Panorama photography is one of the medium’s niche genres and the most challenging one. To honor those who have tirelessly built this genre, Epson established the International Pano Awards in 2009 in Australia with the help of landscape photographer David Evans. Today, the platform has grown tenfold, showcasing talent from around the world. The winners of the 2024 edition certainly stay true to the Epson International Pano Awards reputation, offering us extraordinary glimpses of the world through unique panoramic perspectives. Without further ado, let’s look at the winning images.
The lead image is by Kelvin Yuen, courtesy of the Epson International Pano Awards. All images are used with permission.
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The Epson International Pano Awards 2024 Winner is…
This year, the overall winner of the Open Photographer of the Year is Kelvin Yuen from Hong Kong. His photographs, titled Power of Nature, Wilderness, and Mountain of Divinity, competed against 4529 entries from 95 countries to win the Epson International Pano Awards 2024. But that is not all; he is also the winner of the Nature/Landscape category.
Speaking about the image above, Kelvin said: “The primary goal of this trip was to capture the iconic mountains of Guilin, renowned for its karst formations. On the day I took this photo, I woke up at 3 am and was supposed to hike up for the sunrise. However, a heavy thunderstorm struck out of nowhere, so I decided to shoot the thunderstorm.”
Due to safety concerns, the photographer used his drone and waited for the lightning to come. However, his device surprised him by being completely functional despite the downpour earlier. “I took 700 photos with the same compositions, of which more than 40 were lightning shots,” he added. The picture certainly is stunning, with the light illuminating the layers of the mountains.
The second image was made during a hike in Patagonia. The Epson International Pano Awards winner says that he waited a month before he captured the images of the snowy mountain. “A snowstorm arrived. It swept through the mountains and rocks with heavy snow, and the temperature dropped to below -20°C. It was my ideal shooting condition, but the hillside was covered with snow and became hardly visible and dangerous,” he stated.
Furthermore, despite falling into the gaps several times, Kelvin reached the location after 10 hours. He spent two nights on the cliff to capture the surreal image of the Milky Way. This panorama was created by stitching 44 shots together (4 rows with 11 shots in each row).
The photograph was taken 6000m above sea level in Tibet. According to Kelvin, he spent a day trekking to the spot to capture the image for his Wilderness Expedition project, which was created to photograph untouched landscapes. “It is very physically demanding, particularly when carrying heavy equipment and gear, making reaching these places extremely difficult. But it is worthwhile because the scenery is also a whole other level,” Kelvin explains.
Kelvin will receive $3000 cash and an Epson SureColor P5360. Other winners will also have various cash prizes and an opportunity to win Epson printers.
The Epson International Pano Awards 2024 Runner-Up
The overall runner-up of the Epson International Pano Awards is Nguyễn Tấn Tuấn. The photographer hails from Central Vietnam, and his image, Chrysanthemum Season, also won the Open Built Environment category and the Epson Digital Art Prize. This year, a considerable number of entries were from Southeast Asia, which overlaps with the addition of Epson Southeast Asia, a joint sponsor.
Speaking about the winning image, Nguyễn said: “I love taking photos of landscapes and traditional craft villages in my country, especially the golden chrysanthemums growing village in Sadec, Dong Thap, Vietnam, because of the way farmers have relied on nature and terrain to choose the right way to grow flowers.”
Sadec is usually created on the Mekong River’s tributaries, where on one side is the Tien River, and on the other side is the Sa Dec River. Due to the river depositing alluvium and the humidity, the rivers often flood. As a result, farmers develop high trellises to produce flowers while taking advantage of the water source below. Farmers also utilize boats to transport plants during harvest season, which is usually the last lunar month of the year.
The photographer was in awe of the endless rows of golden flowers, so he came to the area “every year to admire and take pictures.” With the help of the Flycam, Nguyễn captured images that depict the beauty of the craft village here and “how farmers cultivate and harvest by boat next to the beautiful flower trellises.”
Southeast Asia Open Photographer of the Year
This is a new category introduced by the Epson International Pano Awards to recognize talent from the region. The inaugural award winner is Indonesian photographer Fikri Muharom for his stunning picture titled The Volcanoes Theatre.
According to Fikri, Bromo National Park is one of the most beautiful spots to see sunrises, making it a popular tourist destination in Indonesia. “All photographers who come to Indonesia must visit it,” he said. During June, when it rains in Surabaya at night, especially in the middle of the night, Bromo “will be in the best condition because a sea of low clouds will appear in the caldera.” The image was captured during such an event. “I immediately took my car and rushed to Bromo, which was only 2 hours drive away, and that morning, Bromo showed its extraordinary beauty,” Fikri added. The image was captured with a drone on Pananjakan Hill, which is the highest point of view. The photographer “took some photos from left to right with a 180-degree angle to create the best panorama in Bromo.”
The Amateur Epson International Pano Awards 2024 Winner
This award went to Spanish photographer Diego Manrique Diez for his photographs Green Storm, Green Dance, and Spiral. He was also named the winner of the Amateur Nature/Landscape category.
About the winning image, Diego said: “I remember that night as if it were yesterday. The intense cold was taking hold of me, and the overcast sky prevented me from seeing the awaited northern lights.” The photographer was the only person left on the spot “when the sky began to open up, followed by a majestic aurora borealis.” The picture was created using 27 stills in total, “which captures the immensity of this place.”
This enchanting image was captured in Northern Norway, where the Arctic islands don’t allow people to see clear skies in winter. “Frustration and loneliness were pondering of me these days after seven nights without a green color on the sky,” he said. On the night the image was captured, an aurora appeared and began to “dance” over the mountains. The texture of the foreground due to the snow and the reflection of the water enhanced the scene. “It looked like the lights were posing in front of a mirror,” he explained.
The image was captured near the fjord, where the inverse spiral of aurora began to connect the ground and the sky, creating a spiral effect. “This effect creates a unique capture by stitching two rows of pictures,” Diego said.
The Amateur Epson International Pano Awards 2024 Runner-Up
Hong Kong photographer Danny Au is the runner-up in the overall amateur category and the winner of the Amateur-Built Environment category.
Speaking about his win, Danny said, “It is my honor to be awarded as the Overall Runner-up in the 2024 Epson International Pano Awards Amateur Competition. I will keep moving on and take chances to go further in my photographic journey.”
As for the image, it was captured in Lai Tak Tsuen, which is the only place in the country that features a cylindrical shape. “I had seen a lot of images taken in this housing estate by other photographers, but this was the first time I saw it with my own eyes,” Danny stated. The photographer walked through the stairs, where he noticed light through the patio, where the building seemed to meet the ground on the other end. “I decided to take a panorama shot to capture this stunning perspective of this building which has a unique design, preserving the traditional architectural aesthetics in Hong Kong,” he added.
The VR/360 Category Winner is…
Marcio Cabral of Brazil. The winning photograph was shot underwater at the Anhumas Abyss.
“I’ve always enjoyed visiting and exploring caves, and I wanted to convey the fascinating experience of diving into the incredible Anhumas Abyss,” Marcio states. To capture the image, the photographer descended 72 meters by rappelling, which is over 80 meters deep and covers an area the size of a football field. The lake also features speleothems and the world’s largest underwater cones, which measure 20 meters in height.
“The magic intensifies when sunlight penetrates the lake through a skylight in the cave’s ceiling — this occurs only during December mornings and for a few precious minutes in this specific place,” the photographer explains. With the help of the pano, one can look at how incredible the underwater world is.
The Curator’s Award
The winner is Tom Putt from Australia, who captured a stunning picture of a storm
The photographer said that the Kimberley, located in far north Western Australia, comes alive in the wet season. As a result, he scheduled a seven-day helicopter safari to “hopefully” photograph the rainstorms. “As we refueled at a nearby regional airport, we had no idea of this approaching downpour. We took off and were immediately confronted with this menacing beast,” Tom explains. He then asked the pilot to move to the south to avoid being hit by the downpour. “The twisting and turning bends of the King River provided the ideal foreground for this panoramic image, one that will remain in my mind forever,” he added.
Nikon Australia Award
The winner is Michael Stringer, who captured the image titled At The Edge of Despair.
“My main passion is in long exposure photography, where I’m able to create a scene with a surreal, and often minimalist look and feel,” the photographer said. The photograph was captured at iconic Camel Rock on the South coast of New South Wales, where the morning light filtered across the rock, highlighting its jagged and pre-historic form. “With a moody sky and turbulent ocean waves breaking around the base of the rocks, I was able to produce an image with a mystical appeal, creating a sense of fantasy for the viewer,” he added.
RAW Planet Award
American photographer Nickolas Warner was declared the winner for his exceptional image of an uprooted tree.
“The evening this photo was taken began much differently than what you see here,” said the photographer. A late-season monsoon storm made it impossible to travel through the 4×4 “road” while the downpour obscured the view of the valley and buttes below. “I found myself questioning why I was even there, with almost no chance of capturing a photograph,” he added. As if nature heard Nickolas’ prayers, the sun began to set, and the clouds lifted, gradually leading to the golden haze and a rainbow. “I rushed around, searching for any foreground element, when I found this beautifully twisted juniper tree. Mere minutes after I captured this panorama, the golden light and rainbow vanished as the rain returned,” he said.
Special Awards
Film Capture
Gigapixel
IAPP
IVRPA
Smartphone
Vertical
Top 50: Open – Nature/Landscape
Top 50: Open – Built Environment
Top 50: Amateur – Nature/Landscape
Top 50: Amateur – Built Environment
For more details, please visit the Epson International Pano Awards’ website.