The Great Equaliser: The Human Story

Isaac Taylor

All across the world photographers are taking part in the Sony World Photography Awards, taking everything from portraits to uh, landscapes. The images vary wildly in their subject matter but each is a fascinating window into another world.

The sheer variety, in the context of each other, equalises the moments. Dame Judi Dench in her greenhouse is as important as the bride taking a cigarette break on Patriarshy Bridge in Moscow. A young Venezuelan coca leaf picker lazing in his crop for a moment, is as different, but as peaceful as the Buddha looming large over a quiet urban Taiwanese street.

Banal moments in other people’s lives are suddenly fantastical glimpses into a whole other world, alien to our own. Looking back at us, what is fantastical about your daily life? Because it’s there, you just have to learn to see it, and be thankful for it.

This year also marks a new initiative by Sony and Creo supporting local photography communities around the world via the National & Regional Awards programme. Across this year’s competitions, over 430,000 images from over 200 countries and territories were submitted. The overall winners in the Student, Youth, Open and Professional competitions of the Sony World Photography Awards 2026 will go on display as part of the exhibition at Somerset House, London.

Until then, here are our favourites of the bunch.

Sacred Bond
This image was taken in Villa Epecuén, a small coastal village in Argentina that was underwater for almost 30 years after a nearby dam collapsed in a storm. The photographer set the scene with a large-scale print of a photograph of a forest, contrasted with the dead trees on the beach, reflecting on the bond between humanity and nature.
© Claudia Behrensen, Argentina, Shortlist, Open Competition, Creative, Sony World Photography Awards 2026

Opening the Vortex
Northern California’s 4,000-metre Mount Shasta is dwarfed by a phenomenal lenticular cloud formation that recurred intermittently over 10 days. This image was taken around 20 minutes before the sun set.
© Lisa K. Kuhn, United States, Shortlist, Open Competition, Landscape, Sony World Photography Awards 2026

In the Dressing Room
A group of models get ready for a fashion show in Medellín, Colombia.
© Hernan Jaramillo, Colombia, Shortlist, Open Competition, Lifestyle, Sony World Photography Awards 2026

Dame Judi Dench in her garden.
© Charlie Clift, United Kingdom, Shortlist, Open Competition, Lifestyle, Sony World Photography Awards 2026

Above the Neighbourhood
An ordinary residential street is quietly overshadowed by a monumental presence in the distance.
© ChenYu Hsieh, Taiwan, Shortlist, Open Competition, Travel, Sony World Photography Awards 2026

Darwin, a young Venezuelan coca leaf picker (raspachín), rests on freshly harvested coca leaves in Putumayo, Colombia, before they are processed. The raspachíne’s work is physically demanding, but the shifts usually last only half a day and are paid in cash. For many migrants, coca harvesting is one of the few reliable sources of income.
© Santiago Mesa, Colombia, Finalist, Professional Competition, Documentary Projects, Sony World Photography Awards 2026

South Wales Jazz Band
Laurie Broughton photographed the Cefn Fforest Marching Jazz Band as they competed at an event in Caerphilly. He was immediately struck by the musicians’ costumes and the energy of their performance, as they stormed around the sports hall playing Taylor Swift covers on kazoos. While they prepared for their performance, Broughton photographed the band in moments of transition, adjusting costumes, warming up, and interacting with one another.
© Laurie Broughton, United Kingdom, Shortlist, European Student Award, Sony World Photography Awards 2026

A Girl with a Flower Crown
This image combines two photographs: a portrait of a girl and the texture of a dry leaf, blending natural forms into a single visual narrative.
© R. Eko Hardiyanto, Indonesia, Winner, National Awards, Sony World Photography Awards 2026

Her Hands are the Past, Mine are the Continuation
This image captures a quiet moment in Taitung, Taiwan. The afternoon light falls softly as a mother guides her daughter’s hands, each stitch like a memory written into the fabric. Without a stage or audience, tradition survives in silence, shaped by patience, presence and time.
© Wei-Cheng Tsai, Taiwan, Winner, National Awards, Sony World Photography Awards 2026