "Sweat and Blood", Poland, Sport, by Marcin Klocek

"In the Ryogoku district of Tokyo [there] are many heyas (beyas); the training quarters, where sumo wrestlers train and live." – Marcin Klocek

9. "Glasgow; Second City of The Empire. On the run up to the Scottish Referendum 02", United Kingdom, Portraiture, by Dougie Wallace

"London’s Kensington and Chelsea has the UK’s highest life expectancy at birth. I looked at this Glasgow community and the day-to-day lives of its inhabitants ... My intention was to juxtapose Glasgow with the setting of Kensington and Chelsea in London." – Dougie Wallace

10. "Ukraine. Kiev. Euromaidan", Ukraine, Current Affairs, by Vladyslav Musiienko

"Ukrainian protester plays piano on a barricade in front of the riot police line during the continuing protest in Kiev, Ukraine, 10 February 2014." – Vladyslav Musiienko

11. Landscape, by Simon Butterworth

"The images were shot from a light aircraft flying at between 4,000 and 5,000ft ... The height was crucial in order to flatten perspective by using long focal lengths." – Simon Butterworth

12. "One Hundred and Forty Centimetres", Germany, People, by Sabine Lewandowski

"One in 700 babies are born with Down syndrome ... Down syndrome is the most common chromosomal abnormality in newborns." – Sabine Lewandowski

13. "Olympic Faces", Germany, Sport, by Sascha Fromm

"Italy's Ludwig Rieder prepares for the training run during the Men's Luge Doubles of the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics at Sanki Sliding Centre in Sochi, Russia." – Sascha Fromm

14. "Purim Holiday in Jerusalem", Israel, Arts and Culture, by Gili Yaari

"Ultra-Orthodox Jewish men of the Toldot Aharon Sect celebrate the Purim holiday in the ultra-orthodox Mea Shearim neighborhood in Jerusalem on 17 March 2014." – Gili Yaari

15. "Restricted Areas", Russia, Landscape, by Danila Tkachenko

"The project Restricted Areas is about [the] utopian strive of humans for technological progress." – Danila Tkachenko

16. "Clubs in Italy", Italy, Architecture, by Massimo Siragusa

17. "Swedish Dads", Sweden, People, by Johan Bavman

"Ola Larsson, 41 years old ... on leave with his son Gustav, for eight months." – Johan Bavman

18. "Berlin", Iran, Travel, by Farid Sani

"This series compares the faces and colors of four different cities which describes the culture of the people that are living there." – Farid Sani

19. "Hair", Denmark, Portraiture, by Jens Juul

"The hair is an intimate part of a person ... Hair has some symbolic value: ideas of beauty, strength, eroticism, individuality, sensuality, masculinity, and femininity are closely linked to the hair." – Jens Juul

21. "Underwater Grace", Singapore, by Jonathan Yeap Chin Tiong

"Black and white treatment was chosen for this series of images to further enhance the body form underwater." – Jonathan Yeap Chin Tiong

22. "Animal Behaviour", Finland, Still Life, by Kimmo Metsaranta

"Animals have their own will and they will not pose at the behest of the photographer." – Kimmo Metsaranta

23. "Maurice and Lisa", Belgium, People, by Liza Van der Stock

"Maurice and Lisa shooting a scene ... The porn they make is not populated by Barbies or muscled superheroes." – Liza Van der Stock

24. Russia, Lifestyle, by Ramil Gilvanov

25. "Berlin on Ice", Germany, Panoramic, by Alexander Klebe

"It's a sunday in February and one of the rare occasions, when the Rummelsburger Bucht in Berlin, a sidearm of the Spree river, is completely frozen." – Alexander Klebe

Open Competition

26. "Miracle Mile", Australia, Architecture, by Gina Alderson-Hicks

"'Miracle Mile' is my first photograph taken after relocating to Los Angeles from New York." – Gina Alderson-Hicks

27. "Jump", Indonesia, Arts and Culture, by Aprison Aprison

"Bujang Ganong is a traditional attraction in Indonesia. He jumped into the circle of fire." – Aprison Aprison

28. "Berlin", Germany, Architecture, by Jürgen Schrepfer

29. "Old Shepherd", Iran, Smile, by Saeed Barikani

"An old shepherd that had been surprised by [a] snowstorm in Gilan's countrysides in the north of Iran." – Saeed Barikani

30. "Exuberance", Austria, Smile, by Christine Kapuschinsky Johnson

31. "Headless", Poland, Arts and Culture, by Adrian Jaszczak

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martedì 24 febbraio 2015

37 Extraordinary Pictures From The World Photography Awards 2015