THE WORLD WE LIVE IN

These brilliant images from around the globe capture adventure, nostalgia and wonder

- MAXINE PETERS

THE Sony World Photography Awards shine a spotlight on some of the best amateur photographers from the around the world and this year's entrants did not fail to impress. Celebrating contemporary photography and the ways in which the arts reflect the world around us, the Open Category saw almost 400,000 images entered from 220 countries across subjects including landscape, travel, street, creative, and wildlife.

We take a look through the lens of some of the talented finalists.

RIDER GETTING DOWN AND DIRTY

A rider passes through a muddy part of the course at the Norwegian National Championships in Hafjell Bike Park, Norway. Photographer Samuel Andersen used a fisheye lens to get really close to get this shot. "Both me and my gear ended up getting splashed," he says. "It was worth it, though, as the backlighting from this angle was very effective"

BETWEEN CALM AND CATASTROPHE

On Lake Titicaca, between Peru and Bolivia, a tranquil floating village stands in stark contrast to the approaching wildfire, a dramatic testament to nature's dual disposition.

ZENANDE, SINAWE, ZINATHI AND BUHLE AT SEA POINT PAVILION