The jaw-dropping winners of the 2023 panoramic photo awards revealed, from a dazzling lightning storm to a haunting shipwreck… so which one is YOUR favourite?
Brace yourself for a stunning visual journey around the world, thanks to these panoramic images.
The photos have received rave reviews in the 2023 Epson International Pano Awards, the world’s largest competition dedicated to panoramic photography. This year, the winners were selected from more than 4,000 entries from more than 1,100 professional and amateur photographers in 102 countries around the world.
Lightning bolts striking the coast of Mallorca, dolphins playing off the coast of Western Australia and a lenticular cloud over an active volcano in Chile are among the subjects captured by the photographers whose work has been recognized in the awards.
The overall champion, however, is Spanish photographer Jose Riquelme, for his breathtaking photo series taken in Iceland and Namibia. Among them is an image titled ‘Ghost Cave’, which captures Kirkjufell Hill in Iceland.
About ‘Ghost Cave’, the competition organizers say: ‘The combination of Kirkjufell’s natural grandeur and meticulously captured work results in a masterpiece that transports the viewer to a dream-like world where reality merges with fantasy, creating a unique and exciting visual experience. ‘
Scroll down to see MailOnline Travel’s selection of the winning and acclaimed images – with one of Riquelme’s gold medal-winning photos at the very bottom…
This striking image shows a lenticular cloud over Villarrica, an active volcano in Chile. The photo, captured by photographer Francisco Negroni, wins the silver medal in the Open Natural Landscapes category
Zack Stanton captured the light streaming through the trees of Del Norte County, California, in this mesmerizing shot, which takes fourth place in the Amateur Nature Landscapes category
Titled “The Gathering,” this monochrome shot shows alligators balancing along a grassy bank in Florida. It was captured by Eric Clay and tied for fourth place in the Open Natural Landscapes category
Marc Marco captures the incredible moment several lightning bolts strike the water during an electrical storm off the coast of Sa Foradada in Mallorca, Spain. The image ranks 28th in the top 50 photos submitted in the Amateur Nature Landscapes category
Italian photographer Roberto Moiola captured this image of a rainbow over Reine Bay on Norway’s Lofoten Islands. It ranks joint 19th in the Open Natural Landscapes category
This striking photo of two bears eating a fish in Alaska, taken by Dennis Zhang, is one of the top 50 photos in the Amateur Nature Landscapes category
Photographer Ran Shen was behind the lens for this mesmerizing shot of Shanghai, China. The shot takes 14th place in the Amateur Built Environment category
This playful image shows a pair of dolphins jumping through the waves at Cape Naturaliste, Western Australia. It takes joint 14th place in the Amateur Nature Landscapes category
The military underwater museum of Aqaba in Jordan is the subject of this photo by photographer Martin Broen. It was awarded 16th place in the Open Built Environment category
Hong Kong’s Tsing Ma Bridge peeks through the clouds in this photo by Michelle Kwock. It ranks tied for 48th in the Amateur Built Environment category
This photo by David Swindler, titled ‘Blue Hour’, shows red-roofed huts next to the three peaks of Lavaredo in the Italian Dolomites. It takes joint 37th place in the Open Built Environment category
This eerie image shows the shipwreck of the Cedar Pride, a former Lebanese cargo ship deliberately sunk off the coast of Aqaba, Jordan. It was recorded by Martin Broen and ranks 11th in the Open Built Environment category
In this dramatic image by Carlo Yuen, purple lightning appears to strike Hong Kong. It comes in 32nd place in the Open Built Environment category
This dramatic photo took 25th place in the Amateur Nature Landscapes category and shows Mount Vestrahorn on Stokksnes Beach in Iceland
This beautiful photo shows the landscape around San Francisco, with the top of the Golden Gate Bridge emerging from the clouds. Captured by American photographer Ray Cao, it ranks 18th in the Amateur Built Environment category
This magical view of Norway’s Lofoten Islands is on its way to joint eighth place in the Amateur Nature Landscapes category
In this photo, lava slides down Fagradalsjfall, an active volcano in Iceland, about 40 kilometers from Reykjavik. Icelandic photographer Ael Kermarec captured the photo, which ranks joint 14th in the Amateur Nature Landscapes category
This panorama of Kirkjufell Hill in Iceland is one of three images submitted by Jose Riquelme, who was named overall Open Photographer of the Year