Out of a whopping 48,000 entries from amateur and professional photographers from 156 countries this year, here are the stunning winners of the annual Siena International Photo Awards (SIPA).
Every year, the competition includes a special category and this time it was entitled Splash of Colors. Photographers competed in a total of 11 categories.
In the competition of 2018, unconventional names such as Fragile Ice, Animals in Their Environment, and Fascinating Faces and Characters were chosen as category names. Each section’s winners are awarded starting with 1° Classified, then 2° Classified, and then 3° Classified. There are also the honorable mentions.
In its fourth year, the highly- acclaimed culture and nature photo contest is hosted by non-profit organization Art Photo Travel.
Siena International Photo Awards: Website | Instagram | Facebook
El Calbuco, Chile (1st Place In The Beauty Of The Nature Category)
TariqZaidi, a freelance photographer based out of London, UK, represented by Zuma Press (USA) and Getty Images (UK), won the prestigious title of “Best Author 2018”, thanks to his powerful stories from Congo, North Korea, Brazil and Sudan.
In Travel & Adventures, Zac Lowry’s striking image shows a man running through a checkpoint carrying his injured son in West Mosul, Iraq.
British documentary photographer David Chancellor came in first in Storyboard with an impressive series, documenting how, in Africa, trophy hunting is a big draw for rich tourists who are able to pay big money to kill animals for sport. His work examines mankind’s commodification of wildlife.
Francisco Negroni, Chile, placed first in the Nature category for flashes of lightning that lacerate the sky while the glow from molten lava lights up the billowing smoke.
The Wildlife category was won by Amos Nachoum, Israel, for a shocking image which shows a leopard seal getting into a lagoon just before he catches a penguin by its feet, dragging it into the open water.
Sharing Emotion (Remarkable Award In Fascinating Faces And Characters Category)
Arctic Fox, Usa (3rd Place In Animals In Their Environment Category)
Cosmic Wildflowers, Brazil (Honorable Mention In The beauty of the nature Category)
The 180º panorama, with the milky way in the background, magnifies a field of Paepalanthus wildflowers in the National Park of Veadeiros Tablelands – Marcio Cabral
Rhino Silhouette, Kenya (Honorable Mention In Animals In Their Environment Category)
I was taking an early ride out from the camp in Masai Mara National Park, searching for the Great Migration, when I saw a rhino from far away standing beside a tree. The backlight from the early sun was too strong, so I took a silhouette instead – Khaichuin Sim
Underwater View Of The Winter Lofoten (Remarkable Award In The Beauty Of The Nature Categoty)
Nemo In The House (Remarkable Award In Animals In Their Environment Category)
Beyond Pink, USA (Honorouble Mention In General Color Category)
Breast cancer goes beyond the month of October and the pink ribbons. This portrait is part of a series showing honest and empowering images of breast cancer – Becky Yee
Toy Houses, Russia (1st Place In Architecture & Urban Spaces Category)
This picture of some Russian dachas near the city of Arkhangelsk is interesting thanks to the intense contrast between the colors of the houses and the white snow covering the Russian town – Fyodor Savintsev
The Wave, Antarctica Waters (3rd Place In Journeys And Adventures Category)
In the Drake Passage, between Cape Horn and Antarctica, a 12-meter wave pounds the boat’s forecastle with its enormous splashes – Lorraine Turci
Camels In The Desert, Mongolia (2nd Place In General Color Category)
Run! (Remarkable Award In Animals In Their Environment Category)
Love On The Rocks (Remarkable Award In Animals In Their Environment Category)
Joana, Dancer At The Tropicana, Sat With Her Grandmother, Cuba (Honorable Mention In Fascinating faces and characters Category)
Jump, Canada (Honorable Mention In Animals In Their Environment Category)
A snowy owl takes flight alarmed by the call of another female. This species gives particular care to protecting its own hunting territory
Break, Indonesia (Honorable Mention In Fascinating faces and characters Category)
During heavy work at a noodle factory in Indonesia, this man had the chance to rest for a little while. His exhausted expression is a clear sign of the extremely hard working conditions these people face every day – Burak Senbak
Mind The Gap, Antarctica (Honorable Mention In Animals In Their Environment Category)

The Road Of Fortune, Vietnam (Honorable Mention in Splash of Colors category)
In Vietnam, red is the color of good luck and is traditionally considered the symbolic color of happiness. Joss sticks are offered at altars to obtain good business and good fortune – Sian Koi Kua
Battle Victim, Bangladesh (Photo Of The Year)
In Cox’s Bazar, Asmat Ara looks clearly traumatized after the recent violence which took place in Myanmar, on September 6th, 2017. The previous night she had entered Tenkhali Rohingya refugee camp with her family from Kumar Khali, Myanmar Rohingya state. According to the UNHCR, more than 646,000 Rohingya refugees have fled from Myanmar since August 25th, 2017, most of them trying to cross the border to reach Bangladesh – K M Asad
Killer Whale In Polar Night, Norway (Honorable Mention In Animals In Their Environment Category)
Little Nenets Nedko, Russia (Honorable Mention In Journeys and Adventures Category)
The North is a fantastic region populated by extraordinary people with a distinct culture fully adjusted to the environment of the extreme North. Despite being in the 21st century, people of the North still maintain their traditional culture, reflecting the time-honoured, close interaction between people and nature, demonstrating a genuinely caring attitude towards everything that surrounds them – Sergey Anisimov
The Beakful Of The Hoopoe, Italy (Honorable Mention In Animals In Their Environment Category)
Looking, as usual, for the nests of the most beautiful bird species in Trentino, I unexpectedly saw this hoopoe and I immediately grasped the opportunity to photograph it
Flying On The Beach, The Netherlands (Honorouble Mention In General Color Category)
I was lying down in the cold water looking for the right position and took this picture at the exact moment when the dog was jumping high to catch the disc, almost flying in the sky – Claudio Piccoli
Share (Remarkable Award In Fascinating Faces And Characters Category)
Drink, China (Honorable Mention In Fascinating faces and characters Category)
In a small hilltop village with water shortage problems, a little boy drinks water from a water pipe – Jing Hu
Duel In The Snow (Remarkable Award In Animals In Their Environment Category)
Kid With Hand Crafts, Ethiopia (1st Place In Fascinating Faces And Characters Category)
In Ethiopia, the kids of the Suri tribe are being over-protected by their families. Imagine these metal handcrafts as a jail with a Suri kid locked inside. Young kids are the hope and inheritors of the Suri culture, but the overprotection will marginalize the new generation from the world – David Nam Lip Lee
Kitten (Remarkable Award In Animals In Their Environment Category)
Floating Market, Indonesia (1st Place In Splash Of Colors Category)
Early in the morning before sunrise up to a hundred boats meet at the colorful Lok Baintan Floating Market in Indonesia. It is one of the oldest markets in Asia where the inhabitants still trade from traditional wooden boats – Sina Falker
Travelers, Antarctica (3rd Place In The Beauty Of The Nature Category)
A group of Chinstrap Penguins (Pygoscelis Antarctica) is resting on an iceberg. When sailing Antarctic waters you will often see different types of icebergs. Some of these floating islands are great resting places for hunting penguins who can travel many kilometers, before jumping back into the icy water – Mariusz Potocki