The Sony World Photography awards has been dubbed as the global photographic event of the year. The competition received 112,000 entries from around the globe which is the highest number of entries to date. Mitch Dobrowner an American photographer won the prestigious award of L’Iris D’Or for his extraordinary collection of images – Storms and was also awarded $25,000.

Sony World Photography Awards – Mitch Dobrowner

The Story behind the Sony World Photography Award winning series

Mitch was on his second day of shooting and had been tracking tracking a severe weather system for the past 9 hours with his guide. Eventually they stopped in a field and just stood in awe of the towering super-cell. According to Mitch it was building with intake wind gusts of 60 m.p.h.+, and he felt like they were standing next to a 65,000 ft. high vacuum cleaner. Its formation had an ominous presence and power that he had never witnessed or experienced.

” I remember turning to someone standing next to me, and saying in the howling wind, What the f***! You have to be kidding me. It was then that I knew that what had only counted as an experiment in photography would become a project”

The exhibition can be viewed at Somerset House in London until 20 May 2012 which is open to everyone with a passion for photography. The exhibition showcases some of the best images from photographers all around the world – including the winning entries and runners up.