The finalists for this year’s Sony World Photography Awards have been announced, after judges whittled down the 112,000 entries (plenty of late nights, then) from 171 countries to the 42 pictures that will contest awards in the competition’s three categories.

The great aspect of this competition is that it permits emerging talent to go head-to-head with established photographers, an approach that the team at Fotorater (firm believers in giving new talent a helping hand) find thoroughly commendable.

Only three images will contest each category, but those photographers who made the shortlist for each category (10 in each) will all receive support from the World Photography Organisation, including having their work showcased at an exhibition at Somerset House in London this April.

The competition’s winners will be announced on the 26th of April at the Hilton Hotel in London.

You can see the work of the photographers who are in contention to win the Commercial, Fine Art and Photojournalism and Documentary categories below.

All pictures are the copyright of Sony.

COMMERCIAL

CAMPAIGN

Laura Pannack, United Kingdom

Peter Franck, Germany

Javier Arcenillas, Spain

FASHION

Jayden, United Kingdom

Elizaveta Porodina, Germany

Peter Franck, Germany

TRAVEL

Luis Henry Agudelo Cano, Colombia

Peter Franck, Germany

Jan Bryckzynski, Poland

FINE ART

ARCHITECTURE

Igor Chirikov, Russian Federation

David Airob, Spain

Simon Norfolk, England

CONCEPTUAL

Manuel Geerinck, United States

Cristina De Middel, Spain

Luis Mallo, United States

LANDSCAPE

Lee Chee Wai, Malaysia

Mitch Dobrowner, United States

Rona Chang, United States

PORTRAITURE

Paolo Marchetti, Italy

Irina Werning, Argentina

Lei Liu, China

STILL LIFE

Rena Effendi, Azerbaijan

Helen Thompson, United Kingdom

Renan Cepeda, Brazil

PHOTOJOURNALISM DOCUMENTARY

ARTS   CULTURE

Anastasia Taylor-Lind, United Kingdom

Rob Hornstra, Netherlands

Mattia Vacca, Italy

CONTEMPORARY ISSUES

Gustavo Jononovich, Argentina

Alessandro Grassani, Italy

Kasia Bieska, Poland

CURRENT AFFAIRS

Fernando Alfonso Brito, Mexico

Donald Weber, Canada

Remi Ochlik, France

WILDLIFE

Jacek Kusz, Poland

Palani Mohan, India

David Chancellor, United Kingdom

PEOPLE

Maja Daniels, United Kingdom

Alejandro Cartagena, Mexico

Simon Norfolk, United Kingdom

SPORT

Andrew McConnell, Ireland

Pawel Kopczynski, Germany

PALMER+PAWEL, United Kingdom

Article source: http://www.fotorater.com/magazine/photography/2012/02/in-full-sony-world-photography-awards-finalists-ne/