Allan Gichigi’s winning photo

Kenyan photographer Allan Gichigi was earlier this week shortlisted for the prestigious 2014 Sony World Photography Awards, one of the world’s leading photography competitions.

The photographer has been shortlisted in the Split Second category of the Open competition – designed for photography enthusiasts and judged on a single image. Gichigi’s image, titled “Capture Kenya,” was taken at Lake Victoria and perfectly captures a fisherman casting his net.

The photograph was selected by a panel of photography industry experts from nearly 140,000 submissions by photographers from 166 countries, the highest number of entries in the awards’ seven year history.

Gichigi’s shortlisted image will go on show at Somerset House, London, from 1-18 May as part of the 2014 Sony World Photography Awards Exhibition.

The image will also go forward to be considered as the winner of the Open Split Second category.  The winners of this and the other nine Open categories will be announced on 18 March.  Each category winner will receive the latest digital imaging equipment from Sony.

The ten Open category winners will then go forward to be considered for the Sony World Photography Awards Open Photographer of the Year and Youth Photographer of the Year titles, to be announced at a gala ceremony in London on 30 April.  The overall winning Open photographer will receive $5,000 (USD).

The 14 Professional category winners of the awards and the coveted L’Iris D’Or/ Sony World Photography Awards Photographer of the Year title and $25,000 (USD) prize will also be announced at the London ceremony.

Images from the shortlist are available to download at press.worldphoto.org