Photographs shortlisted for Sony Awards expose raw power of life under lockdown
A LION paces majestically across the vast expanse of the Maasai Mara while a girl gives a joyful cry for freedom on a London estate.
They are just two of tens of thousands of photographs that typified creativity and improvisation in lockdown this year.
The snappers made the shortlist for the Sony World Photography Awards which was unveiled yesterday after judges whittled down 330,000 images.
The lion was captured at close quarters on the Maasai Mara nature reserve by London-based snapper Graeme Purdy.
While Richard Ansett took the heartwarming shot of a young girl laughing in a back yard on the Aylesbury Estate in south-east London.
A picture of two beekeepers was the pick of 125 portraits of National Trust staff taken by John Millar to celebrate its 125th anniversary.
Another British entry was by Julia Fullerton-Batten, who captured a priest looking out on the world from his window.
Ways of pursuing the day job in isolation were depicted by an athlete training on a rooftop in Iran and a violinist practising in an empty hall in Italy.
And the devastating impact of desert locusts on crops in East Africa was captured by Kenyan-based photojournalist Luis Tato.
Judge Mike Trow said entries reflected how people wanted to “delve deeper into personal projects and explore stories in their local communities”.
The award winners will be announced on April 15.