Nikon Photo Contest International Exhibition

Running since 1969, the Nikon Photo Contest International provides a venue for professional and amateur photographers around the world to communicate, and further enrich and develop photographic culture.

This year, Nikon invited submissions in two categories under the themes of "free subject" and "energy." Roughly 23,000 photographers from 153 countries and regions submitted over 60,000 photographs, making it the largest contest to date in terms of submissions and number of entrants.

The top, Grand Prix, prize in the Nikon Photo Contest International was awarded to 'Learning to fly'.

Mr. Hiromi Tsuchida, one of the judges of the Grand Prix award, comments: "The winning photo captures a precious moment that conveys the story of a small fishing village through activities that have been repeated daily for generations. One might even sense a touch of sadness, as people the world over react in similar fashion to the nostalgic pangs experienced at sunset. The key to this photo’s success is in its capturing that magically moment of beauty as evening slips into night."

The photographer who created the image, Debarshi Duttagupta, adds: "This shot was taken in Varanasi, India. The sheer energy created by the diver was truly fascinating. This was an experience of a lifetime, for which the true feeling cannot be expressed in words, although it can definitely be expressed through my camera."