“Cyber Monsoon”, honorable mention in Places category. A torrential monsoon rain in Bhaktapur, Nepal. (© Anuar Patjane)

Annual celebration of Dinagyang festival of Iloilo, Philippines. (Photo by Raniel Jose Castañeda/Sony World Photography Awards)

Belly dancer Nagwa Fouad sailing on the river Nile, 1972. Egypt is one of 23 countries represented at the Dubai Photo Exhibition, showing off photography that dates to the 1920s. Dubai Photo Exhibition is in various venues of Dubai’s design district from 16-19 March. (Photo by Farouk Ibrahim)

Wildlife category, open shortlist. “Buffaloes and stars”. This picture, taken at Zimanga game reserve in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, used an in-camera multiple exposure, with the first lit for the buffaloes and the second focused on the stars. (Photo and caption by Andreas Hemb/2017 Sony World Photography Awards)

“Zeybeks”. That's Dance, Sunward and Zeybeks. (Photo by Hasan Baglar/2014 Sony World Photography Awards)

Armed police Taser a man inside the grounds of the Houses of Parliament on 11 December 2018. (Photo by Peter Nicholls/Reuters)

“Romantic”. A brown bear in Martinselkonen, Finland. (Photo by Valtteri Mulkahainen/Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards)

Amateur Iranian photographer Mohammad Reza Domiri Ganji, 23 likes to learn as much as he can about a site before he photographs it. Then he utilizes a variety of wide-angle and fisheye lenses, as well as occasional panoramic techniques to create beautiful new, often mind-bending images. He usually shoots the architectural wonders of Iran, and hopes that the Iranian government will allow him to travel further from home in pursuit of other iconic architectural treasures. Photo: The Nasir al-mulk or “Pink” mosque in Shiraz, Iran. (Photo by Mohammad Reza Domiri Ganj)