What unites a picture of a sleeping whale mother and her calf, a photo of a couple dancing under the rain, and a depiction of a devastating monsoon in Mumbai? Short answer - aqua. Water is the substance that gives life and joy to the world, but also the force that then takes both away. For the ninth year in a row, The Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum International Photography Award (HIPA) was given to the best photographers from around the world, and this year's contestants were united by the very same overarching theme - water. See 15 of the aquatic photos across different categories that received the title of the winner this year, starting with the shot that earned the $125,000 grand prize.
1. Grand Prize Winner: "Essence of Life" by Jasmine Carey
2. 1st Winner, Mobile Photography Category: "A Journey Outside Our World" by Apratim Pal
3. 2nd Winner, General Category (Color): "The Portrait of Sapa" by Yose Mirza
4. 5th Winner, Water Category: "Water — The Secret of Life" by Yousef Shakar Al Zaabi
5. 1st Place in Water Category: "The Downpour" by François Bogaerts
6. !st Place, Portfolio Category: "Kingdom of Beauty and Danger" by Christian Vizl Mac Gregor
7. 5th Winner, Mobile Photography Category: "Sunset Transparency" by Navin Kumar
8. 2nd Winner, Water Category: "What a problem!" by Shanth Kumar Samba Shivam Laila
9. 1st Winner, General Category (Black and White): "King of the North" by Talal Al Rabah
10. 3rd Winner, General Category (Black and White): "The Young Dreamers" by Sujan Sarkar
11. 3rd Winner, Water Category: "Octopus Hunter" by Buchari Muslim Diken
12. 4th Winner, Mobile Photography Category: "Under the Rain" by Fahad Faraj Abdulhameid
13. 2nd Place, Portfolio Category: "Rafting People on Yalu River" by Zhoufan Cui
14. 2nd Winner, Mobile Photography Category: "Reflection" by Budi Gunawan
15. 1st Winner, General Category (Color): "Snow Monalisa" by Fahad Al Enezi
