2023 Winners Gallery
Photo by Spencer Cox102
Countries Represented
2287
Open Entries
2055
Amateur Entries
72
VR/360 Entries
4414
Overall Entries
1104
Photographers Entered
2023 Open Photographer of the Year
José D. Riquelme, Spain
José D. Riquelme, a passionate landscape and night photographer hailing from Murcia, Spain, has embarked on a fascinating journey into the world of photography. Despite his extensive background in graphic design and printing, his photographic journey began just 8 years ago. In his initial two years, challenging the conventional notion of photographic locations, he used his mobile phone to perfect compositions in seemingly unphotogenic environments.
It was in 2017 when he took a further step in his photographic journey by acquiring his first professional camera. The reason behind this investment was his impending trip to Iceland, a place where the beauty of the Northern Lights required the precision and quality that his mobile phone couldn’t provide. Despite initial resistance to learning how to handle a DSLR camera, José soon discovered that this decision would significantly change his life, and in time, he would be deeply grateful for taking that path.
2023 Open Photographer of the Year
José D. Riquelme, Spain
Ghost Cave, Iceland
Ghost Cave is a breathtaking extreme panorama captured at the iconic Kirkjufell in Iceland. This image is composed of three rows of photographs spanning from the ground to the sky, embracing the wall behind. This panoramic composition achieves a stunning optical effect that simulates the appearance of a cave, adding a magical touch to the image. The combination of Kirkjufell’s natural grandeur and meticulous capture work results in a masterpiece that transports the viewer to a dreamlike world, where reality blends with fantasy, creating a unique and exhilarating visual experience.
2023 Open Photographer of the Year
José D. Riquelme, Spain
Alone in the Dark, Namibia
In this stunning image, we are immersed in the mysterious and desolate landscape of Deadvlei, Namibia. In the foreground, a petrified tree, a solitary witness to the passing of time, stands majestically against a starry sky. The cracked and dry ground creates a surreal stage that adds depth and texture to the composition.
As our gaze moves towards the background, imposing dunes emerge as silent guardians of this timeless setting. The arc of the Milky Way, with its celestial glow, envelops and embraces the entire landscape, imbuing it with a magical atmosphere.
Winner – Open – Nature / Landscape
(& overall winner in the Open competition)
José D. Riquelme, Spain
The Bridge, Iceland
After over a dozen visits to Iceland, exploring its majestic lands, during a rest stop, I decided to change my perspective and launch my drone. To my amazement, I captured this incredible image. From above, lines form a bridge extending from left to right, while on the ground, abstract shapes emerge from the flowing river water originating from the glacier.
The harmony between the whimsical forms created by water and the natural bridge is perfect.
Winner – Open – Built Environment / Architecture
(& overall runner-up in the Open competition)
Cao Ky Nhan, Vietnam
Vortex of Ducks, Vietnam
I’m Cao Ky Nhan, a freelance photographer from Phu Yen, a small province in the central region of Vietnam. Currently, I’m living and working in Ho Chi Minh City. I have had a passion for photography for a long time, but I only began pursuing this field in 2016 when I had the opportunity to buy a camera and a drone. Since then, I have been exploring and capturing the beauty of my homeland and other regions through aerial photography. My goal is to share the stunning images of my country with friends around the world.
I truly admire The Epson International Pano Awards because the competition aligns with the path I want to develop in photography. I have participated in the competition for several years, and even though I have only won a few gold medals, it has been enough to make me feel happy and motivated to strive further. This year, luck has truly smiled upon me as I secured the First place in the Built Environment of the Open competition (and runner-up overall in the Open competition) in this year’s Pano Awards with my image ‘Vortex of Ducks’. This is a tremendous joy and an honor on my photographic journey. I sincerely thank The Epson International Pano Awards.
I have a significant amount of experience in photographing duck flocks, so I understand their behavior well. With the photo ‘Vortex of Ducks,’ I took the shot around 5 in the evening. At that time, the light was still quite strong and had a beautiful golden hue. When it’s feeding time, the duck herder brings food and calls out to them, and thousands of ducks will quickly rush towards the herder, running around him. To capture their movement, I used a drone and added an ND filter to the camera. My intention was to slow down the shutter speed. In this way, with a single static image, I was able to capture the swirling motion of the ducks. At that moment, their movement resembled a vortex.
2023 Amateur Awards
2023 Amateur Photographer of the Year
Merche Llobera, Spain
Passionate about the animal world and a natural-born adventurer and amateur photographer, Merche has traveled the globe to share oceans and land with wild animals, capturing them in her photographs in a special and unique way. Through her images, she wants to convey a vital message about the importance of conserving animals and their natural habitats. Her work has earned recognition in international competitions like the Ocean photographer of the year, Nature in focus, Siena Awards, 8th 35 Awards, among others.
In 2022, she mentored the “Wildlife Photography” program at AFRISOS in Tanzania, A beautiful initiative that aims to create African photographers who can tell the stories of their continent.
She has also collaborated with 14 women photographers in the MOTHER magazine’s inaugural volume, emphasizing nature and animals’ significance in our lives.
2023 Amateur Photographer of the Year
Merche Llobera, Spain
All you can eat, Baja California Sur, Mexico
A cormorant swims quickly between different schools of fish trying to decide which one to eat while I, much slower, tried to get a good photo. Swanee Reef is a perfect place to see these schools of fish, cormorants and sea lions.
2023 Amateur Photographer of the Year
Merche Llobera, Spain
Spirits of the Sea, South Africa
A pod of common dolphins are captured in motion as they swim swiftly towards the camera.
Their intelligent eyes were fixed on me, displaying a curious and playful expression,
It is clear that these dolphins were not very used to seeing humans in their underwater world, as they appear to be fascinated and intrigued by the encounter.
Winner – Amateur – Landscape / Nature
(& overall winner in the Amateur competition)
Merche Llobera, Spain
Jack Fish Art, Baja California Sur, Mexico
In this image captured in Cabo Pulmo, a breathtaking natural spectacle unfolds: a school of jacks forming a figure resembling a tornado. The jacks, with their silver and gleaming bodies, move in perfect synchrony, swirling and undulating in a fascinating aquatic ballet. The turquoise and crystal-clear sea provides the perfect stage for this incredible phenomenon.
Winner – Amateur – Built Environment / Architecture
(& overall runner-up in the Amateur competition)
Hung Chang Lin, Taiwan
Mystical Inca, Perú
This is my first time to Perú. Everything is mysterious to me. I know that Machu Picchu is a very popular tourist spot in the world. In order to take pictures of the real Inca civilization with nobody’s there, I set off from the foot of the mountain before dawn, and I spend an incredible amount of time to reach the ticket gate. As I entered Machu Picchu, the sky was still filled with dark clouds, and there was a gentle drizzle in the air. However, when I finally discovered my ideal spot, the sun pierced through the clouds, causing the Incan buildings to appear as if they were floating on the clouds. In that moment, I felt so touched.
I am Lin. A professional carpenter from Taiwan who loves taking photos and travel around the world. Taking pictures brings me happiness and a sense of accomplishment. Taiwan is a great place for photography. There are numerous mountains to explore, and as an Island country, Taiwan offers a wealth of beautiful beaches to walk along. With the various adventures I had been to, it makes me want to explore the world even more.
2023 VR/360 Award
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2023 VR/360 Award Winner
Marcio Cabral, Brazil
Pandora, Brazil
This stunning spherical pano shows the beauty of Chapada dos Veadeiros, a Brazilian national park that hosts a rich biodiversity and breathtaking landscapes. The white flowers that stand out in the foreground are a rare species of Paepalanthus, a genus of plants endemic to the region. They were illuminated by a scurion lamp to create a contrast with the dark sky. In the background, the Milky Way curves over the hills, revealing the colors and shapes of stars and nebulae. This pano was taken with a specialized camera for astrophotography, which allows capturing more details of the universe.
Top 10 placing VR images
Next 11-20 placing VR images
2023 Epson Digital Art Prize
Swee Choo Oh, USA
Disney Concert Hall, LA, USA
In the Greek myth, Narcissus was so beautiful that all who saw him were enraptured, yet he rejected all advances. For this Nemesis punished Narcissus by leading him to a pool where for the first time he saw his own reflection. He fell in love with what he saw, gazing forever into the waters, eventually transforming into a beautiful flower.
Many photographers have been drawn to Gehry’s Walt Disney Concert Hall, an iconic Los Angeles landmark, falling in love with its curves and lines. When Swee looked to create her own study of the building she saw silver sails, serene and peaceful over water. As she worked on her images she found that by removing the noise and distraction of everything around it, and by allowing the building to see its own reflection, like Narcissus, it was transformed.
Swee successfully takes a familiar subject, and discovers a fresh, unique way to enjoy it, in the process unlocking a mythological beauty.
2023 Curators Award
Krzysztof Browko, Poland
Church, Slovenia
The photograph titled “Church” was created during an autumn photography trip to Slovenia. The St. Thomas Church, which is the theme, emerged from the morning mists at just the right moment.
I’ve been to this place several times before, however, I’ve never hit such good conditions. This time I succeeded.
2023 Nikon Australia Award
Jon Vause, Australia
Leap out the back, Western Australia
The image was captured from a rocky outcrop on a remote beach on the south west coast of Western Australia and it involves a hike over rugged boulders to gain access to the location. Being remote and rarely visited by others it is one of my favourite photographic locations in the southwest of Western Australia. A large Southern Ocean swell can produce spectacular backwash waves off the cliffs and the bay can occasionally be visited by pods of dolphins chasing fish and at times surfing and playing in the swells. They are amazing creatures to watch and always seem to be having so much fun when surfing the waves. Good anticipation is needed to photograph them and I have been there many times over the years without success but on this occasion it was “right place right time” to be able to capture their leap through the back of the breaking wave.
2023 RAW Planet Award
Teo Chin Leong, Singapore
Yellow Net 1, Vietnam
This lovely photo was taken in Vietnam. It is a huge net set up with a motor which when activated, will raise the nets and catch any fish trapped in it. I was happy to be here to document this scene during the golden dusk hours. The light was gentle and could interplay with the yellow of the nets for a great composition.
2023 Special Awards
Highest Scoring Aerial Image
Spencer Cox, USA
Above the Clouds, Liwa Desert, Abu Dhabi
Highest Scoring Smartphone Pano
Chang Di, Taiwan
Focus-1, Taiwan
Highest Scoring Film Capture
Michael Lees, USA
Entangled in the Mist, Dead Horse Gap, Kosciusko National Park, Australia
Highest Scoring IAPP member
Blake Randall, Canada
Frayed Ends of Sanity, Yoho National Park, BC, Canada
Highest Scoring IVRPA member in any category
Obed Garcia, Spain
Zaanse Schans, Netherlands
Highest Scoring Vertical Image
Shuchuan Liu, China
Curve Phantom, Osaka, Japan
Highest Scoring Gigapixel Image
Marek Biegalski, Poland
Lines of Nature, Iceland