The 2018 Siena International Photo Awards has received 48,000 submissions from the best photographers in 156 countries, and the judges have had an incredibly hard time deciding the winners. Nonetheless, the best pictures of 2018 have been decided, and just like in 2017 and 2016, their cool images show just how diverse our beautiful world really is.
Every year, the competition includes a special category. This time, it was entitled Splash of Colors, seeking out excellent color compositions. In total, the famous photographers competed in 11 categories, ranging from stunning landscapes to subtle portraits and cool photos of dramatic sports moments. The grand prize, the Photo of the Year award, went to Bangladeshi photographer K. M. Asad for his shot Battle Victim. Asad has been documenting the plight of the persecuted Rohingya in Myanmar for six years now, and the best photography of a young Rohingya refugee perfectly portrays the terrible human tragedy unfolding there.
Continue scrolling to check out the rest of the best picture nominees of 2018.
More info: sipacontest.com
#1 El Calbuco, Chile (1st Place In The Beauty Of The Nature Category)
This photograph was taken during a violent night eruption of the Calbuco volcano in the Lagos region, Chile. An incredible dirt storm wraps the fumarole of the erupting volcano
Report
582points
#2 Sharing Emotion (Remarkable Award In Fascinating Faces And Characters Category)
Report
544points
#3 Arctic Fox, Usa (3rd Place In Animals In Their Environment Category)
I encountered this fox scavenging a Caribou's carcass on the coastal plains of Alaska's Arctic. I spent two hours slowly approaching it until I took this picture from six feet away, as she finished her meal. It was a surreal and unforgettable experience and a rare opportunity to be accepted into a wild animal's existence for a few special hours
Peter Mather
Report526points
#4 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
Report
488points
#5 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
Report
481points
#6 Underwater View Of The Winter Lofoten (Remarkable Award In The Beauty Of The Nature Categoty)
Report
478points
#7 Nemo In The House (Remarkable Award In Animals In Their Environment Category)
Report
442points
#8 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
Report
417points
#9 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
Report
403points
#10 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
Report
392points
#11 Camels In The Desert, Mongolia (2nd Place In General Color Category)
On the evening of October 24, 2017, in Inner Mongolia, camels and their loyal dog were creating waves of dust under the sunset's glow. This spectacular picturesque scene in the Mongolian desert was created thanks to the shadows and magnificent light cast upon the desert
Report
347points
#13 Love On The Rocks (Remarkable Award In Animals In Their Environment Category)
Report
339points
#14 Joana, Dancer At The Tropicana, Sat With Her Grandmother, Cuba (Honorable Mention In Fascinating faces and characters Category)
Joana Menendez Gonzalez, a performer at the Tropicana Cabaret in Havana, sat with her maternal grandmother, proudly looking at her
333points
#15 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
Milo Angelo Ramella
Report321points
#16 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
Report
301points
#17 Mind The Gap, Antarctica (Honorable Mention In Animals In Their Environment Category)
A small group of Emperor Penguins huddles near a crack in an ice floe, in a pristine area of the Southern Ocean adjacent to Antarctica, known as the Ross Sea
Andrew Peacock
Report287points
#18 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
Report
278points
#19 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
Report
274points
#20 Killer Whale In Polar Night, Norway (Honorable Mention In Animals In Their Environment Category)
A killer whale emerges on the surface while hunting in an Arctic Norwegian fjord during the polar night
Audun Rikardsen
Report271points