Over the last nine months, 130,000 submissions were sent in for a chance to win a spot as a Top 50 finalist in the #AGORAawards2019… and at long last, the finalists have been revealed.
Photographers from all over the world, professionals and amateurs, have sent in their best work.
From ants balancing the world atop their head to snails kissing lizards, these photos will blow your mind. Photographers traveled all around the world to capture these gems – from the far stretches of Antarctica to the heat of the Sahara Desert.
Lucky for you, there’s no need to leave the comfort of home. You can marvel at the beauty this world has to offer by simply looking through these pictures.
The AGORA Awards 2019 was hosted by the free-to-use photo app AGORA Images. The grand prize winner received $25,000.
While most photo contests include different genres and categories, this unique competition simply awards the single most voted photo of the year.
The fifty finalists come from 21 different countries, and all are hoping to win the grand prize. On November 6th, the official winner will be announced at the AGORA awards ceremony held in Barcelona.
1. A Lizard and a Snail Share a Sweet Moment
Photo taken by Andi Halil (@andihalil), Indonesia
2. Ant Balancing Weight of the World
Photo taken by Analiza De Guzman (@anadgphotography), Philippines
The photographer took his time to capture this photo. In fact, it took four hours to capture this shot of an ant carrying water droplets that were spread on a tiny piece of thread.
3. Hoopoe Bird Feeding Its Chicks
Photo taken by Phyo Moe (@phyomoe), Myanmar
4.Red-eyed Tree Frog on a Rainy Day
Photo taken by Hendy MP (@hendymp), Indonesia
5. Reaching for Heaven
Photo taken by Konrad Paruch (@thedronelad), UK
The Mont Saint Michel in France surrounded by fog
6. Colorful Life
Photo taken by Pranab Basak (@pranab_basak), India
Women hard at work fishing in West Bengal before heading to the market
7. Incense Work
Photo taken by Khánh Phan (@ptkhanhhvnh), Vietnam
In Vietnam, it is believed that incense help connect the living to their ancestors and the Gods.
8. Play Time for Young Monks at the Hsinbyume Pagoda
Photo taken by Ling Ling (@lingling25), Myanmar
9. Desert Solitude
Photo taken by Carles Alonso (@carlesalonsophotography), Spain
This picture was captured from atop a high dune in Merzouga, Morocco. It shows Nomads moving through the Sahara Desert.
10. Songs of Freedom
Photo taken by Michael Aboya (@eighthman), Ghana
More than a photo – an unspoken struggle for freedom and belonging, inspired by Bob Marley’s ‘Redemption Song’.
11. Sliver of Light, Making Batik Crafts
Photo taken by Bimo Pradityo (@_bimo_), Indonesia
Batik is a technique of wax-resist dyeing applied to whole cloth. The woman in the photo has been artfully practicing the craft for thirty-five years.
12. Echoes of the Unknown
Photo taken by Clement Eastwood (@theeastwoodexperience), Ghana
The goal of this photo was to highlight the special relationship between man and beast
13. Rainbow Cast Over the Lofoten Islands
Photo taken by Paal Lund (@uglefisk), Norway
14. Sand Wasp Carrying its Prey
Photo taken by Imam Primahardy (@pokokemoto), Indonesia
15. Shipwreck Graveyard
Photo taken by Charlie Berthaume (@charliieb), Monaco
You’re looking at shipwreck graves in Brittany, France. Some of these boats have been here for over 100 years.
16. The Look of Wild
Photo taken by Sergio Saavedra (@saavedraphotography), Spain
Lynx traversing through Cábarceno Natural Park
17. Tumpak Sewu Waterfall, East Java
Photo taken by Jonathan Rogers (@jprphotos), UK
18. Earth’s Veins
Photo taken by Hugo Healy (@hugohealy), UK
This image was captured over East Sussex, where the Cuckmere river splits up the grasslands.
19. The Love of a Mother
Photo taken by Santiago López (@santiagolopezfotografia)
The photographer waited two hours to capture this sentimental photo of a mother loving on her little one at the Tenerife Zoo.
20. A Dark Disneyland – Neuschwanstein Castle
Photo taken by Tommi Matz (@tommimatz), Germany
21. Sea Hearts
Photo taken by Nguyen Phan Xuan (@phannguyen5285), Vietnam
Aerial photo shows fishing nets in Vietnam
22. Crabeater Seals Resting on Ice in Antarctica
Photo taken by Florian Ledoux (@florianledoux), France
23. Breathtaking Roundabout -Paris’ Arc de Triomphe
Photo taken by Henry Do (@henrydo), USA
24. Winter in Mongolia
Photo taken by Zay Yar Lin (@zayyarlin), Myanmar
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25. Pretty Dancer at the Peace and Friendship Stadium in Athens
Photo taken by Markellos Plakitsis (@markellos), Greece
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