The work of three Egyptian photographers has been shortlisted for the 2016 Sony World Photography Awards, the world's biggest and most comprehensive photography competition.
Nader Saadallah, Ahmed Gaber and Armand Tamboly will now be competing in the competition's Open, Youth and Professional sections respectively.
Tamboly's shortlisted entry, competing in the Portraiture category in the Professional section, is a series of portraits titled "Stereotypes." The shots, which are portraits of men with masculine facial features and feminine hairstyles, are meant to portray the nature of gender stereotypes.
Gaber's shortlisted entry, competing in the Portraits category in the Youth section, is a portrait of a smiling child playing in Egypt's Mediterranean city Rasheed.
Saadallah's shortlisted entry, competing in the Arts and Culture category in the Open section, is a shot of the Impression Lijiang, a prominent cultural show in China's Lijiang that shows the traditional lifestyle of the local Nakhi, Yi and Bai people.
The 2016 competition has broken records "with a staggering 230,103 entries in total across all competitions, up 28 percent on last year," according to the World Photography Organization's official press release .
"From zip-lining acrobats, moonlit dung beetles, scrummaging rugby players and floating ballerinas, to heartening stories of love and loss, the standard of quality from both professionals and photography enthusiasts alike, has taken the competition to new heights."
The overall winners of the Open, Youth and Professional sections and the Professional Photographer of the Year title will be revealed on Apr. 21 at the annual gala ceremony in London. They will receive prizes including the latest Sony digital imaging equipment.
In addition, all of the shortlisted and winning images will be put on display at the 2016 Sony World Photography Awards Exhibition, which will be held between Apr. 22 and May 8 at London's iconic Somerset House.
The Sony World Photography Awards is not only the world's biggest photography competition, it is also one of the most renowned. It works on recognizing and rewarding the best contemporary photography in the world.
The competition is free to enter and accepts submissions from photographers of all skill levels, photography types and nationalities.
It is judged by the World Photography Organization and a specifically selected jury from the prestigious World Photographic Academy.