Travel back in time to 2018 and take in the stunning beauty that photographers from all over the world have managed to capture in the Siena International Photo Awards. The allure of these winning photos hasn’t diminished over the years; they are still fascinating.
The judges tasked with choosing the winners of the prestigious Siena International Photo Awards faced a daunting task in 2018 with an outstanding 48,000 submissions from 156 nations. Photographers displayed the outstanding diversity and beauty of our planet among the sea of talent, serving as a constant reminder of the breathtaking treasures that surround us.
Bangladeshi photographer Mr. K M Asad was one of the year’s major winners. His moving depiction of a child Rohingya refugee brought attention to the terrible situation of the targeted Rohingya community in Myanmar and served as a potent reminder of the difficult circumstances that many people must endure.
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There were eleven categories in the competition, one of which was a special category called “Splash of Colors,” which looked for outstanding color compositions. Every category displayed the remarkable talent and inventiveness of the participants, from breathtaking landscapes to delicate portraits and exciting sporting events.
Let these winning photos from 2018 serve as a timeless reminder of the diversity, beauty, and resiliency of our planet as we look back on them. Take a moment to look around and take in the amazing and inspiring images that keep getting better as you scroll down.
#1 El Calbuco, Chile (First In The Category Of Natural Beauty)
This image was captured during the Calbuco volcano’s intense nighttime eruption in the Chilean district of Lagos. The fumarole of the erupting volcano is encircled by an amazing dust storm.
#2 Expressing Feelings (Outstanding Honor in the Fascinating Faces and Characters Division)
#3 Arctic Fox, USA (3rd In The Category Of Animals In Their Environment)
On the Arctic coastal plains of Alaska, I came across this fox scavenging a caribou carcass. It took me two hours to get close enough to snap this photo while she was finishing her dinner from six feet away. Being welcomed inside a wild animal’s life for a few unique hours was an incredible and bizarre experience.
#4 Rhino Silhouette, Kenya (Award of Honor in the category of Animals in Their Environment)
While scouting for the Great Migration, I was riding out early from the camp in Masai Mara National Park when I spotted a distant rhino standing next to a tree. Since the early sun’s backlight was too intense, I decided to take a silhouette instead.
#5 Cosmic Wildflowers, Brazil (Award of Honor in the category of natural beauty)
In the National Park of Veadeiros Tablelands, a field of Paepalanthus wildflowers is enlarged in this 180-degree panorama with the Milky Way in the background.
#6 An Underwater Photograph of the Winter Lofoten (Amazing Award in the Category of Natural Beauty)
#7 Nemo in the House (Outstanding Recognition In the Animals In Their Environment Category)
#9 Toy Houses, Russia ( First In the Architecture & Urban Spaces Category)
The striking contrast between the hues of the dwellings and the white snow that covers the Russian town makes this image of some Russian dachas close to Arkhangelsk intriguing.
#10 The Wave, Antarctica Waters (Third In the Journeys and Adventures category)
A 12-meter wave batters the boat’s forecastle in the Drake Passage, which runs between Cape Horn and Antarctica, with massive splashes.
#11 Mongolian Camels in the Desert (#2 in the General Color Category)
In Inner Mongolia, camels and their devoted dog were blowing dust in the dusk light of the setting sun on October 24, 2017. The shadows and exquisite light falling across the desert in Mongolia helped to create this breathtakingly stunning image.
#12 Run! (Amazing Honor in the Animals in Their Environment Division)
#13 Joana, A Tropicana dancer, in the company of her grandmother, Cuba (Honorable Mention in the category of interesting faces and characters)
A performer at the Tropicana Cabaret in Havana, Joana Menendez Gonzalez sat with her mother’s grandma and proudly gazed at her.
#14: Love On The Rocks (Best of Show: Animals in Their Environment)
#15 Jump, Canada (Honorable Mention, Animals in Their Environment)
The cry of another female snowy owl causes it to take flight. This species is especially vigilant about securing its hunting grounds.
#16 Break in Indonesia (Honorable Mention in the category of fascinating faces and people)
This man had a brief break from his laborious work at an Indonesian noodle factory. His look of exhaustion is a direct reflection of the incredibly difficult working conditions these folks endure daily.
#17 Mind The Gap, Antarctica (Honorable Mention in the category of Animals in Their Environment)
A little colony of Emperor Penguins gathers around a fissure in the ice floe in the Ross Sea, an untainted stretch of the Southern Ocean that borders Antarctica.
#18 Bangladesh’s Battle Victim (Photo of the Year)
In Cox’s Bazar, Asmat Ara is obviously shaken by the atrocities that has occurred in Myanmar on September 6, 2017. The previous evening, she and her family traveled from Kumar Khali, the Rohingya state of Myanmar, to the Tenkhali Rohingya Refugee Camp. According to the UNHCR, some 646,000 Rohingya refugees have left Myanmar since August 25, 2017, most of whom have tried to escape into Bangladesh.
#19 Killer Whale in Norway’s Polar Night (Honorable Mention in the category of Animals and Their Environment)
In the arctic night, a killer whale breaches the surface of a Norwegian fjord in the Arctic to hunt.
#20 The Road of Fortune, Vietnam (Splash of Colors category: Honorable Mention)
Red is traditionally regarded as the symbolic color of happiness and good luck in Vietnam. At altars, joss sticks are offered in hopes of attracting good fortune and business.
#21 Little Nenets Nedko, Russia (Honorable Mention in the Journeys and Adventures Category)
The North is an amazing place, home to remarkable people whose unique cultures have fully adapted to the harsh climate of the far north. The inhabitants of the North, in spite of living in the twenty-first century, continue to practice their ancient ways, which honor the long-standing, intimate relationship between humans and the natural world and show a sincere concern for everything in their immediate environment.
#22 The Beakful of the Hoopoe, Italy (Honorable Mention in the category of Animals in Their Environment)
As usual, I was searching Trentino for the nests of the most exquisite bird species when I stumbled upon this hoopoe and seized the chance to take a picture of it.
#23 Facing Reality Pleneau Island, Antarctic Peninsula (1st Place In Animals In Their Environment Category)
Shortly before low tide, a leopard seal entered a lagoon. Hiding, the seal waited to surprise the juvenile penguins as they approached. When a penguin approached closely enough, the seal sprang into action, grabbing the bird by the feet and hauling it out to sea. I was keeping up with the events in parallel. After the seal twice freed the scared penguin, it managed to flee; nevertheless, the seal persisted in pursuing it, and on the third effort, it submerged and consumed the penguin.
