TEHRAN – Collections by three Iranian photographers have been shortlisted for the Sony World Photography Awards 2022.

“The Earth Belongings” by Majid Hojjati, “Painful Death of Birds” by Mehdi Mohebbipur and “Minimalism” by Sara Goli were selected in different categories of the leading free photography competition.

In his statement for “The Earth Belongings”, shortlisted in the Landscape category, Hojjati wrote, “Life has meaning in human beliefs with its symbols. Mountains, forests, plains, free and beautiful creatures, and clear blue skies are all creations that will come to mind when we hear the word ‘life’. Where it is free from the fence of man, and there is no trace of human presence in it, it is ‘nature’. Where humans stepped in without understanding and respecting the spirit of nature, they endangered the existence of other beings. And then from this soil, nothing but a lifeless body will remain.”

“The mountains will forget the flight of the eagles, and the noble howls of the horses will not be heard in the plains; and even the lion, that king of the forest, will be only a name in the books.”

“These elements belong to the planet and are inseparable from it, without them what is left is a cold, lost and distorted image that no longer resembles anything. Maybe it's time to weigh what we have taken from nature and what we have given it and measure what we have done with the universe.”

“Painful Death of Birds” has been selected for the Environment section. It features a set of efforts by environmental forces to collect and bury a large number of migratory birds, which died in a mysterious way in Iran’s Miankaleh Wetland over the past few years.

All photos in the collection “Minimalism”, shortlisted in the Portfolio category, have been taken in Tehran during 2021.

“I have tried to present this photography style by using and taking photos of shadows, lines, light and negative space – creatively using fine art skills to change the space to fit my vision,” Goli said.

The images were selected for 10 categories from over 156,000 submissions and three finalists in each category will be competing in the competition.

Winners for all sections will be announced on April 12, and a selection of images by finalists and shortlisted photographers will be showcased in an exhibition at London’s Somerset House from the next day until May 2. 

The Photographer of the Year, who is selected from the finalists in the professional competition, will also be awarded a prize of $25,000.

Photo: A photo from Mehdi Mohebbipur’s series “Painful Death of Birds”.

MMS/YAW