PICTURE PERFECT Jaw-dropping lightning storm and ash billowing from a volcano among stunning pics in Sony world photography awards

 A JAW-dropping shot of a lightning storm and another featuring ash billowing from a volcano are among those taking out the top spots in Sony’s World Photography Awards 2021.

The stunning shot of lightning, taken by Switzerland's Raphael Barbar, is one of 54 winning photographs chosen from more than 330,000 images, submitted from 51 countries.

Other winning snaps included a photo of a red fox peering through the grass at the camera, shot by Italy’s Davide Gianetti.

And a stunning snap of people crossing train tracks in the snow took the top spot for Japan's national contest.

The National Awards programme, set up by the World Photography, aimed to support local photographic communities around the world. 

The overall winners in the Student, Youth, Open and Professional categories would be announced in April. 

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Raphael Barbar's shot of lightningCredit: © Raphael Barbar, Switzerland, Winner, National Awards, 2021 Sony World Awards

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Mexico's Brian Mena Laureano won the national award for his shot of smoke billowing from a volcanoCredit: © Brian Mena Laureano, Mexico, Winner, National Awards, 2021 Sony World Awards

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Thailand's Saowanee Suntararak shot this stunning image of a leaf falling in the foreground of a snow-capped mountainCredit: © Saowanee Suntararak, Thailand, Winner, National Awards, 2021 Sony World Awards

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Mehmet Aslan, from Turkey, won the national award with this shotCredit: © Mehmet Aslan, Turkey, Winner, National Awards, 2021 Sony World Awards

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Yu-Liang Chueh's winning imageCredit: Yu-Liang Chueh/National Awards, Sony World Photography Awards

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Slovenia's Aljaz Znidarsic won the national award for his photo picturing a hiker on a snow mountain topCredit: ©ALJAZ ZNIDARSIC, Slovenia, Winner, National Awards, 2021 Sony World Awards

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The winning from from the Philippines, by Donell GumiranCredit: © Donell Gumiran, Philippines, Winner, National Awards, 2021 Sony World Awards

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S. Muramatsu's shot took third place in Japan's national contestCredit: © S. Muramatsu, Japan, 3rd Place, National Awards, 2021 Sony World Awards

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Michaela Ateiner, from Austria, won her national contest with this shotCredit: © Michaela Steiner, Austria, Winner, National Awards, 2021 Sony World Awards

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Viktor Einar Vilhelmsson's shot, from IcelandCredit: © Viktor Einar Vilhelmsson, Iceland, Winner, National Awards, 2021 Sony World Awards

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The winning shot from from Estonia, by Hoije NuuterCredit: © Höije Nuuter, Estonia, Winner, National Awards, 2021 Sony World Awards

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Finland's winning shot, by Matti VirtanenCredit: © Matti Virtanen, Finland, Winner, National Awards, 2021 Sony World Awards

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The winning from from Croatia, by Tomislav Veicarn

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Peter Svoboda, from Slovakia, won his national award with this shotCredit: © Peter Svoboda, Slovakia, Winner, National Awards, 2021 Sony World Awards

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The second-place photo from Taiwan, by Chia Jung ChouCredit: © Chia Jung Chou, Taiwan, 2nd Place, National Awards, 2021 Sony World Awards

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Patrick Mueller, from the USA, won the national prize for America