The Siena International Awards are known for showcasing the best images from around the world every year - ones that are about unique and beautiful events, places, and people on earth. The competition sees participation from countries around the world.
Some of the categories included in the contest are Fragile Ice, Fascinating Faces & Characters, General Monochrome, and, Journeys and Adventures.
At The World’s End
Alessandra Meniconzi’s photograph, ‘At The World’s End’ is the first position holder in the journeys and adventures category. The image, taken in Yamal, Siberia in Russia depicts a six-year-old Olya, who is seen helping her parents collect wood for the fire.
The place is inhabited by Russia’s last nomadic community, the Nenets, who live in the inhospitable region where temperatures drop to as low as -50 degree Celsius. The picture serves to highlight the extremely challenging conditions local communities and tribes around the world have to face on a daily basis for survival.
Crow of Lviv
This photograph by Jack Savage was awarded the first prize in the general monochrome category. The shot is taken in Lviv, Ukraine, and is inspired, in the words of the photographer, by the gothic charm of the place, which is known for its churches and architecture. The picture unites Dostoevsky with David Lynch in the era of film noir of the 40s.
The photograph was processed through the Adobe Photoshop application.
Dreaming on Sea Ice
The shot by Roie Galitz depicts a polar bear resting on fragile ice, true to the name of the category in which it won the first prize. In the photograph is depicted a polar bear peacefully resting on sea ice. Its peace won’t last long, though, for rapidly rising sea temperatures will soon snatch the only home they know- the fragile ice.
Shot in Eastern Spitsbergen, the photograph captures the immediate threat to countless species around the world.
Sand Hill Cranes
The photograph shot by the renowned Nat Geo photographer Randy Olson captures a flock of cranes with incredible lightning strikes in the background.
The shot was conferred upon the title of ‘Photo of the Year’ at the awards and was taken at the Ogallala Aquifer situated close to Nebraska’s Wood River. The essence of the photograph is the fact that the lightning strikes at the exact same time as the birds are seen moving, requiring a lot of skill and patience on the part of the photographer.
