A riot Of Colour

A riot of colour : Shortlist for Sony World Photography awards provides a real challenge for the eye

From a smartly-dressed man on the London underground, to dragonflies and a surfer riding a wave at sunset, these are the stunning images all vying for top spot in the world's top photography competition. The shortlisted images in this year's Sony World Photography Awards have been unveiled, and as usual include a spectacular array of colours and subjects from around the globe. The collection of pictures on this year's list features everything from historic moments and spectacular landscapes to everyday portraits and detailed close-ups. The 2012 competition saw 112,000 entries sent in from 171 different countries. Different categories in the competition reflect the huge breadth of locations, styles, and subjects used in the shortlisted photographs. In one mesmerising image, a folk painter seems to almost blend in to her artwork on display while working at a handicraft fair in Kolkata, India. Another eye-catching picture shows a small child playing in a swing chair in Northern Xinjiang, China

Unexpected Wildlife Inspiration

Unexpected Wildlife Inspiration

To be honest, I saw a photo of this car’s inspiration before the vehicle itself and assumed it would be completely ridiculous… after all, who designs a Mercedes after a fish (a trout no less)?? But upon seeing the actual car, I had a complete change of heart! Though its inspiration is unexpectedly organic, the SLK Aphelios exhibits futuristic styling and a touch of fluid elegance that’s … well… very Mercedes-like!.

Tobu World Square

Tobu World Square

Tobu World Square is a theme park with miniature recreations of the world's historic relics and architecture.  The park is roughly divided into six zones (Modern Japan, America, Egypt, Europe, Asia, and Japan) where detailed recreations (1/25 size) of 45 World Heritage Sites including Egypt's three great pyramids, the Parthenon, and Rokuon-ji Golden Pavilion as well as the Empire State Building and other famous buildings of the world (approximately 100 in total) are found.  Approximately 140,000 miniature dolls each about seven centimeters in height stand around the architecture to make the exhibits look as real as possible.  Located in a very attractive area indeed, the theme park is also close to the shrines and temples of Nikko (World Heritage Sites) as well as the Kinugawa Hot Spring.