The incredible winning images of the Siena International Photo Awards 2021

Amazing picture of two tigers fighting. It was shortlisted in the Animals In Their Environment category and was taken by Rahul Sachdev in India’s Ranthambore National Park. He said that he saw two tigers fighting at 15 feet from a vehicle. This is not something for the faint-hearted. They were just lucky to be kept in the frame. This image almost makes it appear that a single tiger only has four forearms.

This breathtaking picture, taken in Kansas by Laura Hedien, was shortlisted for the Beauty of Nature category. Laura Hedien (the photographer behind the picture) said that although it was difficult to take photographs due to the wind, it was an adrenaline rush. These storms in the Great Plains feel alive. The weather conditions can change the flow and intensity of the storms. It is both unpredictable and refreshing. This is when the storms make an appearance. It’s a wild day!

This amazing picture of an Asian male elephant alarming tourists took first prize in the Journeys & Adventures category. Sergey Savvi, a wildlife photographer from Sri Lanka’s Yala National Park, took the picture.

This extraordinary picture was taken in the Western Pacific Ocean’s Sea of Okhotsk. It was shortlisted in the Journeys & Adventures category

This incredible picture was shortlisted for the Sports In Action category. Juan Mayer, the photographer, stated that he took the photo of the skydiver freefalling above the Pyramids while he was freefalling behind him. He is a professional Skydiver, but this was his first time skydiving above the Pyramids. I took this photo at approximately 10,000ft. We jumped from 15,000ft. It’s also notable that the paraplegic skydiver in this photo was waiting with his wheelchair at ground staff just metres from the pyramids where we landed.

Sebastian Lindstrom, a freediver, shares a moment off the coast of Baja Mexico with a sealion. Karim Iliya the photographer said that after playing for more than 30 minutes, they ‘hovered for about thirty seconds, looking at one another – then, the sealion swam back into the blue’. The image was shortlisted in the Journeys & Adventure category

This amazing picture by Johannes Lochner was runner-up in Beauty of Nature. It shows three hyenas and a jackal as they battle a sandstorm at Botswana’s Chobe National Park.

Ronan Donovan’s image is the winner in the Animals In Their Environment category. He explained how the image was captured as a medal-luring shot: “A camera trap was placed inside a large muskox body carcass.” [in the Canadian Arctic]This shot was taken of a pack consisting of 10 wolves. The members returned to feed for more than a month. This location was used as the rendezvous spot for the pack throughout the following months.

Amit Eshel received an honorable mention for this heartwarming photo in the Animals In Their Environment section. His photograph, taken in Patagonia, depicts a puma kitten jumping from behind his mother to practice his hunting skills. Amit stated that he spent many weeks following the family and said: “The puma of Patagonia have made an incredible comeback in recent years thanks to safeguarding measures.”

John Finney was awarded an honorable mention in Beauty Of Nature for his stunning shot of a storm in Oklahoma’s Waynoka. He said, “This extraordinary supercell that moved fast changed its shape and color minute after minute.”

Freediver Brianna Zurlo playing with a giant baby humpback whale, captured by Karim Iliya in a snap that was gilded with an honorable mention in the Journeys & Adventures category

‘Having fun at the North Pole,’ is the photographer’s description for this amazing snap, shortlisted in the Journeys & Adventures category 

Shepherds from Turkey’s eastern Black Sea Region make the trek back to their village via a snowy plateau. This picture was given an honorable mention in the Journeys & Adventure category

The BishwaIjtema is an annual gathering of Muslims that attracts approximately five million pilgrims. It is held in Tongi (a small town near the River Turag) in the outskirts Dhaka. This eye-catching picture of a balloon-seller at the station after the arriving pilgrims had left was given an honorable mention in the Journeys & Adventure category

‘Swamp motel’: Second prize in the Journeys & Adventure category went to this bewitching self-portrait by Mac Stone of a hammock set-up during a trip in Florida. He said, “With my kayak tied to the Cypress trees and only few gators lurking within the blackwater I felt pretty safe hanging out my hammock in this beautiful spot.”

This photo was so captivating that it earned an honorable mention under the Animals in Their Environment category

Alex Lindbloom is the photographer behind this amazing snap, shortlisted in the Documentary & Photography category. He explained, “After accidentally smashing through the shark cage with three people in it, this great white shark could be safely released.” Everyone was fine. The controversial issue of cage diving has been raised because sharks can sometimes breach cages, resulting in at least one death. Of course, nobody wants to harm sharks. If shark tourism were to be banned, illegal shark fishermen could wipe out entire populations within months.

Roie Galaitz, an Israeli photographer was awarded the runner up prize in the Animals IN Their Environment category for his shot, which he called ‘Elephant’s Final Embrace’. He said that an elephant who died from natural causes was a great opportunity for a young male lion. The daily meat requirement for a lion can be as high as five kilograms for adult females, and seven kilograms for males. However, the animals can eat more if there is more food available.

A dramatic image that was given shortlisted status in the Documentary & Photojournalism category. It was taken in Monrovia (West Africa) by Hannah Mauleffinch. She said that the only road linking Monrovia to Lofa County is treacherous during the rainy seasons. Torrential rains severely degrade the highway. Every year, hundreds are left stranded on this vital road. Many are hurt by trucks that have been turned on their heads. It is dangerous because of heat exhaustion and water shortages. Transporting goods can cause extreme losses for farmers. Many can’t get to work and then cannot feed their families. The impact is huge’

This arresting image, taken in Masouleh in Iran, was shortlisted in the Documentary & Photojournalism category. Reza Baradaran Efahani (the photographer behind the image) explained that Alambandan is a traditional ceremony that is held every year on a special day in the village. The ceremony is held wherever the villager is located. These houses are quite interesting. Each house’s roof is the yard of another. The village becomes so crowded, that people climb up onto the roofs of houses in order to witness the ceremony. 

Harry Cobden rides ‘Copperhead’ while Danny Mullins rides ‘Easy Game’. They fall during the RSA Novices’ Chase at Cheltenham Racecourse, March 11, 2020. This remarkable picture was awarded second place in the Sports In Action category.

Photographer Jijian Yu did not reveal much about the location of the image. He simply said that a father was feeding his son in the middle of a garbage dump. It was shortlisted in the Journeys & Adventures category

Mehmet Aslan’s “Photo of the Year”, taken in Turkey near the Syrian border. Mehmet explained: ‘This little boy’s father, Munzir, lost his right leg when a bomb was dropped as he walked through a bazaar in Idlib, Syria. His son Mustafa was born with no lower or upper limbs. This was due to tetra amelia, a congenital disorder that his mother Zeynep developed after becoming sick from nerve gas. In the future, Mustafa will require special electronic prostheses that are unfortunately not yet available in Turkey.