Jamia student among FINALISTS at World Photo Award

Anshul Mehrotra, a photography student at Delhi's Jamia Millia Islamia, has been named as a finalist for the prestigious 2013 Sony World Photography Awards Student Focus competition, the world's largest student photography programme and award.

Mehrotra's image, 'Over the top', captures the celebrations of the Chhath Puja, an ancient Hindu festival dedicated to the healing energies of the Sun God Surya. This image was chosen by Prof F B Khan, his tutor, to represent his university at the awards.

The image defeated entries from over 230 universities worldwide to be named as one of the ten finalists. Mehrotra will now compete against the nine other finalists from as far apart as New Zealand to Argentina, to win the overall Student Focus title and ��,000 (around Rs 25 lakhs) worth of Sony digital imaging equipment for his college.

In this part of a series, Rediff.com also takes a look at the photographs from the other finalists.

Part 1: 2013 World Photo Awards: STUNNERS from the pros

Part 2: 2013 World Photography Awards: And the FINALISTS are...

Part 3: World Photo Awards: BEST from the young shutterbugs

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The photographer says, "I was doing some research of down syndrome cases in my country (Mexico). The picture was taken spontaneously on a very rainy day. I just felt it was the right way to do it, I felt it inside me".

Photographer: Marcelo Sancehz, Mexico, Student Focus Finalist, 2013 Sony World Photography Awards

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The image was taken in Sharpeville, South Africa, during the youth day celebrations that happen on 16 June every year. This event is celebrated in commemoration of the Soweto uprising on 16, June 1976.

"An estimated 20,000 students protested the forced medium of instruction in Afrikaans, which they saw as the language of the oppressor. Many students died that day as a result of clashes between them and the police," the photographer says.

Photographer: Zanele Plaatjie, South Africa, Student Focus Finalist, 2013 Sony World Photography

The photographer says, "This was shot in June 2012 at Singapore's East Coast Beach with the iconic Marina Bay Sands in the background. One of the challenges was to get the coupled angels in flight so we shot everyone separately and computer manipulated the photo montage with Photoshop."

Photographer: Eugene Soh, Singapore, Student Focus Finalist, 2013 Sony World Photography Awards

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The image was shot with an 8x10 large format view camera loaded with colour photographic paper. It was a four-minute exposure. The image is of Kim's sister and her partner, and was staged at Auckland's Britomart Train Station.

Photographer: Kim Annan, New Zealand, Student Focus Finalist, 2013 Sony World Photography Awards

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The photographer says, "In this picture I wanted to reflect the celebration of Pachamama. It is a very beautiful festival celebrated by the original Andean people of Latin America in honour of the fertility of the land. The purpose of this great celebration is to thank mother earth with joy for all that nature gives us and to give offerings demonstrating gratefulness and devotion".

"With the colours I wanted to represent the flag of native people and the joy in their culture. I was inspired by their fervent devotion, worthy of admiration, that produces in us the desire to celebrate with them the greatness of nature," the photographer adds.

Photographer: Maria Candelaria Rivera Gadea, Argentina, Student Focus Finalist, 2013 Sony World Photography Awards

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A rabbit -- the symbol of fertility. Revealing the place of worship -- touched by the songs of the passing time at natural alter, a piece of furniture adapted for the needs of the ceremony. Among the baroque splendour of forms -- profanum becomes sacrum.

Photographer: Natalia Wiernik, Poland, Student Focus Finalist, 2013 Sony World Photography Awards

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The photographer says, "The picture was taken during the 30th birthday party of my sister and two of her friends from childhood. It was a very nice moment; several friends brought three cakes with candles, and formed a circle around them. I then moved around capturing the emotions".

Photographer: Sarai Rua Fargues, Spain, Student Focus Finalist, 2013 Sony World Photography Awards

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The photographer says, "I took this photograph during winter break -- my father had managed to find time in his schedule to have dinner with me in a restaurant. He was wearing his working suit and I thought the contrast with the Christmas decorations would be interesting. There is a strange, almost scary, atmosphere in this photography, not like the usual holiday pictures."

Photographer: Andrea Azema, Belgium, Student Focus Finalist, 2013 Sony World Photography Awards

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Grandmother on a slot machine

Photographer: Aimee Turner, UK, Student Focus Finalist, 2013 Sony World Photography Awards

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