These pictures are worth more than a thousand words.

Based in Siena, Italy, the Siena International Photo Awards garner submissions from photographers in over 100 countries around the world. The winner receives €1,500 (about $1,666 USD) as well as the coveted Pangea Prize.

The subject matters range from landscapes to subtle portraits to dramatic encounters in the animal kingdom, with categories such as nature, sport, travel, architecture, and a student division for up-and-coming photographers under the age of 20.

Here are the first, second, and third place winners across 11 categories.

Photo of the Year: "Sardine Run" by Greg Lecoeur



Location: South Africa

"During the sardines` migration along the coast of South Africa, all marine predators are looking for sardines! I was lucky to be at the right place at the right time to photograph their capture."

First place in Travel: "Strawberry Greenhouses" by Leyla Emektar



Location: Nazilli (Aydin), Turkey

"To take this shot, I had to climb a relief, which allowed me to include interesting, colored greenhouses located near Nazilli. To make the picture more interesting, I waited for the moment when a Turkish peasant who was working with the strawberries entered the frame."

Second place in Travel: "Boys Trainers" by Matjaz Krivic



Location: Diafarabe, Mali

"When we met, the boy was carrying his shoes in his hands as he couldn`t use them anymore. Traveling prepared makes a difference, and with my sewing needle and dental floss, we patched them up, so that he could follow his herd."

Third place in Travel: "Floating Market" by Antonius Andre Tjiu



Location: South Borneo

"A floating market is a market where goods are displayed and sold from boats. Floating markets are developed in places where water transportation plays an important role in everyday life."

First place in Architecture: "Warp Speed" by Mike Hollman



Location: Tokyo, Japan

"I took this shot while traveling to Tokyo on the Yurikamome Line, which takes its name from the common black-headed gull that populates the bay of said Japanese capital."

Second place in Architecture: "Women Reflection" by Ali Al Hajri



Location: United Arab Emirates

"Two women walking reflect their images on the water and give birth to the exaltation of the geometry and architecture of Sheikh Zayed`s Grand Mosque."

Third place in Architecture: "Windows" by Roberto Tagliani



Location: Miami, Florida

"In this photo we can see very vividly the unusual textures of a Miami skyscraper, highlight the geometry of the building, which dominates the magical American city."

First place in Open Monochrome: "A Man Feeding Swans In The Snow" by Marcin Ryczek



Location: Poland

"This photograph was taken in Krakow, from the Grunwald bridge. The nature-created contrast of white snow and dark water, separated by the straight line of the waterfront, serves as a reflection of the Yin-Yang symbol which represents opposing yet complementary forces."

Second place in Open Monochrome: "Cock Fighting" by Pimpin Nagawan



Location: Jakarta, Indonesia

"This photo was taken in Jakarta and shows two men who proudly watch their roosters fighting. Cockfighting is one of the most common traditions among several Indonesian cultures."

Third place in Open Monochrome: "Il Gondoliere" by Giuseppe Antonio Valletta



Location: Venice, Italy

"This photo is taken on Malvasia Vecchia Bridge, in Venice, in one of the most photographed places in the world, where you can still find unique moments at a glance. The author has photographed this gondolier, towards the end of a hard day`s work, while he was returning home with his dog."

Tied for third place: "Secret Sisters" by Arief Siswandhono



Location: Banyuwangi, Indonesia

"Fina is our second child and now her mother is pregnant with her third child. I created this photograph to show her that the sex of any new baby is a secret of God and they are like fabric-covered models."

First place in Nature: "Sensazioni, Etna In Eruzione" by Giuseppe Mario Famiani



Location: Cesarò, Italy

"This image shows the magnificence of erupting magma, ash and gas, during the first days of December 2015, which rose to a height of several kilometers above the summit of Mount Etna."

Second place in Nature: "Decisive Throw" by Mike Korostelev



Location: Kuril Lake, Kamchatka, Russia

"The bear fishes in the river, he sits down, puts his head under the water and pauses looking for fish. Once the fish begin to ignore him and come closer, he makes a crucial lunge and catches them with his paws or teeth."

Third place in Nature: "Galaxy Dolomites" by Ivan Pedretti



Location: Tre cime di Lavaredo, Italy

"Panoramic view with the moonset at The Three Peaks of Lavaredo (Italy), also called Drei Zinnen, on a night in July at 2450m, during a photographic weekend with some landscaper friends."

First place in Open Color: "Phan Rang Fishing Net Making" by Danny Yen Sin Wong



Location: Vietnam

"In a small village in southern Vietnam near Phan Rang, a woman wearing a typical cone hat is creating a fishing net in their traditional manner. The manufacturing of handmade nets is still a typical Vietnamese activity for women, which they carry on while their husbands are out fishing."

Second place in Open Color: "Makkah3" by Majid Alamri



Location: Saudi Arabia

"A multitude of observant Muslims hold the traditional circumambulation ritual around the Kaaba, an ancient building located in the center of Mecca, which is the holiest place for the Islam community."

Third place in Open Color: "Central Black" by Isa Ebrahim



Location: Bahrain

"A Bahraini Muslim woman carrying her son while taking part in the funeral of Isa Radhi, the Bahraini protester who was allegedly killed during Martial Law in Sitra Village, South Manama on March 22, 2011."

First place in People and Portrait: "Mother and Son" by Jiming Lv



Location: Baoji City, Shanxi Province, China

"In my work, I search for a bright and strong artistic effect, for a charming photographic language in shape, color and with the use of light. I pay great attention to the setting of the picture in an effort to combine the objectivity of the external world with my interiority, to obtain an image which represents both the `momentum` and my `artistic conception.` Following this general concept, I created my artwork `Mother and Son.`"

Second place in People and Portrait: "The Outsiders" by Justine Tjallinks



Location: Amsterdam, the Netherlands

"New generations will see boundaries fade and determine for themselves what is normal. There is beauty in the unusual. Celebrate difference!"

Third place in People and Portrait: "Wicklow Wolves" by Marek Biegalski



Location: Ireland

"This is my favourite image from a series of photos inspired from the American TV series `Sons of Anarchy.` It took me two years to finally get a team together and be able to complete the first part of this project. The photographs were taken in the Wicklow Mountains in Ireland."

First place in Sport: "Arctic Urban Skiing" by Audun Rikardsen



Location: Tromsø, Norway

"A friend skiing at night, descends a 10 meter high clifftop in Tromso, Norway. The challenge was quite demanding, because the night was much darker than it appears in the photo. So much so, that it was impossible to see where one might land. The image is the result of a long exposure and the use of a specific flash pointed to capture the subject during action."

Second place in Sport: "Knock Out 05" by Eric Tkindt



Location: Ghent, Belgium

"This was the moment when the former world champion was defeated by the new world champion in his weight category. I was lucky to be in the right place at the right moment. This is called `photographer`s luck.`"

Third place in Sport: "Jump 2.0" by Ajuriaguerra Saiz Pedro Luis



Location: Palacio de Deportes Basauri, Málaga, Spain

"During the Para-Olympic meeting, celebrated in Basauri for the Spanish championship, one of the best long jumpers for the blind category, Xavi Porras, realized a masterful jump. The statuesque beauty of the jumper and his strong desire to exit the photo frame are immortalized."

First place in Student: "Ofelia" by Krishna Vr



Location: México

"Ofelia, Ofelia I feel something is missing since you went away. Now all my thoughts are drowning, my words are less than before. Everything became blue but you."

Second place in Student: "Castle" by Spencer Cox



Location: Jökulsárlón Beach, Iceland

"One of the most dramatic sights in Iceland is the incredible Jökulsárlón beach, where icebergs routinely wash ashore. This particular piece of ice was the most interesting one that I saw. Although it melted into the sea soon after I took this photograph, its incredible beauty is unforgettable."

Third place in Student: "Raised From The Water" by Mateusz Piesiak



Location: Barycz Valley, Poland

"When the ponds dry up, thousands of birds gather around them as it is a great occasion to eat fish. I hid in my hiding place before dawn. Gulls appeared first. I started to experiment with my camera settings to capture the birds in motion. Finally, I took a photo I liked."

First place in Wine: "Joy Of A Farmer" by Gianluca De Bartolo



Location: Romania

"A Romanian farmer shows his happiness after the harvest in Maramures. The population of this region still maintains a strong connection to the land and still carries out many agricultural activities manually."

Second place in Wine: "La Morra" by Valentina Galvagno



Location: Langhe, Italy

"An autumnal glimpse of Cuneo`s Langhe taken at La Morra, portrays a wine producing area near Alba in a moment in which the light increases the beauty of the vineyards` colors."

Third place in Wine: "Los Viñedos Del Volcán" by Francisco Mingorance



Location: Lanzarote, Canary Islands

"This project carried out by locals is for aging wine directly in the ground which is rich in minerals, and makes the already awesome landscape of Lanzarote even more interesting."

First place in Wildlife: "Sharing Resources" by Audun Rikardsen



Location: Tromsø, Norway

"During winter in northern Norway, large biomasses of herring have overwintered in fjords during three to four dark winter months in recent years. This has attracted hundreds of whales and fishing vessels. The killer whales have learned the sound of the boats when they haul their herring bag nets and get attracted to the boats in hopes of an easy meal of leftover herring. A single exposure where Audun has used a self-made underwater housing."

Second place in Wildlife: "Scream Of Death" by Antonius Andre Tjiu



Location: South Borneo

"The snake in this photograph is curled in defense, knowing that its best chance for survival lies in attacking the much larger Crested Serpent Eagle."

Third place in Wildlife: "Lioness Hunt" by Pierluigi Rizzato



Location: Serengeti National Park, Tanzania

"In late afternoon, when the sun light is rapidly fading, a lioness is crawling in the grass while getting closer to a herd of Thomson Gazelles. Then, all of a sudden, it springs and attacks."

Tied for third place: "Leap Of Faith (Jump Of The Wildebeest)" by Nicole Cambré



Location: Northern Serengeti, Mara river, Tanzania

"This wild beast did not wait for its turn to cross the Mara River and jumped over all of the others. The image was caught at the instant in which the wild beast fell."


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