The competition is open to students aged 18-30 and youths aged 12-19 with a passion for photography
(Image credit: Ezra Bohm - Sony World Photography Awards 2021)
Sony World Photography Awards has just announced the 2022 student and youth shortlist. The competition which closed on 7 January invited photographers from all over the world to enter an image for free to be in with the chance of winning Sony camera kit.
The brief for the student competition this year was Connections. Sony asked entrants to submit five to 10 images documenting how you or your subject interact with the world. Using prompts such as ‘how do you connect with your surrounding or local and environments’ or ‘how do you create bonds with your family, friends and colleagues’, entrants were encouraged to respond creatively while sticking to the brief.
Images could be taken on any device and shot in any style may that be black and white or color. Since the pandemic hit, we’ve all had to think differently about how we connect and many have relied on modern technology to maintain friendships and keep in contact with family. The brief aims to explore the many ways we can communicate and how we connect to each other and the world.
The Youth competition is open to budding photographers ages 12 - 19 years. Like the adult competition images must’ve been taken in 2021 and it was free to enter a single image. Between June and December, young photographers could enter the monthly competitions, each with a different theme which included: composition and design, street photography, landscape, culture and travel, wildlife & nature, portraiture and an open call.
Student photographers entering the competition are aged from 18-30 and currently enrolled in higher education. This year's shortlist includes Angela Stoll from the University of Wollongong in Australia, Oriel Naxhielly Martins who studies at Escuela Nacional de Fotografia in Argentina and Alexander Komenda at Aalto University in Finland.
Both the Student Photographer of the Year and Youth Photographer of the Year will be announced on 12 April 2022. The winning student photographer and their university will be awarded a total of €30,000 worth of Sony digital imaging equipment as well as a portfolio review and inclusion in the Sony World Photography Awards exhibition. Sony digital imaging equipment will also be awarded to the winning youth photographer who will also receive global press exposure, a copy of and inclusion in the WPO book.
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To view the full student shortlists or discover the youth monthly competitions winners, head to the World Photography Organisation website or scroll down to see some of our favorites.
Having studied Journalism and Public Relations at the University of the West of England Hannah developed a love for photography through a module on photojournalism. She specializes in Portrait, Fashion and lifestyle photography but has more recently branched out in the world of stylized product photography. For the last 3 years Hannah has worked at Wex Photo Video as a Senior Sales Assistant using her experience and knowledge of cameras to help people buy the equipment that is right for them. With 5 years experience working with studio lighting, Hannah has run many successful workshops teaching people how to use different lighting setups.
