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Sony World Photography Awards: First sight of a possible award winner

Judges are going through record 177,444 images

Nick Clark
Tuesday 24 February 2015 01:00 GMT
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'First Sight' - Brent Stirton (South Africa)
'First Sight' - Brent Stirton (South Africa)

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Judges for the Sony World Photography Awards have undergone the “monumental task” of whittling down 177,444 images – a record number of entries – for the 2015 shortlist, with a photographic essay of two blind girls undergoing life-changing surgery among those making the cut.

South Africa’s Brent Stirton is among more than 100 professional photographers nominated for L’Iris d’Or and a cheque for $25,000. The winner will be announced on 23 April.

His photo essay First Sight follows two Indian girls born into poverty with congenital cataract blindness from before surgery, through the operation to regaining their sight.

Photographers from 171 countries entered images. Other striking shots included Sascha Fromm’s Olympic Faces, which shows luge pilots shortly before their races start.

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