In pictures: Stunning shots from Sony World Photography Awards

A picture from Photographer of the Year Andrew Ferguson

A series of stunning images have been unveiled as winners in the annual Sony World Photography Awards.

The top picks were announced this week ahead of the opening of an exhibition at London’s Somerset House running until May 2.

Scooping Photographer of the Year was Australian Andrew Ferguson for his series Migrantes.

It features black and white self-portraits of migrants in Mexico, taken as they waited to cross the border into the United States.

Migrantes: Edwardo Benavides, age 40 and his son Jonathon Benavides Reyes, age 9, are migrants from La Union, El Salvador. They took a portrait at an informal migrant camp at a municipal park in Reynosa, Tamaulipas, Mexico on 5 May 2021 (Pic: Andrew Ferguson)

Photographed in collaboration with the subjects, Ferguson setup the scene for each image, mounting a medium format camera on a tripod with a cable release and then stepped back, allowing the individuals to choose the moment of capture and participate in the process of documenting their lives.

He said: “Through collaborating with migrants, this series of photographs was an attempt to make images that inspired empathy, rather than sympathy. By surrendering the control of capture and giving each migrant agency in the process of their representation, I hoped to subvert the narrative of marginalization and create a story that felt more human, relatable and honest.

“I’m grateful to the brave and resilient individuals who agreed to work with me, and receive this award on behalf of them also. Winning the Photographer of the Year award gives this story another life. It allows a new audience to connect with the important stories of the individuals who shared their story with me.”