{"id":11980,"date":"2026-10-21T05:05:01","date_gmt":"2026-10-21T03:05:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.brokenmount.com\/bm\/2026\/10\/21\/new-aerial-category-produces-top-winner-at-2026-epson-pano-awards\/"},"modified":"2026-10-21T05:05:01","modified_gmt":"2026-10-21T03:05:01","slug":"new-aerial-category-produces-top-winner-at-2026-epson-pano-awards","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.brokenmount.com\/bm\/2026\/10\/21\/new-aerial-category-produces-top-winner-at-2026-epson-pano-awards\/","title":{"rendered":"New aerial category produces top winner at 2026 Epson Pano Awards"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\n\tSpain\u2019s Daniel Vi\u00f1\u00e9 Garcia took Open Photographer of the Year and the debut Open Aerial category, as entries rose almost 20% to 4,084 from 93 countries.<\/p>\n

\"AnWutimet Bunyasirisith<\/span><\/figure>\n<\/section>\n
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Epson has announced the winners of its 17th Epson International Pano Awards<\/a>, with two photographers from Spain taking its top awards. The 2026 competition drew 4,084 entries from 93 countries, an almost 20% increase over 2025. Of those entries, 2,122 competed in the Open division and 1,962 in the Amateur division.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n

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The competition included award categories across both divisions; the Open division included Built Environment, Nature\/Landscape and the new Aerial category, while the Amateur division included Nature\/Landscape and Aerial. In addition to these categories, the competition presented awards in several specialty categories. The overall Open Photographer of the Year and Amateur Photographer of the Year titles went to the highest-scoring entrants in their respective divisions.<\/p>\n

The new Aerial categories attracted 680 entries in their first year, a number that contest founder David Evans says reflects years of requests from the community. \u201cIn the 17-year history of The Epson Pano Awards, never has a request from entrants been stronger than the addition of a dedicated Aerial category,\u201d Evans said.<\/p>\n

Open Photographer of the Year<\/h2>\n

Photographer\u2019s name:<\/strong> Daniel Vi\u00f1\u00e9 Garcia<\/a> (Spain)
Awards:<\/strong> Open Photographer of the Year, Category Winner: Open Aerial, The RAW Planet Award<\/p>\n

The Sleeping Giant<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n

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\"Panoramic<\/a>Daniel Vi\u00f1\u00e9 Garcia<\/span><\/figure>\n

Parinacota Volcano was one of the main photographic goals of my trip to Chile. Rising to more than 6,300 meters, its distinctive snow-covered cone has an almost perfect symmetry that immediately reminded me of volcanoes such as Mount Fuji. Beside it stands Pomerape, another giant reaching more than 6,200 meters, together forming one of the most impressive landscapes I encountered during the journey.<\/p>\n

After allowing time for proper acclimatisation, I spent three days and three nights at around 4,500 metres above sea level, giving myself the best possible chance of photographing the area under ideal conditions.<\/p>\n

This image was captured during the final moments of sunset. After one last burst of light, the landscape gradually took on magenta tones, wrapping the volcanoes and the high-altitude lakes in a particularly special atmosphere.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n

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The original capture was a 360-degree aerial panorama made from 33 individual exposures. I later refined the framing from the full panorama to concentrate the final composition on the volcanoes, the light, and the shapes of the landscape.<\/p>\n

Cathedral of Starlight<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Panoramic<\/a>Daniel Vi\u00f1\u00e9 Garcia<\/span><\/figure>\n

After several days travelling along dirt roads through the Argentine Puna, we reached this remote part of the Andean Altiplano: a vast landscape of white pumice formations sculpted by the wind. The area is so immense, uniform and isolated that it is surprisingly easy to lose your sense of direction while exploring it.<\/p>\n

While walking through the area, I found this particular spot, where the pumice formations and pale ground perfectly reflected the almost surreal character of the landscape. As I worked on the composition, I also noticed a shape in the terrain that reminded me of a large prehistoric bird, adding even more to the otherworldly feeling of the scene.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n

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At around 3,100 metres above sea level, beneath a sky almost completely free from light pollution, the night sky was spectacular. I waited until late into the night, when the Galactic Centre had climbed higher above the horizon and the Milky Way formed a huge arc across the landscape.<\/p>\n

When we finally started driving back to our accommodation in El Pe\u00f1\u00f3n, we came across the police: they were looking for us. The owner of our accommodation had become worried when we had not returned and thought we might have got lost or become stuck somewhere with the 4\u00d74. We had told her we would be back late\u2026 although I suppose she had not imagined quite how late.<\/p>\n

My Perfect Night<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>Daniel Vi\u00f1\u00e9 Garcia<\/span><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n
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During our expedition through the Argentine Puna, after several days travelling deeper into this remote part of the Andean Altiplano, we reached a salt flat in the province of Catamarca, more than 3,300 meters above sea level. Its small, colourful pools broke up the vast white expanse and gave the landscape an almost otherworldly appearance.<\/p>\n

The nearest settlement, Antofalla, is a tiny community of only a few dozen people, located several hours from any other populated area. Electricity is supplied by a generator that is switched off during the night, leaving this part of the Puna in almost complete darkness.<\/p>\n

The southern sky offered a particularly striking composition: at one end of the Milky Way arc was the bright Galactic Centre, while at the opposite end stretched the enormous Gum Nebula, one of the great structures of the southern sky. It is a view of the Milky Way very different from the one we are used to seeing from the Northern Hemisphere.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n

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Amateur Photographer of the Year<\/h2>\n

Photographer\u2019s name:<\/strong> Tom\u00e1s S\u00e1nchez Ruiz<\/a> (Spain)
Awards:<\/strong> Amateur Photographer of the Year, Category Winner: Amateur Nature\/Landscape<\/p>\n

Double Arch over Stokksnes<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Vibrant<\/a>Tom\u00e1s S\u00e1nchez Ruiz<\/span><\/figure>\n

On the night I took this photograph, the aurora forecast was not particularly promising. The skies were clear, but the chances of seeing the Northern Lights were low.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n

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However, when I pulled back the curtain of our hotel room and saw a green glow in the sky, I knew this could be the night we had been waiting for. We quickly left the room and headed to Stokksnes.<\/p>\n

When I arrived, I found a landscape I had never encountered on my previous visits: the black sand was completely covered in freshly fallen, untouched snow. I grabbed my camera and tripod and walked out into the snow, looking for a composition that would frame Vestrahorn beneath the spectacular aurora already dancing above its peaks.<\/p>\n

And there I was, finally taking the photograph I had been waiting for, with a smile on my face. A smile that still appears whenever I remember that night.<\/p>\n

Wonderful Reflections<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n

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\"Green<\/a>Tom\u00e1s S\u00e1nchez Ruiz<\/span><\/figure>\n

During my first trip to Iceland in 2015, I had the opportunity to visit the famous Vestrahorn mountains in the southeast of the island. Although I had already seen them in photographs, seeing them in person for the first time left a deep impression on me.<\/p>\n

Over the past ten years, I have returned to Iceland several times, and I have visited Stokksnes and Vestrahorn on almost every trip. I have photographed them at sunrise, at sunset and, of course, at night, hoping to see the Northern Lights dancing above their peaks. I had never been lucky enough to see them there, at least not in the way I had dreamed of.<\/p>\n

Until that January night. For more than two hours, the aurora danced above Vestrahorn. After so many years of waiting, this time I was there.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n

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Westminster Abbey<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Low-angle<\/a>Tom\u00e1s S\u00e1nchez Ruiz<\/span><\/figure>\n

In December 2023, during a several-day trip to London, I had the opportunity to visit Westminster Abbey. Although I had visited the city before, I had never made what I considered an almost obligatory visit. I knew its interior would be impressive and that I would thoroughly enjoy it, but I had no idea that this architectural masterpiece contained another hidden gem: the Henry VII Chapel, also known as the Lady Chapel.<\/p>\n

As soon as I entered the chapel and saw its enormous stained-glass windows, the spectacular ribs of the vaulted ceiling and the flags lining both sides of the room, I knew I had to get my camera out. I positioned myself as centrally as possible and began taking a series of overlapping photographs, covering the vaulted ceiling from one end to the other, with the intention of later stitching them together into a single panorama that would capture the grandeur of the entire space.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n

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Curator\u2019s Award<\/h2>\n

Photographer\u2019s name:<\/strong> Max Terwindt<\/a> (The Netherlands)
Award:<\/strong> Curator\u2019s Award
Location:<\/strong> Antarctic Peninsula<\/p>\n

\"Panoramic<\/a>Max Terwindt<\/span><\/figure>\n

Last January, on an evening down south at the Antarctic Peninsula, I was with a group of photographers divided over two sailing ships exploring the southern continent. It was my first time there and the whole experience was truly magical. We had a special license to fly our drones and this gave me the chance to capture unique shots of the best landscapes that Antarctica has to offer. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n

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On this particular night the light was really amazing with some low clouds and vibrant golden light. The glaciers in Antarctica often have rectangular shaped structures as seen on my panorama. If you look well you can also spot our two sailing ships with the red sails up in the distance. As it never becomes dark in the Antarctic summer this whole night was such a spectacle. <\/p>\n

The sunset slowly faded into the sunrise, so it went from golden hour to blue hour to golden hour again. Our ships were also surrounded by humpback whales and penguins which made this moment truly breathtaking. I remember I only slept for like an hour, but the lack of sleep was definitely worth it.<\/p>\n

Category Winner: Open Nature\/Landscape<\/h2>\n

Photographer\u2019s name:<\/strong> Mikel Iraeta<\/a> (Spain)
Award:<\/strong> Category Winner: Open Nature\/Landscape
Location:<\/strong> Milford Sound, New Zealand<\/p>\n

\"A<\/a>Mikel Iraeta<\/span><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n
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This is what I consider an almost impossible photo because you need some very specific conditions to pull it out. Milford Sound is a place where it rains (on average) 300 days a year. In fact, the day before I visited, the access road was closed due to snow avalanche danger. I ventured there without any expectations, with the sole intention of enjoying the place, aware of the improbability of the task. It is very difficult to have an entire clear night with no rain, no clouds, no moon, and for all of this to coincide at the end of September when it is possible to capture the double arc of the Milky Way. But I thought what if\u2026<\/p>\n

I don\u2019t think I can put into words the luck and chain of coincidences that had to come together to capture this photo. I still remember feeling excited under the stars, aware of what I was witnessing. It is a unique photo, one that I have not seen anywhere else and that I think would be very difficult for anyone else to replicate.<\/p>\n

It is also a very complex photo that requires a lot of work, both in terms of capturing and editing. The sky is composed of two separate tracked panoramas, each comprising eight panels, with each panel in turn consisting of a stack of four 45-second exposures. The first panorama is taken after sunset to capture the spiral arm containing the galactic core. The second contains both Magellanic Clouds, Gum, and the Orion Nebula, captured between 2 and 4 am. It is important to time the shots so that both panoramas are at approximately the same height above the horizon. Finally, the ground needs to be captured, for which the moving tides need to be considered. For this foreground I used a 14-panel 360\u00ba panorama, where each panel is created from a bracketing of three photographs, plus an additional photograph to include myself. The final image is therefore the result of combining 107 different photographs.<\/p>\n

The final results is what I consider to be a pretty unique image that shows the dream team of the wide angle astrophotography. Everything you want to see on an astrolandscape night sky shot is there, so I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n

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Category Winner: Open Built Environment<\/h2>\n

Photographer\u2019s name:<\/strong> Xuecheng Liu<\/a> (USA)
Award:<\/strong> Category Winner: Open Built Environment
Location:<\/strong> Times Square, New York, USA<\/p>\n

\"Black<\/a>Xuecheng Liu<\/span><\/figure>\n

Times Square is one of the most photographed places in the world, so my challenge was to find a perspective that could make such a familiar place feel unfamiliar again. From above, the dense architecture, streets, and illuminated billboards seem to radiate around the square.<\/p>\n

I stitched together 25 frames to create an ultra-wide aerial panorama, revealing the scale and density of the skyscrapers surrounding Times Square. I wanted the panorama to immerse the viewer in the vast expanse of the city, with countless points of light resembling stars surrounding the centre of a galaxy.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n

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Southeast Asia Open Photographer of the Year<\/h2>\n

Photographer\u2019s name:<\/strong> Wutimet Bunyasirisith<\/a> (Thailand)
Award:<\/strong> Southeast Asia Open Photographer of the Year
Location:<\/strong> Skagsanden Beach, Norway<\/p>\n

\"An<\/a>Wutimet Bunyasirisith<\/span><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n
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This photograph came to life as the Northern Lights flared up and curved perfectly around the mountain. The display was so vastly immense that even my 12mm ultra-wide lens couldn\u2019t capture the entire scene in a single frame. My only choice was to shoot a panorama. It wasn\u2019t until I stitched the frames together that I realized the aurora had formed a flawless, complete arch framing the peak. Standing on the wet beach, the calm shore provided a mirror-like reflection of the entire celestial phenomenon.<\/p>\n

The conditions that night were brutal\u2014freezing cold, biting winds, and I had to wade into the icy seawater to get the shot. Given all the challenges faced in those harsh elements, bringing this vision to reality is something I am truly proud of.<\/p>\n

Epson Digital Art Prize 2026<\/h2>\n

Photographer\u2019s name:<\/strong> Preeti & Prashant Chacko<\/a> (India)
Award:<\/strong> Epson Digital Art Prize 2026
Location:<\/strong> Solio Game Reserve, Kenya<\/p>\n

\"Four<\/a>Preeti & Prashant Chacko<\/span><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n
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Southern white rhinos are, in their normal state, surprisingly unthreatening \u2013 calm grazers who move around at a leisurely pace. One morning at Solio Game Reserve in Kenya we were photographing a group of eight rhinos with a few cattle egrets walking among them, a rare sighting in most other national parks. Something suddenly shifted and five of the rhinos broke into a run. We understood in that instant why a group of rhinos is called a crash. <\/p>\n

Neither of us has ever played rugby, but from the point of view of the egrets this is how we imagine a forward pack must look, heads down and all that weight already committed. Thankfully the egrets took to the air and got out of the way with barely a moment to spare. Seeing these many rhinos together is already rare and seeing them run together at another species is rarer still. At Solio Game Reserve, where Kenya\u2019s rhino population has been painstakingly rebuilt without any de-horning even an accidental moment of chaos feels like a miracle.<\/p>\n

VR\/360 Photographer of the Year<\/h2>\n

Photographer\u2019s name:<\/strong> Marcio Esteves Cabral<\/a> (Brazil)
Award:<\/strong> VR\/360 Photographer of the Year
Location:<\/strong> Cenote El Ed\u00e9n, Quintana Roo, Mexico<\/p>\n

\"Scuba<\/a>Marcio Cabral<\/span><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n
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Cenote El Ed\u00e9n is known for its natural curtains of light. Deep inside the cavern lies a narrow chamber where sunlight cuts through the water, framing the scene.<\/p>\n

Capturing this 360\u00b0 panorama took a great deal of care. In such a tight space with clear water and a delicate clay floor, the greatest challenge was maneuvering and rotating the camera without letting the gear or fins brush against the rocks, which would instantly stir up sediment and ruin the shot. Positioning the flashes was key to revealing the cave\u2019s textures and properly lighting the diver, avoiding a dark silhouette against the light. The model made all the difference by staying steady and motionless just inches above the bottom, without disturbing the silt.<\/p>\n

Category Winner: Amateur Aerial<\/h2>\n

Photographer\u2019s name:<\/strong> Xuejun Long (China)
Award:<\/strong> Category Winner: Amateur Aerial
Location:<\/strong> Lake Magadi, Kenya<\/p>\n

\"A<\/a>Xuejun Long<\/span><\/figure>\n

In March 2024, I returned to Lake Magadi in Kenya, just in time for the quick transition from the rainy season to the dry season. As the freshwater evaporated, the proportion of the lake water increased, and chemical deposits on the lakebed were exposed, forming lots of interconnected patterns. These patterns usually only last a few days. With the arrival of the dry season, vast areas of the lake, only a few dozen centimeters deep, turned into dry riverbeds. I was lucky to catch this moment, and a flock of flamingos flew in, adding life and bringing a dreamy, magical scene from the sky.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n

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Category Winner: Amateur Built Environment<\/h2>\n

Photographer\u2019s name:<\/strong> Sebasti\u00e1n Cantos Navalon<\/a> (Spain)
Award:<\/strong> Category Winner: Amateur Built Environment
Location:<\/strong> Valencia, Spain<\/p>\n

\"Concrete<\/a>Sebasti\u00e1n Cantos Navalon<\/span><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n
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This photograph was taken in 2026 at the Reina Sof\u00eda Palace of the Arts, in the City of Arts and Sciences in Valencia. It\u2019s a moment I\u2019ll always remember, as it was the first time l\u2019d ever been inside. Once inside the building, I found myself faced with a vast expanse of concrete, textures and lines, and was confronted with the challenge of creating what, for me, is an optical illusion. To achieve this, I used a wide-angle lens and created a composite image from eight shots, aiming for the curved lines of the staircase to guide the eye from the ground towards the sky. <\/p>\n

The result is a double \u2018S\u2019-shaped spiral which, in my opinion, lends dynamism and depth to the image and creates a different perspective on this space. I believe the Reina Sof\u00eda Palace of the Arts is a magnificent place to practise and enjoy architectural photography; it offers endless possibilities for experimenting with composition and perspective.<\/p>\n

About the Author: <\/span>Dale Baskin is a professional photographer, writer, and filmmaker based in the Pacific Northwest. He is the Managing Editor of DPReview.com.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n
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