Mother Nature looking her beautiful best: The breathtaking images submitted for the 2016 Sony World Photography Awards
- Incredible submissions for the 2016 awards have been revealed two months ahead of the competition's closing date
- Some of the greatest landscape and wildlife images have be entered into the competition, now in its eighth year
- Contest is open to photographers of all levels - with both amateurs and professionals being invited to submit photos
Eagles battling in the snow, a tiger prowling the long grass of India and an erupting volcano in Chile.
These are some of the stunning images in the running for the 2016 Sony World Photography Awards - with many capturing breathtaking shots of mother nature at her finest in the likes of Switzerland and Canada.
One photographer, Z Chen from China, submitted an incredible still of the sunset around Viti, a crater in Iceland that is shaped like a love heart, and another, Amri Arfianto from Indonesia, captured the moment a male peacock spread his tail feathers with eye-popping style.
So far, this year's 'open' category submissions, sent in to the World Photography Organisation, include an extraordinary variety of incredible images of wildlife and some of Earth's greatest landscapes.
All winning and shortlisted photographers will be included in a global press campaign in London in April 2016 - the selected Open Photographer of the Year will also receive $5,000 (£3,260) plus flights and accommodation to the awards.
Launched in 2008, the awards are dedicated to supporting and cultivating photographic culture and are open to photographers of all levels - from amateurs to 'fully-fledged' professionals - and winners will be selected in four categories (professional, open, student and youth).
The open and youth competitions close on January 5, while entries for the professional competition must be submitted by January 8.
Zay Yar Line from Burma shared this image of a fisherman 'leg rower' from Innlay Lake in Myanmar rowing his boat with his legs
Giovanni Frescura from Italy shared his image - of an eagle latching on to another as they battle in the snow - with the competition
Eduardo Minte from Chile captured the spectacular moment the Calbuco Volcano - the third most active Volcano in Chile - erupted for the second time this year. The volcano had been dormant for the last 43 years until this April
Zay Yar Line from Burma shared this image of a fisherman 'leg rower' from Innlay Lake in Myanmar rowing his boat with his legs
Giovanni Frescura from Italy shared his image - of an eagle latching on to another as they battle in the snow - with the competition
Eduardo Minte from Chile captured the spectacular moment the Calbuco Volcano - the third most active Volcano in Chile - erupted for the second time this year. The volcano had been dormant for the last 43 years until this April
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Amri Arfianto from Indonesia submitted this breathtaking image of a peacock spreading out its tail feathers to display the bright eyespots
Antje Kakuschke from Germany snapped this image of hundreds of King Penguins standing together and looking in different directions
These monkeys were caught having a soak in a hot spring during a light snow flurry in Japan by photographer Christopher Yeoh, Australia
Simone Cmoon from Switzerland sent in this incredible image of the stars, flowers and settled snow above The Bernese Alps
Joanna Szewczyk from Poland took this eye-catching shot of a lone zebra strolling down a path leading towards mountains and dry land
Douglas Croft from USA captured the moment a gray whale and her calf glided silently through the kelp forests along the Californian coast
Henrik Spranz from Germany sent in his incredible image of a cute critter jumping up to reach wild berries for its lunch
Kris Williams from the UK took an amazing picture of a starry night above a derelict farm surrounded by barley fields on the Isle of Anglesey in Wales
Sara Brudkiewicz from Poland captured a stag caught in the rainfall. The animal stands strong and has water falling from its antlers
Michael Pachis's incredible image shows a stunning bald eagle captured standing in the rain. The droplets splash against his feathers
Vladimir Cech Junior from Czech Republic managed to capture an image of this stunning tiger prowling through the long grass in India
Taha Ahmed from India captured this neutral coloured pelican and submitted the stunning imagery to the 2016 Sony Photography Awards
This short-tailed weasel was captured mid-air fleeing in the snow with a freshly killed vole - shot by Canadian photographer Stuart McKay
Sheldon Bilsker from Canada published this photo of a Rufous Hummingbird, known for its amazing flight skills, in its natural environment
Z Chen from China submitted an incredible still of the sunset around Viti, a bright blue crater in Iceland that is shaped like a love heart
Govindarajan Venugopal from India submitted his image of zebras stood in a field during sunrise with rays seeping through the clouds
Taha Ahmed from India also submitted this shot, which appears to show both grey-scale and colourful birds in flight at night-time
Amri Arfianto from Indonesia submitted this breathtaking image of a peacock spreading out its tail feathers to display the bright eyespots
Antje Kakuschke from Germany snapped this image of hundreds of King Penguins standing together and looking in different directions
These monkeys were caught having a soak in a hot spring during a light snow flurry in Japan by photographer Christopher Yeoh, Australia
Simone Cmoon from Switzerland sent in this incredible image of the stars, flowers and settled snow above The Bernese Alps
Joanna Szewczyk from Poland took this eye-catching shot of a lone zebra strolling down a path leading towards mountains and dry land
Douglas Croft from USA captured the moment a gray whale and her calf glided silently through the kelp forests along the Californian coast
Henrik Spranz from Germany sent in his incredible image of a cute critter jumping up to reach wild berries for its lunch
Kris Williams from the UK took an amazing picture of a starry night above a derelict farm surrounded by barley fields on the Isle of Anglesey in Wales
Sara Brudkiewicz from Poland captured a stag caught in the rainfall. The animal stands strong and has water falling from its antlers
Michael Pachis's incredible image shows a stunning bald eagle captured standing in the rain. The droplets splash against his feathers
Vladimir Cech Junior from Czech Republic managed to capture an image of this stunning tiger prowling through the long grass in India
Taha Ahmed from India captured this neutral coloured pelican and submitted the stunning imagery to the 2016 Sony Photography Awards
This short-tailed weasel was captured mid-air fleeing in the snow with a freshly killed vole - shot by Canadian photographer Stuart McKay
Sheldon Bilsker from Canada published this photo of a Rufous Hummingbird, known for its amazing flight skills, in its natural environment
Z Chen from China submitted an incredible still of the sunset around Viti, a bright blue crater in Iceland that is shaped like a love heart
Govindarajan Venugopal from India submitted his image of zebras stood in a field during sunrise with rays seeping through the clouds
Taha Ahmed from India also submitted this shot, which appears to show both grey-scale and colourful birds in flight at night-time
