The Sienna International Photo Awards are back. For the 7th year in a row, this competition continues to amaze people with its wide array of artistic and beautiful shots by photographers from all over the world. The “Photo Of The Year” prize this year went to Mehmet Aslan for his photograph of a Syrian man, who lost his leg in a bombing, holding his son, who was born without limbs.
It’s a heartwarming yet emotional photo that serves as a painful reminder of the human cost of war. Some of the other great pictures among this year’s winners include a wild elephant attacking a jeep full of people, a mountain path in the middle of a forest illuminated by ‘sparkling’ fireflies, and animals caught in a sandstorm. Check out all of these amazing pictures below.
1. Photo Of The Year: Hardship Of Life by Mehmet Aslan
The little boy’s father Munzir lost his right leg in a bomb blast. The boy, Mustafa, was born without lower or upper limbs due to tetra-amelia, a congenital disorder caused by the medications his mother Zeynep had to take after being exposed to nerve gas released during the war.
2. The Watching Eye, Animals In Their Environment by Bernt Østhus
A Polar Fox can change color every six months to blend in with its environment. This allows the animal to go unnoticed by both predators and prey.
3. This Is My Jungle! Journeys & Adventures: 1st Classified by Sergey Savvi
A wild elephant attacks a jeep full of people.
4. Savannah Storm, Animals In Their Environment by Maymoni Maya
Giraffes of the savannah caught in a spectacular lightning storm in Africa.
5. Return To The Village, Journeys & Adventures by Ahmet Fatih Sönmez
Shepherds make the journey back to their village across a snowy plateau in Turkey's Eastern Black Sea Region.
6. Fly To Be Free, Fascinating Faces & Characters: 3rd classified by Audrey Jeane
A little boy from a ranch lets go of a duck.
7. Green Light Forest, The Beauty Of Nature: 1st Classified by Shirley Wung
A mountain path through a forest in Wufeng Township, Hsinchu, Taiwan, lit by fireflies.
8. Sandstorm, The Beauty of Nature: 2nd classified by Johannes Lochner
Three hyenas, a jackal, and two elephants endure a sandstorm on a hot and humid late afternoon in dry Chobe National Park.
9. Food For Weeks, Animals In The Environment: 1st Classified
A pack of wolves feeds on a musk ox. The photo was taken by placing a camera trap inside the dead animal's carcass.
10. Elephant’s Last Embrace, Animals In The Environment: 2nd classified by Roie Galitz
An elephant that died of natural causes became a meal for a young lion.
11. Flying in The Rain, Animals In The Environment: 3rd classified by Nicolas Reusens Bodén
A magical shot of a Brown Inca hummingbird (Coeligena wilsoni). The photo was the result of three days of shooting, trying to get a single picture with an intense atmosphere.
12. Dreams Of The Whales, Journeys & Adventures by Mike Korostelev
Someone gets an opportunity to be up close with a whale in the Sea of Okhotsk, a marginal sea of the western Pacific Ocean.
13. Prairie Horsemen, Journeys & Adventures by Jian Kang
"Endless grasslands where the human presence is lost."
14. Buffalo Herds, Journeys & Adventures by Nese Ari
This image captures the moment where a herd of buffaloes is returning to their enclosures at sunset.
15. Prime Real Estate, Sports In Action: 3rd classified by Adam Pretty
Antti Aalto of Finland appears to fly over the town of Oberstdorf during his first competition jump of the Four Hills Ski Jumping Tournament 2020 in Oberstdorf, Germany.
Share these amazing pictures with your loved ones!