NEW CREATIVITY OF PANORAMIC PHOTOGRAPHY SHINES AT 2021 EPSON INTERNATIONAL PANO AWARDS

Recently the winners of the world's largest competition for panoramic photographers, the 2021 EPSON International Pano Awards, were announced. This year the competition saw over 5,000 entries from amateur and professional photographers in 97 countries. 

Some extraordinary talent shined through the competition this year. American photographer Joshua Hermann was awarded the title of Open Photographer of the Year for his breathtaking images of cypress trees growing from the swamps of Louisiana.

After being announced the winner of Open Photographer, Hermann shared, “It is an honour to have my images selected in the Open Category alongside so many wonderfully talented photographers. One of the great things about photography is its ability to inform. Growing up in south Louisiana and coming to know the swamp and marshlands from an early age, the unique beauty and interesting ecology of the area has stuck with me throughout my life. I hope to share the beauty of these places through my imagery, allow people to get a closer look into the uniqueness of these areas and, ultimately, to inform them of the importance of protecting these wetlands.”

The awards celebrate the skills of both amateur and professional photographers who enter into categories focusing on the natural world or the built environment. However, apart from nature and environment categories, there is also a special virtual reality, 360-photo award which was won by Russian photographer Oleg Gaponyuk for his image of Jellyfish Lake in Palau. 

The great success of the competition this year, which is run by EPSON Australia, only shows the resilience of photographers even in difficult times. Craig Heckenberg who is the managing director of EPSON Australia added, “Who would have thought the Pano Awards would again be so successful during such another challenging year. This commitment to excellence and continued success are two of the many reasons Epson has been a proud sponsor of the Pano Awards for the past 12 years we are delighted, but not surprised, at its continued popularity.

"The quality bar is raised every year and Epson is proud that our technology helps the photographers realise their passion and bring these amazing images to life.”

Scroll down to see some more breathtaking photos of the competition.