2013 Sony World Photography Awards Shortlist 4

This photo represents an urban environment through an abstract long exposure photo at an urban location.(© Robert Gifford, United Kingdom, 2013 Sony World Photography Awards)

Tradition. (© Reza Nezamdust, Iran, 2013 Sony World Photography Awards)

Two Pieris brassicae rest on a plant, waiting for sunshine. (© Petar Sabol, Croatia, 2013 Sony World Photography Awards)

An employee of Cinema Pamir sells refreshments during the movie intermission in Kabul, Afghanistan, on May 3, 2012. Once a treasured luxury for the elite, Afghan cinemas are dilapidated and reflect an industry on the brink of collapse from conflict and financial neglect. Kabul's cinemas show Pakistani films in Pashto, American action films and Bollywood to rowdy, largely unemployed crowds in pursuit of any distraction from their drab surroundings. (© Danish Siddiqui/Reuters, India, 2013 Sony World Photography Awards)

People affected with dementia, their families and friends are affected on personal, emotional, financial and social levels. Mirella is 71 years old. She spent 43 years of her life with the only person she loved, 43 years of sharing, difficulties, laughs and beautiful moments; a family, a house, values handed down. For the past few years her days are cyclic, monotonous, due to her husband's illness. She tries to look forward with devotion, strength and love -- as long as there is life there is hope -- even if memories are slowly wasted day by day.(© Fausto Podavini, Italy, 2013 Sony World Photography Awards)

Edith, Hellrider, and Dadmonster pose for a photograph. In Botswana, heavy metal music has landed. Metal groups are now performing in nightclubs, concerts, festivals. The ranks of their fans have expanded dramatically. These fans wear black leather pants and jackets, studded belts, boots and cowboy hats. On their t-shirts stand out skulls, obscenities, historical covers of hard-rock groups popular in the seventies and eighties, such as Iron Maiden, Metallica, and AC/DC. They have created their own style, inspired by classic metal symbolism, but also borrowing heavily from the iconography of western films and the traditional rural world of Botswana. Their nicknames, Gunsmoke, Rockfather, Carrott Warmachine, Hellrider, Hardcore, Dignified Queen, may appear subversive and disturbing as their clothing, but they are peaceful and gentle. "We like to get dressed,, drink meet friends and feel free , this music is so powerful . We are lucky to live in a country tolerant and open" argues one of the leaders. A precious rarity for Africa.(© Daniele Tamagni, Italy, 2013 Sony World Photography Awards)

14 giraffes flee after spotting lions in hunting mode. (© Frederick van Heerden, South Africa, 2013 Sony World Photography Awards)

Return to childhood landscapes. The picture is made in Romania, on the train from Bucharest to Baia Mare in a foggy morning in autumn of 2012. (© Hajdu Tamas, Romania, 2013 Sony World Photography Awards)

Photo taken during the celebration of the 100th anniversary of the birth of North Korea founder Kim Il Sung in Pyongyang, on in April 2012.(© Ilya Pitalev, Russia, 2013 Sony World Photography Awards)

I was hanging around Jaipur, when I noticed a cloud of birds in the air. I just instinctively released the shutter. The soul of Sir Alfred Hitchcock lives here, I thought. (© Maciej Makowski, Poland, 2013 Sony World Photography Awards)

Pobitra Tapa mourns alone in agony, painful tears of frustration for a life wasting away, withering from HIV and a tumor in her young body. She cried, away from the eyes of her already suffering husband who has been looking after her for several weeks at the Pokhara hospital in Nepal. Losing any sense of hope, this mother of two was once an alcoholic and suspects that she got HIV-tainted blood in a transfusion years ago. Feeling alone and useless, the disease that eats up her body still allows her the strength to show firmness in front of her family but suffer a lonely pain. (© Miguel Candela, Spain, 2013 Sony World Photography Awards)

Gory historic details or gore fest?

Razakar: The Silent Genocide Of Hyderabad (Telegu, 2024) Director: Yata Satyanarayana In her last major speech before her disposition, Sheikh Hasina accused those who opposed her rule in Bangladesh of being Razakars. The opposition took offence to this term and soon widespread mob throughout the land. Of course, it is not that that single incident brought down an elected government but a culmination of joblessness and unjust reservations for a select population group. In the Bengali psyche, Razakar is a pejorative term meaning traitor or Judas. It was first used during the 1971 Pakistan Civil War. The paramilitary group who were against the then-East Pakistani leader, Majibur Rehman, were pro-West Pakistan. After establishing independence in Bangladesh, Razakars were disbanded, and many ran off to Pakistan. Around the time of Indian independence, turmoil brewed in the princely state of Hyderabad, which had been a province deputed by the Mughals from 1794. The rule of N...

The products of a romantic star of the yesteryear!

Now you see all the children of Gemini Ganesan (of four wives, at least) posing gleefully for the camera after coming from different corners of the world to see the ailing father on his deathbed. They seem to found peace with the contributor of their half of their 46 chromosomes. Sure, growing up must have been hell seeing their respective mothers shedding tears, indulgence in unhealthy activities with one of them falling prey to the curse of the black dog, hating the sight of each step sibling, their respective heartaches all because of the evil done by one man who could not put his raging testesterones under check! Perhaps,the flashing lights and his dizzying heights that his career took clouded his judgement. After all, he was only human... Gems of Gemini Ganesan L-R: Dr Revathi Swaminathan, Narayani Ganesan, Dr Kamala Selvaraj, Rekha, Vijaya Chamundeswari and Dr Jaya Shreedhar. ( Abs: Radha Usman Syed, Sathish Kumaar Ganesan) Seeing six of Ge...

Chicken's Invite? (Ajak-ajak ayam)

In the Malay lingo, the phrase 'ajak-ajak ayam' refers to an insincere invitation. Of course, many of us invite for courtesy's sake, but then the invitee may think that the invitation is for real! How does anyone know? Inviters and invitees must be smart enough to take the cue that one party may have gatecrashed with ulterior motives, or the other may not want him to join in the first place! Easily twenty years ago, my family was invited to a toddler's birthday party. As my children were toddlers, too, we were requested to come early so that my kids could run around and play in their big compound. And that the host said she would arrange a series of games for them to enjoy. So there we were in the early evening at a house that resembled very little of one immersed in joy and celebration. Instead, we were greeted by a house devoid of activities and no guests. The host was still out shopping her last-minute list, and her helper was knee-deep in her preparations to ...

RIFLE RANGE BOY

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