Get ready for a stunning visual journey around the world with these panoramic images.
The photographs received praise in the Epson International Pano Awards 2023, the world’s largest competition dedicated to panoramic photography. This year’s 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 striking the coast of Majorca, dolphins playing off the coast of Western Australia and a lenticular cloud over an active volcano in Chile are some of the subjects captured by the award-winning photographers by prices.
The overall champion, however, is Spanish photographer José Riquelme for his series of breathtaking photos taken in Iceland and Namibia. Among them is an image titled “Ghost Cave,” which captures the hillside of Kirkjufell in Iceland.
About “Ghost Cave”, the competition organizers say: “The combination of the natural grandeur of Kirkjufell and meticulous capture work results in a masterpiece that transports the viewer into a dreamlike world where the Reality blends with fantasy, creating a unique and exhilarating visual experience.”
Scroll down to see MailOnline Travel’s selection of winning and recommended images – with one of Riquelme’s gold medal-winning photos at the very bottom…
This striking image shows a lenticular cloud above Villarrica, an active volcano in Chile. Captured by photographer Francisco Negroni, it won 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 haunting photo, which won fourth place in the Amateur Natural Landscapes category.
Titled “The Gathering,” this monochrome photo shows alligators resting along a grassy riverbank in Florida. Captured by Eric Clay, it won fourth place in the Natural Open Landscapes category.
Marc Marco captures the incredible moment when several forks of lightning strike the water during an electrical storm off the coast of Sa Foradada in Mallorca, Spain. The image ranks 28th among the 50 best photos entered in the Amateur Natural Landscapes category.
Italian photographer Roberto Moiola took this photo of a rainbow over Reine Bay in Norway’s Lofoten Islands. It is tied for 19th place in the Open Natural Landscapes category.
This striking photo of two bears eating a fish in Alaska, taken by Dennis Zhang, ranks among the top 50 photos in the Amateur Natural Scenery category.
Photographer Ran Shen was behind the lens for this haunting photo from Shanghai, China. The photo takes 14th place in the Amateur Built Environment category
This playful image shows a pair of dolphins leaping through the waves at Cape Naturaliste, Western Australia. He tied for 14th place in the Amateur Natural Landscapes category.
The Aqaba Underwater Military Museum in Jordan is the subject of this shot by photographer Martin Broen. It achieved 16th place in the Open Built Environment category.
The Tsing Ma Bridge in Hong Kong appears through the clouds in this photo by Michelle Kwock. He occupies 48th place in the Amateur Built Environment category
Titled “Blue Hour,” this photo by David Swindler shows red-roofed cabins next to the three peaks of Lavaredo in the Italian Dolomites. It obtains tied 37th place in the Open Built Environment category
This eerie image shows the wreck of the Cedar Pride, a former Lebanese cargo ship deliberately sunk off the coast of Aqaba, Jordan. Captured by Martin Broen, it is 11th in the Open Built Environment category
Purple lightning appears to strike Hong Kong in this dramatic image by Carlo Yuen. It comes 32nd in the Open Built Environment category
Winning 25th place in the Amateur Natural Landscapes category, this spectacular photograph shows Vestrahorn Mountain on Stokksnes Beach in Iceland.
This stunning 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 image from the Lofoten Islands in Norway slips into eighth place in the Amateur Natural Landscapes category.
In this photo, lava slides down Fagradalsjfall, an active volcano in Iceland about 40 km from Reykjavik. Icelandic photographer Ael Kermarec captured the image, which ranks 14th in the Amateur Natural Landscapes category.
This panorama of Kirkjufell Hill in Iceland is one of three images submitted by José Riquelme, who was declared Open Photographer of the Year.
