by Rachel Ogbu

It’s almost the end of the year and what a year it’s been for news photos in 2012.

From the conflict in the Middle East and to the celebrations of Olympians in the United Kingdom, the camera lens had a lot of action this year.

This year’s awards for best pictures saw a huge numbers of people taking part even the Wildlife Photographer Awards celebrated its 48th year with 48,000 entrants.

As digital photography becomes increasingly accessible for amateurs this year saw more ordinary people take the spotlight from professional photographers- like this year’s winning Astronomy Photographer of the Year – we should expect to see more people getting their photos in 2013’s competitions.

See the roundup of this year’s winners below.

Opentext News Photographer Of The Year

Dan Kitwood
The UK Picture Editors’ Guild Awards 2012
Kitwood’s resonant image of the 2011 London riots shows a fire in Croydon.

Celebrity Photographer Of The Year

Jon Enoch,
The UK Picture Editors’ Guild Awards 2012
This portrait of Derren Brown by Enoch was taken for a Times editorial, the main publication the photographer works for. Enoch is a portrait photographer who started his career in local newspapers.

Getty Images Royal Photographer Of The Year

Max Murphy
The UK Picture Editors’ Guild Awards 2012
The Prince of Wales was caught shooting a paintball gun on St David’s Day. Murphy has been a freelance photographer for 24 years and specialises in the Royal Family.

Astronomy Photographer of the Year, Winner, Earth & Space

This image, ‘Star Icefall’, won in its category, Earth & Space.

Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2012, Winner, Our Solar System

Young Astronomy Photographer of the Year

15-year-old Jessica caught this image of her friends at a caravan sight in the Gower Peninsular.

Astronomy Photographer of the Year, Winner

 

Martin Pugh’s photograph of the M51 galaxy was said to be “one of the finest images of m51 ever taken by an amateur astronomer” by astronomer Will Gater.
Sony World Photography Awards – Open

Victor Vargas Villafuerte, Mexico, Open Category Winner, Enhanced
Sony World Photography Awards – Open

Sanket, India, Open Category Winner, Arts and Culture
Sony World Photography Awards – Open

Piotr Stasiuk, Poland, Open Category Winner, Smile

Sony World Photography Awards – Open

Giovanni Frescura, Italy, Open Category Winner, Nature & Wildlife

Sony World Photography Awards – Youth

 

Kolyaskin Sergey, Russia, Youth Category Winner, Culture
Sony World Photography Awards – Youth

Karina Sembe, Ukraine, Youth Category Winner, Portraits
Travel Photographer Of The Year, Overall Winner

Louise Montrose’s photo of the Mexican Day of the Dead.

Travel Photographer Of The Year, Best Single Image

Franco Banfi from Switzerland won in the Spirit of Adventure portfolio section of the competition with this ice-diving photo.

Travel Photographer Of The Year, One Shot Wild Moments

Stuart Dunn from the UK entered his successful image from Kaieteur Falls in Guyana.
Travel Photographer Of The Year, New Talent Winner

Edgard de Bono won with this image of children on Goree Island.
Travel Photographer Of The Year, Exotic Winner

Amusingly enough, this photo from London, by Polish photographer Malgorzata Pioro, won in the Exotic portfolio.
Travel Photographer Of The Year, Cultures and Tradition Winner

Russian Sergey Anisimov captured this photo of Nomadic children in Yamal.
Veolia Environment Wildlife Photographer Award, Winner

Peter Nicklen’s photograph of ‘Bubble-jetting emperors’ beat 48,000 other entries.

Winner, World Press Photo Contest

Samuel Aranda
Aranda took this moving image of Fatima al-Qaws, cradling her 18-year-old son who is suffering from tear gas, following an anti-government march in Yemen.

UK Guild Of Picture Editors’ Photo Essay

Jason Howe
The UK Picture Editors’ Guild Awards 2012
Howe has been photographing war zones for a decade. His winning shot captures dawn on Armistice Day 2011, as British troops are dropped inside Taliban country in southern Afghanistan. An hour after this was taken, one soldier would lose both legs to an IED.

Royal Horticultural Society’s Annual Photographic Competition, Winner

Josie Elias
This photograph is of the Iris Garden at Plantas Distintas in Spain. Elias, who won £1000 for her photograph, said she took it by chance.

Nikon Sports Photographer Of The Year

John Sibley
The UK Picture Editors’ Guild Awards 2012
Sibley, who mainly takes photos of football, has covered four World Cup finals. His winning photo shows Darren Pratley’s reaction as his Bolton Wanderers’ team mate Fabrice Muamba receives treatment.

Bloomberg Business Photographer Of The Year

Jason Alden
The UK Picture Editors’ Guild Awards 2012
A relative newbie in the Guild Awards, Alden started working in 2007. Here he catches Rebekah Brooks, former head of News International, after she leaves Southwark Crown Court.

ETIHAD/Newscast Young Photographer Bursary

Brad Wakefield
The UK Picture Editors’ Guild Awards 2012
A freelancer for The Sun, Wakefield won this category with a picture of Glastonbury Tor at sunrise.
Photobox Regional Photographer Of The Year

Charles McQuillan
The UK Picture Editors’ Guild Awards 2012
McQuillan’s lively photograph shows Angela McClements join in the traditional New Years day swim at Carnlough Harbour, Country Antrim, off the Irish coast.

Student Street Photography Awards – Winner

Jake Burge’s minimalist landscapes scooped up the £1000 prize for the Best Student Street Photograph, as part of the London Festival of Photography.

Photos: Huffington Posts