20+ Stunning Winning Photos Of The 2018 Siena International Photo Awards

The Siena International Photo Awards is an annual photography competition, started in 2015, in which both amateurs and professionals compete in various categories. This year the organizers received nearly 48,000 images from 156 countries and finally, the 2018 winners have been announced. This year the title of Photographer of the Year went to a Bangladeshi photographer K M Asad. The winning picture, titled Battle Victim, depicts a child refugee from Rohingya - a victim of the violence currently happening in Myanmar. Check out Asad's and many other great photographers' pictures in the gallery below and if you want more, check out the winning pictures of 2016 here! More info: sipacontest.com | h/t

#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 Image source: Francisco Negroni

#2 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

#3 Sharing Emotion (Remarkable Award In Fascinating Faces And Characters Category)

Image source: Mohd Nazri Sulaiman

#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 Image source: Marcio Cabral

#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

#6 Underwater View Of The Winter Lofoten (Remarkable Award In The Beauty Of The Nature Categoty)

Image source: Сергей Луканкин

#7 The Twins' Gymnastics Dream, China (3rd Place In Story-Telling Category)

When I discovered these twins at a gymnastics school, I decided to capture their telepathic coordination, mutual assistance and dependence on each other in daily training. I also focused on capturing their individual differences performed in training, particularly in simple mandatory movements. I worked hard to find and capture their differences in the hope of unveiling the characteristics and forms of twins in competitive sports. The photos were mainly taken at a gymnastics school in Jining City, China. The two children were born in 2007. Their names are Liu Bingqing and Liu Yujie. 1、Before training, Liu Bingqing and Liu Yujie were running along the corridor. 2、Liu Bingqing was doing gymnastics with the help of the coach and was clearly suffering. 3、The twins were training in simple movements on the horizontal bar Image source: Peng Yuan

#8 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 Image source: Fyodor Savintsev

#9 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 Image source: Becky Yee

#10 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 Image source: https://sipacontest.com/gallery/2018/category.php?cat=4

#11 Run! (Remarkable Award In Animals In Their Environment Category)

Image source: Christoph Kaula

#12 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 Image source: Lorraine Turci

#13 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 Image source: Weiguo Hu

#14 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 Image source: Burak Senbak

#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

#16 Love On The Rocks (Remarkable Award In Animals In Their Environment Category)

Image source: Amos Nachoum

#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

#18 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 Image source: K M Asad

#19 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

#20 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 Image source: Sian Koi Kua

#21 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

#22 Share (Remarkable Award In Fascinating Faces And Characters Category)

Image source:  Zhonghua Yang

#23 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 Image source: Jing Hu

#24 Duel In The Snow (Remarkable Award In Animals In Their Environment Category)

Image source: Matthew Polvorosa Kline

#25 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 Image source: Sergey Anisimov

#26 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 Image source: Claudio Piccoli

#27 Kitten (Remarkable Award In Animals In Their Environment Category)

Image source: Sergey Gorshkov

#28 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 Image source: David Nam Lip Lee

#29 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 Image source: Mariusz Potocki

#30 Giochi In Verde (Remarkable Award In The Beauty Of The Nature Category)

Image source: Vanda Bodoardo

#31 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 Image source: Sina Falker

#32 Nemo In The House (Remarkable Award In Animals In Their Environment Category)

Image source: Matteo Visconti

#33 Cold At Surface, Norway (Honorable Mention In The beauty of the nature Category)

In the waters of Tromsø, during a freezing polar night (-18°C), a killer whale is taking a breath at the cold surface gifting us this amazing photo Image source: Audun Rikardsen

#34 Facing Reality, Pleneau Island, Antarctic Peninsula (1st Place In Animals In Their Environment Category)

A leopard seal got into a lagoon just before low tide. The seal was hiding, waiting to ambush young penguins as they got closer. When a penguin got close enough, the seal moved extremely fast and caught the penguin by its feet dragging it to the open water. I was following parallel to the action. The seal released the penguin twice and the terrified penguin succeeded in escaping, but the seal continued chasing after it, and on the third attempt, drowned the penguin and devoured it Image source: Amos Nachoum

#35 Flying Fishing Nest, China (3rd Place In General Color Category)

This image is able to evoke a sense of peace, portraying a fisherman at work on the Ningde Jiuli River in Xiapu County, China, while the wind lifts his fishing nets. The special light, the sun's rays, and the wind all add up creating a magical and striking atmosphere Image source: Danny Yen Sin Wong

#36 Migration, Saudi Arabia (2nd Place In The Beauty Of The Nature Category)

In the desert of Dahana, in the center of Saudi Arabia, Bedouins migrate with camels from place to place, searching for food and water. I took this picture while a group of nomads was passing us with their camels, creating beautiful shadows in a peaceful atmosphere Image source: Khalid Alsabt

#37 Polar Trout, Norway (Honorable Mention In The beauty of the nature Category)

A brown trout spawning in a special night atmosphere as the stars and the full moon light the scene Image source: Audun Rikardsen

#38 Unity, Bangladesh (Honorable Mention In Animals In Their Environment Category)

Unity is the strength, as with teamwork and collaboration with which wonderful things can be achieved. Here this frog wanted to eat the ants, but its own life is at risk in the face of their unity

#39 Redyk, Poland (Honorable Mention In Journeys and Adventures Category)

In this photo of Mizerna, in southern Poland, the traditional sheep grazing, called "Redyk", has more than 1,500 animals. From the Low Beskid Mountains, shepherds bring back the animals to the city of Nowy Targ, where the owners will take care of them during the winter. The animals will go back to the mountains in spring Image source: Bartłomiej Jurecki

#40 Vulture And Jackal (Remarkable Award In Animals In Their Environment Category)

Image source: Willem Kruger

#41 Ouch, It Is Cold (Remarkable Award In Journeys And Adventures Category)

Image source: Sergey Anisimov

#42 Game Of Colors, India (2nd Place In Splash Of Colors Category)

The Holi Festival is a yearly Indian celebration announcing the arrival of spring, with a colorful atmosphere that radiates love and happiness Image source: Anurag Kumar

#43 School Of Barracuda (Remarkable Award In Animals In Their Environment Category)

Image source: Francis Pérez

#44 Hyaena, Tanzania (Honorable Mention In Animals In Their Environment Category)

A hyaena is roaming in the water looking for food on a misty morning. The black and white image conveys a sense of quiet

#45 The Window, Costa Rica (Honorable Mention In The beauty of the nature Category)

During my stay in a hotel in Costa Rica, red-eyed frogs (Agalichnis callydrias) flooded the gardens. As I approached this one, it climbed into one of the holes and I photographed the frog as if it were sticking out of a window Image source: Salvador Colvée Nebot

#46 Krishna The God Of Colours (Remarkable Award In Splash Of Colors Category)

Image source: Sanghamitra Sarkar

#47 Sperm Whale Herd, Sri Lanka (3rd Place In Animals In Their Environment Category)

The sperm whales pictured here had just emerged from milling around in a gigantic cluster, with many of the whales defecating to such an extent that the water was opaque with secretions. This scene was part of a large, multi-day aggregation comprising hundreds, perhaps thousands of whales Image source: Tony Wu

#48 A Giant In The Dark, Botswana (Honorable Mention In General Monochrome Category)

A close-up portrait of a bull Elephant (Loxodonta africana) captured in Chobe National Park in Botswana. A Low-Key monochrome conversion, with a blurred background, was used to add mood and achieve a more intimate portrait of this gentle giant Image source: Mario Moreno

#49 Exhalation (Remarkable Award In Splash Of Colors Category)

Image source: Javier Herranz Casellas

#50 Man Carries Injured Son, Iraq (1st Place In Journeys And Adventures Category)

A heartbroken father, carrying his injured son, flees a checkpoint in West Mosul, Iraq Image source: Zach Lowry

#51 The Great Eclipse, USA (Honorable Mention In The beauty of the nature Category)

This photo was taken during the total solar eclipse that happened in the USA in August 2017. It is the result of HDR stacking from 14 images Image source: Oleg Zinkovetsky

#52 The Contact (Remarkable Award In Journeys And Adventures Category)

Image source: Alla Sokolova

#53 Smoking An Old Woman (Remarkable Award In Fascinating Faces And Characters Category)

Image source: Qiang Chen

#54 Leap Of Leopards (Remarkable Award In Animals In Their Environment Category)

Image source: Hetal "teeku" Patel

#55 Snowy Ballerina (Remarkable Award In Animals In Their Environment Category)

Image source: Barbara Fleming

#56 The Hunt, India (2nd Place In Animals In Their Environment Category)

A young and inexperienced tiger cub attempts to hunt a chital (spotted deer) in Ranthambore National Park, India; but the chital turned out to be too big for this young cub. I captured the moment when the tiger cub was struggling to get the prey down, as his siblings and mother were watching from a distance Image source: Shivang Mehta

#57 Good-Bye, Israel (Honorable Mention In The beauty of the nature Category)

A chameleon whipped out its tongue to capture a dragonfly, while I was hiding behind a bush in order not to disturb the scene. Its tongue is longer than its body, and its tip is sticky and thick Image source: Daniel Danilov

#58 Ocean Fury, Iceland (Honorable Mention In General Monochrome Category)

After 2 days with winds blowing up to 100 Km/h, huge waves can be seen on the Icelandic West coast. Winter was ending and the snowfall alternating with the sun's rays. The challenge in obtaining this image was standing close to the cliffs in the gusts of wind Image source: Romain Tornay

#59 Eagles Arguing, Finland (Honorouble Mention In Under 20 Category)

Two white-tailed eagles are fighting in their arctic environment in Sodankylä, Finland Image source: Tommi Kurkela

#60 Henningsvær Football Field, Norway (2nd Place In Architecture And Urban Spaces Category)

The football field of Henningsvær, in the beautiful Lofoten Islands in Norway, is considered to be one of the most amazing football fields in Europe, and maybe even in the world Image source: Misha De-Stroyev

#61 In The Melaleuca Forest, Vietnam (Honorable Mention In Journeys and Adventures Category)

A woman is collecting water chestnuts during the high tide season in the Melaleuca forest in Mekong Delta, Vietnam Image source: Trung Pham Huy

#62 Every Breath You Take, Germany (1st Place In General Color Category)

The picture was taken from 35 individual images of swimmers at the triathlon in the Duesseldorf Media Harbour in the summer of 2017. I was able to take them from above, while the athletes crossed a pedestrian bridge capturing their very individual "breathing techniques“. I was inspired by the work of Andreas Gursky; therefore, I took the individual images with the highest possible sharpness Image source: Klaus Lenzen

#63 The Paradise Of Forgotten Hearts, Togo (Honorable Mention In Journeys and Adventures Category)

A group of children happily plays in a river from heavy rains near Mandouri (Togo, West Africa). Every year, unsafe water, coupled with a lack of basic sanitation, kills at least 1.6 million children under the age of five around the planet. Six to eight million people die annually from the consequences of disasters and water-related diseases Image source: Antonio Aragon Renuncio

#64 The Man Staring, Bangladesh (Honorable Mention In Journeys and Adventures Category)

This photo was taken at Tongi Railway Station, Bangladesh. A train from the country was entering the platform and as it arrived I suddenly found a pair of curious eyes staring at me through the window. The mist on the glass and the curious eyes create a dreamy atmosphere where the black umbrella represents reality - a journey towards the city full of hopes and dreams Image source: Moin Ahmed

#65 Swing, Bolivia (Honorable Mention In Journeys and Adventures Category)

Tanya is playing on a swing in the Bolivian trains cemetery, 3 km outside Uyuni. This place, where many trains were abandoned at the beginning of the 19th century, is connected to Uyuni by the old train tracks Image source: Petr Lovigin

#66 Honey Hunters (Remarkable Award In Journeys And Adventures Category)

Image source: Muhammad Mostafigur Rahman

#67 Free-Riders (Remarkable Award In Journeys And Adventures Category)

Image source: Mauro De Bettio

#68 I Want To Play, Myanmar (Honorable Mention In General Monochrome Category)

A boy who lost his leg is watching his classmates playing football. He seems to be saying, "I want to play too." If only he could Image source: Zarni Myo Win

#69 Giant Serenity, Kenya (Honorable Mention In General Monochrome Category)

A female Elephant (Loxodonta africana) approaches a stream at sunset in the Northeastern part of Maasai Mara National Reserve in Kenya Image source: Mario Moreno

#70 Roopa, Dimple And Soniya (Remarkable Award In Journeys And Adventures Category)

Image source: Silvia Alessi

#71 Runner, The Netherlands (1st Place In General Monochrome Category)

This photograph highlights the modern architecture of Arnhem Central Station in the Netherlands by using black and white technique and the movement of the runner in the static scene Image source: Marcel van Balken

#72 Egrets Fight (Remarkable Award In Animals In Their Environment Category)

Image source: Hamad Bouresli

#73 Fisherman At Inle Lake, Myanmar (1st Place In Under 20 Category)

This picture was captured at Inle Lake on the Shan Plateau in Myanmar. As the lake is covered with reeds and floating plants, it is difficult to row while sitting. As a result, the Intha fishermen have developed an unusual rowing style. It is amazing how people in each corner of the world find ways to adapt to nature, inspired by nature itself Image source: Yinzhi Pan

#74 Cannonball, Tonga (Honorable Mention In General Monochrome Category)

This is a humpback whale launching itself out of the water during an overcast, stormy day. The young whale was a little boy, showing off his skills. I took this photo with a camera modified for monochrome images Image source: Tony Wu

#75 Winter Idyll In Everyday Life, Germany (Honorouble Mention In General Color Category)

From above, in winter, even an everyday life scene can become interesting and suggest a story Image source: Eberhard Ehmke

#76 Truit (Remarkable Award In General Color Category)

Image source: Thomas Kaiser

#77 4 Hours Of Air Traffic, USA (Honorouble Mention In Architecture and Urban Spaces Category)

A stacked exposure showing 4 hours of air traffic departing from the N/S runways at SFO. This is one of a series, showing the frenetic pace with which these complex microcosms operate. To achieve this image, I was perched on a mountaintop 2 miles from the runway, with a super-telephoto lens, clicking exposures every time a plane departed

#78 Save The Last Dance, Germany (Honorouble Mention In Architecture and Urban Spaces Category)

A piano telling a story of other times, when in the 1920's couples danced to its notes. Even today, despite the dust covering it, its music echoes in the room, bringing us into an atmosphere full of charm and emotion

#79 Traditional Coastal Cod Fishery, Norway (Honorable Mention In Journeys and Adventures Category)

An old Norwegian fisherman catching a cod the traditional way. Fishing has always been the major traditional activity for Norwegians and still holds a central place in their households and daily life Image source: Audun Rikardsen

#80 Giants Of The Ocean, Norway (Honorable Mention In General Monochrome Category)

Two humpback whales enjoy playing during the polar night in Northern Norway Image source: Audun Rikardsen

#81 Gypsy Child (Remarkable Award In Fascinating Faces And Characters Category)

Image source: Shahab Naseri

#82 The Jump, USA (Honorouble Mention In Sports In Action Category)

The Red Bull Rampage, held near Zion National Park, has become one of the biggest mountain biking events every year. The event is similar to freestyle skiing and snowboarding, where competitors are judged on their choice of path down the course, their technical ability and the complexity of their tricks

#83 Reflection Pole Vault, Spain (1st Place In Sports In Action Category)

The pole vaulter makes his final jump, decisive to proclaim himself the winner of the event. The moment is captured in the reflection generated by the intense rains on the ground Image source: Ajuriaguerra Saiz Pedro Luis

#84 Order Within Density, Hong Kong (3rd Place In Under 20 Category)

This aerial photograph of Sheung Wan area questions the stereotypes of Hong Kong being claustrophobic, demonstrating the existence of a geometric order within this chaotic city Image source: Ian Leung

#85 Waiting In Limbo: Kashmir’s Half-Widow, India (Honorable Mention In Fascinating faces and characters Category)

Shamla Begum’s husband, Fathiq Nagar, was 37 years old when he was taken by strangers on his way to Baramulla, the nearest town to their village. The violence of Kashmir’s armed conflict has given rise to a category of women known as “half-widows”, whose husbands have ‘disappeared’ during the decades-long conflict Image source: Wei Tan

#86 Shark And Mountains (Remarkable Award In The Beauty Of The Nature Category)

Image source: David Robinson

#87 Mt. Bromo, Indonesia (Honorable Mention In The beauty of the nature Category)

This phenomenal picture was taken in Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park at sunrise. Mount Bromo's eruption, in January 2016, was highly unusual as it lasted for almost a year Image source: Riksa Dewantara

#88 Fighting, Russia (Honorouble Mention In Under 20 Category)

Two big brown bears are ferociously fighting, even though there is no prize to win Image source: Danielle Waldman

#89 Path Of Camels Across The Sands, Saudi Arabia (Honorable Mention In General Color Category)

From an unusually high point of view, these camels seem to trace a road across the desert dunes, projecting beautiful shadows on the sand Image source: Abdullah Alnassar

#90 Playground, Italy (3rd Place In Splash Of Colors Category)

The art of regeneration is an urban renewal project through public art and design. "Playground" is a public basketball court located in Alessandria (Italy) designed by the Italian artist GUE. Public art is a response to urban degeneration. It can contribute to civic identity, has educational value, promotes social change, and encourages economic development. It is a way to transform a space into a place Image source: Ugo Galassi

#91 Windows And Sculpture, France (Honorouble Mention In Splash Of Colors Category)

Windows with colorful yet abstract reflections and a Sculpture with colorful strips from La Défense business district in Paris

#92 The Light Fantastic, United Kingdom (3rd Place In Sports In Action Category)

Athletes compete in the Men's 10,000 meters final at Hampden Park during day nine of the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games

#93 Young Lama In The Snowstorm, Sichuan (Honorable Mention In Fascinating faces and characters Category)

In the temple of Gerdeng, in the county of Aba, Sichuan province, young Lamas are sitting on stone steps, listening carefully to their teachers, in spite of the intense snowfall Image source: Qingjun Rong

#94 From The Cloud (Remarkable Award In Animals In Their Environment Category)

Image source: Franco Banfi

#95 High Dive, Hungary (Honorouble Mention In Sports In Action Category)

A competitor makes a practice dive prior to the Men's High dive on day seventeen of the Budapest 2017 FINA World Championships in Budapest

#96 Qasr Al-Yahud Baptismal Site, Qasr al-Yahud (Honorable Mention In Fascinating faces and characters Category)

An Eritrean Orthodox Christian pilgrim baptizes a young girl, as pilgrims celebrate Epiphany at the Qasr al-Yahud Baptismal Site, near the West Bank city of Jericho. The baptism site is where, according to the tradition, Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist. Christian tradition marks this site as the place of the 'spiritual birth' of Jesus Image source: Abir Sultan

#97 Road To Ruin, Syria (2nd Place In Story-Telling Category)

"Rubble and Delusion" A Journey Through Assad's Syria. With the fall of Aleppo, the regime of Bashar Assad once again controls the country's second-largest city. But is reconciliation possible? Follow me on a journey through the dictator's state in rubble. On an icy January evening in eastern Aleppo, a grotesque scene of destruction, five men are standing around a fire in a battered oil drum in a butcher's shop. Their trousers are dirty and their faces are covered with soot. There has been no running water for a long time. Every evening, the men come here to warm up, burning table legs and chairs from the ruins. In what is left of their apartments, there are no heating stoves. "The fear, though, is finally gone", says shop owner Ahmed Tubal. For over four years, various rebel groups have controlled the neighborhood of al-Shaar, but Syrian and Russian jets recently transformed half of the city into rubble to wipe them out. The rebels and their supporters have left the city, and following the regime's victory, only those who support Syrian President Bashar Assad have remained. "The bombing was necessary to drive out the Islamists," says Tubal, a short man with tired eyes. "Otherwise, they would never have left." The other men voice their approval. "We were so exhausted. We just wanted it to stop. And if that meant that everything had to be destroyed even further, then that was just the price we had to pay." A visit to Assad's Syria, a state in shambles, surrounding the largest cities in the West, over which the dictator has regained control thanks to Russian and Iranian support; it is like entering an apocalyptic world. Large Mercedes tractor-trailers drive water tanks through Aleppo's ruins while the streets are patrolled by armored vehicles manned by Russian soldiers. Assad can frequently be seen on television while fear can be seen in the eyes of many residents. Our journey leads us to the three largest cities in Northern and Western Syria: Aleppo; Latakia; Homs. Aleppo has become symbolic of the brutal bombing campaign. Latakia, the regime stronghold on the Mediterranean, was largely untouched by the war and is still a popular vacation spot in the summer. And Homs, once the center of the uprising, was destroyed and is now slated to become a model of reconstruction. When journalists travel through Syria, they are unable to move about freely. Officially, we are only allowed to visit places for which we have obtained written permits from Damascus. Furthermore, only people who are acceptable to the regime can be interviewed and any other meetings must take place in secret. Usually, journalists are accompanied by government minders. There is only one minder for international journalists in Aleppo, meaning that it is usually possible to speak to people without supervision. In Latakia, on the other hand, journalists have a military escort, while there are two minders in Homs. But even when minders aren't present, it isn't always easy to know if people are saying what they really think or if their words are guided by fear. It is clear what conclusion the regime would like visitors to reach: that Bashar Assad is the only one who can bring the country back together again. But what do people really think? What are the obstacles to reconciliation and reconstruction? And isn't Assad himself the greatest obstacle?" 1. Syria, January 2017 - Large parts of Homs are completely destroyed. Nevertheless, some residents come back and try to rebuild their homes. Three-quarters of Homs consists of ruins. A taxi drives through ruins. 2. Syria, January 2017 – A boy has caught a cat in East Aleppo. During the fighting, residents had hardly any food left. They paid up to 60 USD for cats to eat. 3. Syria, January 2017 – A chained dog and a boy in front of the coastal promenade in Latakia Image source: Christian Werner

#98 Circus Decay, Belgium (Honorouble Mention In General Color Category)

In this photo, evoking an old circus ring, only the elephant and the ringmaster remain... the audience left long ago Image source: Marcel van Balken

#99 Headless (Remarkable Award In Sports In Action Category)

Image source: Matthias Hangs

#100 The Pool - Para (Remarkable Award In Sports In Action Category)

Image source: Carla Kogelman

#101 Rohingya Exodus, Bangladesh (Honorable Mention In General Monochrome Category)

After Myanmar's army carried out the 'ethnic cleansing' of the Rohingya in Rakhine State, more than half a million people fled from the violence which included 340,000 children. After several days journey, a group of refugees reached Cox's Bazar camp in Bangladesh Image source: MD Tanveer Hassan Rohan

#102 The Bear, Romania (Honorouble Mention In Under 20 Category)

Since ancient times, the bear has always represented a sacred animal. Every year, before New Year's Eve, Comanesti is filled with Romanian traditions where children wear bear furs and make noise in order to drive away evil spirits and start a bright year Image source: Andra-ioana Zlotu

#103 Yibbum #1 (Remarkable Award In Journeys And Adventures Category)

Image source: Gregory Michenaud

#104 Crossing The Border (Remarkable Award In Fascinating Faces And Characters Category)

Image source: M Yousuf Tushar

#105 Meet The Hosts - Metro Driver, Russia (Honorable Mention In Fascinating faces and characters Category)

In 2018 Russia will host the Football World Cup and the idea of my project is to portray Russian people as the hosts. All together, they convey a picture of Russia and give an insight into the Russian soul. This work is about people, their identity, their environment, their culture, and society Image source: https://sipacontest.com/gallery/2018/category.php?cat=4

#106 Road To Ruin, Syria (Honorable Mention In Journeys and Adventures Category)

November 2017 - According to estimates by the Civil Council, more than 8,000 mines are hidden in Raqqa. The Civil Council explores a former ISIS hospital looking for medicines that can still be used. A view from the ruined tower clock, overlooking the ruins of Raqqa, shows Abdulla al-Arian as he inspects the place Image source: Christian Werner

#107 Prada, Usa (3rd Place In Architecture And Urban Spaces Category)

This picture is from the 'Lost America series' and shows a quiet stillness in a forgotten landscape that is somehow ‘on-pause’. Spaces appear frozen in time, their inhabitants, absent or long since departed. Ardently stagnant in their appearance, the images aim to unlock a moment of reflective contemplation and instill a melancholic feeling of familiarity Image source: Matt Portch

#108 Colors Of Joy, India (Honorouble Mention In Splash Of Colors Category)

Devotees celebrate the traditional and colorful Holi Festival at Krishna Temple in Nandgaon, India

#109 Pool, The Netherlands (Honorouble Mention In General Color Category)

A symbolic image of a girl in a black swimsuit pretending to swim in an empty swimming pool Image source: Mariëtte Aernoudts

#110 The Devotees,india (Honorouble Mention In Splash Of Colors Category)

Devotees performing the ritual of Dondi on the occasion of Chhath Puja on the banks of the River Ganges. While worshipping the Sun, they try to appease the divinity in order to prosper in the future

#111 The Human Torch (Remarkable Award In Journeys And Adventures Category)

Image source: Abdelkafi Zakaria

#112 Derby Goal, Sweden (Honorouble Mention In Sports In Action Category)

Nils-Eric Johansson scores the opening goal during the match of the Swedish championship between AIK and Hammarby at Friends Arena of Solna

#113 Trophy Hunting - Should We Kill Animals To Save Them? (1st Place In Story-Telling Category)

From Charles Darwin and John James Audubon to the likes of Theodore Roosevelt and Ernest Hemingway, the most enlightened hunters have long viewed themselves as naturalists and conservationists, committed to sustainability among animal populations and the preservation of wild places where they stalk game. The linkage has become inextricable. Revenues of hundreds of millions in federal excise taxes levied on hunters go directly to wildlife management and related activities each year in the United States alone. And anyone who keeps a freezer full of venison is likely to tell you that the act of killing your own dinner in the wild is more humane than buying the plastic-wrapped meat of industrially raised livestock. Seen from the air, Africa can appear as an illusion with its rich velds and dramatic rifts, wide deserts, and thundering rivers. These seemingly vast stretches of unfettered, unpopulated wild ostensibly forgotten by time and people. At a glance, it could be a repository for all our ideas about wilderness at its wildest. And yet, today no patch here goes unclaimed, whether it’s marked, monetized, or fought over. The animals that roam the land have become commodified, part of a new consumerism, marketed and sold, their brands pitted against each other, their continued existence, now a question of human demand, whim, and calculation. As big game populations dwindle further under pressure from human encroachment such as shifting climate norms, and widespread criminal poaching, there are hunters who argue that thoughtfully regulated and expensive hunts, such as those for bull elephants in their waning days, makes a sustainable way to protect both species and habitat. Others argue that wild game is the continent’s version of crude oil, and it too will run out someday. What is clear, is that with more than half the planet’s population living in cities, our relationship with the wild has been increasingly divorced from our everyday reality. We’re now less a part of that wild world, from rainforest to veld, as we are more consumers than cohabitants. 1. Huntress with buck, South Africa - A 13-year-old girl from the United States carries a bontebok, shot earlier in the day, back to camp in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. Supporters of trophy hunting say hunt fees help conserve wildlife and benefit local communities, opponents say killing animals, such as elephants, lions, and rhinos for sport is unethical and does little to protect them. 2. Fallen giraffe, Somerset East, Eastern Cape, South Africa - A giraffe lies crumpled on a game farm in the Eastern Cape, South Africa, after falling prey to a hunter. Giraffes overall are vulnerable to extinction, but in South Africa, where their numbers are increasing, hunting them is legal. Some hunters want a giraffe-skin rug, others the animal itself, taxidermied upright for display in a room with a high ceiling. 3. Lioness in a box, Eastern Cape, South Africa - The head and skin of a lion, prepared for display by a taxidermist in South Africa, are boxed for shipment to the American client who shot the animal. In response to dwindling numbers of lions in the wild and doubts about the conservation value of hunting them, the US has recently made it more difficult for hunters to import lion trophies Image source: David Chancellor