A selection of the shortlisted photographs in the After Dark category of the Open competition of the 2011 Sony World Photography Awards.

Wednesday Night. © Dael Oates courtesy of Sony World Photography Awards 2011

Pyromaniac. “This photo was shot during the Shakrail Utshob (Ghuri Utshob) also known as the festival of kites in old Dhaka. After a euphoric kite flying day the young people of the area start celebrating with fire-crackers and fire games. Almost on all the roof-tops young men show their prowess in these risky and exciting games.” © Aneek Anwar courtesy of Sony World Photography Awards 2011.

Serra da Leba, Lubango, Angola. “This is Serra da Leba, a landmark in Angola. A road built in the 1970′s, a marvel of engineering, it has been one of the country’s postcard images for decades, but all shots were taken by day. I needed something different. I decided to try a night shot, but it seemed impossible: pitch black, foggy, an altitude of 1,800 meters (5,000 feet). I wanted no more than 30-60 seconds of exposure, max, to avoid more digital noise. But a car takes a few minutes to climb or descend this section of the road. The fog was dense and blocking the view! Suddenly the fog cleared, a few cars went down, others went up, they met in the middle in under 60 seconds. Painting done!” © Kostadin Luchansky courtesy of Sony World Photography Awards 2011.

Feels Like Home. “A reflection on what the word ‘home’ represents, an inviting set in a strange place.” © Marcos Calamato courtesy of Sony World Photography Awards 2011.

The shortlisted photographers of the After Dark category are: Aneek Anwar (Bangladesh), Juergen Buergin (Germany), Marcos Calamato (United States), Atle Gaarder (Sweden), Kostadin Luchansky (Angola), Chumlong Nilkon (Thailand), Dael Oates (United States), Bibek Paul (India), L. Ranieri Jr)Iberê (Brazil), Ekaterina Solovieva (Germany).

Click here for more information regarding the 2011 Sony World Photography Awards.

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