Sony World Photography Awards 2020 - Winner in Category Landscape (Professional)

A dream comes true.
I am very proud to announce that I won the 1st place of the Sony World Photography Awards 2020 in category landscape (Professional).

Photographers from more than 203 countries and territories submitted 135.000 images across the different categories in the Sony World Photography Awards 2020, one of the most prestigious competitions in the industry. Each image, from the overall winner, to the category winners, to the Open, Student, and Youth winners, demonstrate the power of photography to not only capture a meaningful moment, but to send a powerful message.
Thanks so much to Sony, the jury and every supporter for making my dream come true!
Respect and congrats to Pablo Albarenga for winning the awards and also to every other category-winner!

"Evidence of Shintoism and Buddhism - the most common religions in Japan - can be found in every corner of the country. Shrines and torii (traditional Japanese gates commonly found at the entrance to Shinto shrines, marking the transition from mundane to sacred spaces) can be seen in the remotest of locations, from the middle of the Pacific Ocean to the highest mountains and the deepest forests."

Most of the time I use neutral density filters to force long exposures and keep my work minimalist in style. Some of my exposures last five minutes or more, which makes any distracting elements in the water or sky disappear - the longer the exposure, the clearer the photograph.