2013 Sony World Photography Awards Shortlist (1)

Thanks RS for opening my eyes...

The calm of both human and animal. The things we miss as we are preparing. My partner was getting her flippers on and I was already prepared and ready to get in so I swam out to see if I could get this shot, I could have never imagined that in a million years I would have a turtle just cruising by at the moment I stuck my head under. How blessed. (© Nathan Wills, Australia, 2013 Sony World Photography Awards)

One Day in History. Portraits of children and youths who survived the massacre on the island of Utoeya outside Oslo, Norway on 22nd of July 2011. "I bear my scars with dignity, because I got them standing for something I believe in." Ylva Schwenke, age 15, from Tromso¸ hid by a path called "the love path". She was shot in the shoulder, her stomach and in both of her thighs.(© Andrea Gjestvang, Norway, 2013 Sony World Photography Awards)

I took this photo in spring 2012 in Rome, my hometown. It was taken with a monorail view camera (5x6 film) and manually developed, after it was scanned and post produced. I took care of the entire process and working on film, it took me quite many tries to have the perfect shadow and exposure; I had to go back to the location several times to and always hope it was sunny enough, once I spent the whole day in front of that wall, just to check at which time of the day the shadow was looking more geometrical, eventually I decided on 2pm.(© Martina Biccheri, Italy, 2013 Sony World Photography Awards)

A huge wasp measuring 2.5 inches in length, visiting the banana tree in my front yard.(© John Matzick, USA, 2013 Sony World Photography Awards)

Melissa Wu of Australia practices during a diving training session ahead of the London Olympic Games at the Aquatics Center in Olympic Park, on July 25, 2012 in London, England. (© Adam Pretty/Getty Images, Australia, 2013 Sony World Photography Awards)

"Love Grows" is an ongoing project that started in 2011, representing the two most important moments in a woman's life; pregnancy and maternity. These are moments of complete change, both physical and psychological, a change of identity that can take on different connotation for better or for worse. I think it's an experience that leads up to an ancestral connection with nature that accompanies the woman to a deeper understanding of herself. (© Michela Taeggi, Italy, 2013 Sony World Photography Awards)

A view from Szczeliniec to Owls Mountains and Klodzko valley, Poland.(© Pawel Uchorczak, Poland, 2013 Sony World Photography Awards)

Photo from the Portraits category, Youth Competition. (© Berta Vicente, Spain, 2013 Sony World Photography Awards)

Colorful field on the Plain of Castelluccio di Norcia in springtime during an explosion of blossoming. Italy, 2012.(© Roberto Bettacchi, Italy, 2013 Sony World Photography Awards)

Ghoramara island is located on a delta region in West Bengal. Due to the dramatic increase in sea level, resulting from the effects global warming since the 1960s, the shores of this island are being perpetually washed away. Since the 1980s more than 50% of the territory has vanished due to erosion by the sea. Many of the people still living on the island are farmers and fishermen who depend on the island's resources for their livelihoods. According to a civil servant I met, in 20-25 years the Indian government could abolish the island and has already formulated a plan to evacuate villagers to another island named Sagar. However, this evacuation plan does not ensure any financial support or compensation for those having to relocate their lives. I situated villagers on the shore and took portraits of them in juxtaposition with the beauty of the vanishing island. There will come a day when these people will have no choice but to move out of their homeland. (© Daesung Lee, Korea, 2013 Sony World Photography Awards)