The 2016 Sony World Photography Awards, the world's biggest photography competition, has revealed the shortlists for its Professional, Open and Youth competitions. A record-breaking 230,103 images were submitted this year, from 186 countries. The total number of entries received by the Sony World Photography Awards since its launch has now surpassed one million.
The Open competition received 95,541 entries, across ten categories (Nature and Wildlife, Low Light, Travel, Split Second, Smile, Architecture, Arts and Culture, People, Enhanced, and Panoramic). In this gallery, IBTimes UK presents a selection of images from the Open shortlist. (See the Professional shortlist .)
Andrey Narchuk, Russia, Shortlist, Open, Nature and Wildlife. Baby fur seal, Commander Island, Bering Sea
Andrey Narchuk, 2016 Sony World Photography Awards
Simona Tedesco, Italy, Shortlist, Open, Nature and Wildlife. Four centimetres of mightiness moves slowly and relentlessly on a tree, while the moon rises on the background. The rhinoceros beetle is a nocturnal insect. During the day they stay safe under cover of trees and with the summer they become very active, flying at dusk to find a mate
, 2016 Sony World Photography Awards
Valter Bernardeschi, Italy, Shortlist, Open, Nature and Wildlife
Valter Bernardeschi, 2016 Sony World Photography Awards
Imre Potyó, Hungary, Shortlist, Open Nature and Wildlife. The mass swarming of Danube mayfly (Ephoron virgo)
Imre Potyó, 2016 Sony World Photography Awards
Eric Madeja, Switzerland, Shortlist, Open, Nature and Wildlife. "I came across this juvenile flying fish while diving in open water near Tubbataha Reefs, Philippines. Juvenile flying fish are often spotted hovering just below the surface, hiding inside natural or manmade debris, drifting the ocean currents. Juvenile flying fish can be attracted by light at night, but during the day they tend to swim away as soon a diver approaches. It took me hours to get close enough and this photograph was taken just when the sun was setting, beautifully illuminating the clouds at the horizon."
Eric Madeja, 2016 Sony World Photography Awards
Yiorgos Doukanaris, Cyprus, Shortlist, Open, Low Light. Life in the refugee camp in Calais, France
Yiorgos Doukanaris, 2016 Sony World Photography Awards
Vincent Frascello, US, Shortlist, Open, Low Light. After a large winter storm on the South Island of New Zealand, many of the roads in Cental Otago were closed and impassable. A few days of waiting for roads to clear was hard for me – so I hiked into Aoraki / Mount Cook National Park and made it to the Hooker Valley. I camped here, on the frozen Hooker Lake, and saw some of the clearest and darkest skies of my life. This is a shot of the Milky Way arching over Mount Cook and the Hooker Valley
Vincent Frascello, 2016 Sony World Photography Awards
Theng Sin Chong, Malaysia, Shortlist, Open, Low Light. A bright moon shines on a cemetery in Iceland
Theng Sin Chong, 2016 Sony World Photography Awards
Sai Aung Main, Myanmar, Shortlist, Open, Low Light. An old man smokies at an ancient temple in Bagan, Myanmar
Sai Aung Main, 2016 Sony World Photography Awards
Kei Nomiyama, Japan, Shortlist, Open, Low Light. Fireflies blink in a beautiful bamboo forest. This picture was taken under a little moonlight
Kei Nomiyama, 2016 Sony World Photography Awards
Tugo Cheng, Hong Kong, Shortlisted, Open Competition, Travel. A fisherman farms the sea in between bamboo rods constructed for aquaculture off the coast of southern China
Tugo Cheng, 2016 Sony World Photography Awards
Adriano Neves, Portugual, Shortlist, Open Competition, Travel. The Cuernos del Paine mountain range reflected over the glacial waters of Lake Nordenskj in Torres del Paine National Park in Patagonia... Or perhaps a vision of the Garden of Eden?
Adriano Neves, 2016 Sony World Photography Awards
Lesley Hall, UK, Shortlisted, Open Competition, Travel. Taken at the U Bein bridge in Myanmar, taken from a boat on Taungthaman lake
Lesley Hall, 2016 Sony World Photography Awards
Khairel Anuar Che Ani, Malaysia, Shortlisted, Open Competition, Split Second. "The image was taken in Bali during Melasti Festival, conducted once a year in conjunction with Nyepi or Silent Day. These young girls were waiting for their turn to perform. They looked stunning with their bright coloured costumes and heavy make-up, however the expression on each girl's face especially the yawning one gives this image an extra 'ummpph'."
Khairel Anuar Che Ani, 2016 Sony World Photography Awards
Petra Van Borm, Belgium, Shortlisted, Open Competition, Split Second. Young boy training hard for his triathlon
Petra Van Borm, 2016 Sony World Photography Awards
Dmitry Ivanov, Russia, Shortlisted, Open Competition, Split Second
Dmitry Ivanov, 2016 Sony World Photography Awards
MD Tanveer Rohan, Bangladesh, Shortlisted, Open competition, Smile. After a long, tiring day a group of kids who are studying at a Madrasa (school for religious studies) near Dhaka play a game of football, and celebrate by kicking sand into the air in the soft rays of the evening sun
MD Tanveer Rohan, 2016 Sony World Photography Awards
Alexander Ingle, UK, Shortlisted, Open Competition, Smile. It's Easter, and after a large celebratory meal, a moment's peace is an opportunity for a nap. The youngest member of the Nawrot family, having none of it, climbs onto the sofa and prepares to wake Dziadzia Jacek (his grandfather). This brief moment before jumping on his grandfather's legs is one of pure joy
Alexander Ingle, 2016 Sony World Photography Awards
Jack Lawson, UK, Shortlisted, Open Competition, Smile. "Local children outside a school in a rural area of Ghana rushed over to greet me as soon as I got out my camera."
Jack Lawson, 2016 Sony World Photography Awards
Gultekin Alkurt, Turkey, Open, Smile
Gultekin Alkurt, 2016 Sony World Photography Awards
Nils Olof Wendel, Sweden, Shortlist, Open, Architecture. "I found this interesting view of a water tower in Uppsala, Sweden."
Nils Olof Wendel, 2016 Sony World Photography Awards
Javad Rooein, Iran, Shortlist, Open, Architecture
Javad Rooein, 2016 Sony World Photography Awards
Laurian Ghinitoiu, Romania, Shortlist, Open, Architecture. A design mistake of the UK pavilion? The shot was taken during the opening of the Expo 2015. A layer of water was covering the floor making it very slippery and dangerous. While the visitors were waiting for permission to enter the pavilion, one of the hosts went in the centre to check if was still raining
Laurian Ghinitoiu, 2016 Sony World Photography Awards
Kyaw Bo Bo Han, Myanmar, Shortlist, Open, Arts and Culture. Monks and Novices go round and accept offerings on a mountain in Aungban, Shan State, Myanmar
Kyaw Bo Bo Han, 2016 Sony World Photography Awards
Mohammad Ponir Hossain, Bangladesh, Shortlist, Open, Arts and Culture. Hindu believers sit together on the floor in Lokenath Brahmachari Temple at Swamibag in Dhaka and pray to Lokenath Brahmachari, an 18th Century Hindu saint and philosopher
Mohammad Ponir Hossain, 2016 Sony World Photography Awards
Longxiang Xie, China, Shortlist, Open, Arts and Culture. Snow falls on Buddhist monks at Langmu Temple, Tibetan autonomous prefecture
Longxiang Xie, 2016 Sony World Photography Awards
Karolis Janulis, Lithuania, Shortlist, Open, People. People perform a mass yoga exercise in a central park in Vilnius
Karolis Janulis, 2016 Sony World Photography Awards
Nikunj Rathod, India, Shortlist, Open, People. "One day when I was cycling through an abandoned/deserted area in Mumbai I encountered a group of street kids who were aiming for birds in the sky using their slingshots. I managed to convince them to demonstrate their shooting skills by aiming for a bottle. Surprisingly the situation became quite competitive among them as each wanted to show off."
Nikunj Rathod, 2016 Sony World Photography Awards
Michele Liberti, Italy, Shortlist, Open, People. "My photos are taken wandering in my spare time in my city - Naples."
Michele Liberti, 2016 Sony World Photography Awards
Daniel Arranz Molinero, Spain, Shortlist, Open, People. Taken in Almeria, Spain
Daniel Arranz Molinero, 2016 Sony World Photography Awards
Lewis Outing, United Kingdom, Shortlist, Open, People. This image was taken at a York RI RUFC. Rob Cuthbertson holding the ball, with his York RI teammate Darren Lonsdale
Lewis Outing, 2016 Sony World Photography Awards
Carlos F Turienzo, Spain, Shortlist, Open, Panoramic. This panorama was taken on 10 July 2015 in A Veiga, Spain. It consists of eight vertical photos showing the Milky Way arch
Carlos F Turienzo, 2016 Sony World Photography Awards
Dikky Oesin, Indonesia, Shortlist, Open, Panoramic. Borobudur, Indonesia
Dikky Oesin, 2016 Sony World Photography Awards
All the shortlisted photographers are now competing to win their category and the Open Photographer of the Year title, as well as the latest digital imaging equipment from Sony. Winners will be announced at a gala ceremony in London on 21 April. The winning and shortlisted images will go on show at Somerset House, London from 22 April to 8 May and will be published in the 2016 edition of the Sony World Photography Awards book. To book your exhibition ticket, please visit worldphoto.org/2016exhibition .