There’s something magical about a panoramic photograph. It pulls you into a scene, stretches your imagination, and reveals details that a regular frame might easily miss. And the 2026 Epson International Pano Awards have plenty of that magic to share.
Now in its 17th edition, the world’s largest competition dedicated to panoramic photography has announced its latest winners, celebrating some seriously impressive talent from around the globe. Spanish photographer Daniel Viñé Garcia took home the prestigious Open Photographer of the Year title with a breathtaking portfolio capturing the dramatic landscapes of the high Andes and Argentina’s Puna region. His winning image, The Sleeping Giant, features the towering Parinacota Volcano in Chile, standing alongside its equally magnificent neighbor, Pomerape.
This year’s competition attracted an incredible 4,084 entries from 93 countries, marking a 19% increase over 2025. With 680 entries in the newly introduced Aerial categories, the competition continues to push the boundaries of panoramic photography.
From sweeping mountain ranges and dreamlike landscapes to extraordinary aerial perspectives, these 36 winning photographs are a beautiful reminder of just how incredible our world can look through a wider lens.
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#1. 2026 Open Photographer Of The Year & Winner Open Aerial: The Sleeping Giant, Parinacota, Chile by Daniel Viñé Garcia, Spain
"Parinacota Volcano was one of the main photographic goals of my trip to Chile. Rising to more than 6,300 metres, 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 metres, together forming one of the most impressive landscapes I encountered during the journey."
#2. Winner Open Nature / Landscape: Double arch on Milford Sound, New Zealand by Mikel Iraeta, Spain
"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…"
#3. Winner Open Built Environment / Architecture: Center of the Cosmos, New York, USA by Xuecheng Liu, USA
"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."
#4. Southeast Asia Open Photographer Of The Year: The Emerald Arch Over Lofoten, Norway by Wutimet Bunyasirisith, Thailand
"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’t capture the entire scene in a single frame. My only choice was to shoot a panorama. It wasn’t 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."
#5. 2026 Amateur Photographer Of The Year & Winner Amateur Nature / Landscape: Double Arch over Stokksnes, Iceland by Tomás Sánchez Ruiz, Spain
"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. 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."
#6. Winner Amateur Aerial: Journey of Life, Lake Magadi, Kenya by Xuejun Long, China
"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."
#7. Winner Amateur Built Environment / Architecture: Reina Sofía Palace of the Arts by Sebastián Cantos Navalon, Spain
"This photograph was taken in 2026 at the Reina Sofía Palace of the Arts, in the City of Arts and Sciences in Valencia. It’s a moment I’ll always remember, as it was the first time l’d 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."
#8. VR/360 Photographer of the Year: Diving in a Blue Dream, Cenote El Edén, Quintana Roo, Mexico by Marcio Esteves Cabral, Brazil
"Cenote El Edén 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. Capturing this 360° 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."
#9. Epson Digital Art Prize: Preeti & Prashant Chacko, India
"Southern white rhinos are, in their normal state, are surprisingly unthreatening – calm grazers who move around at a leisurely pace. One morning at Solio Game Reserve in Kenya we were photographing a group of 8 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."
#10. Curators Award: Antarctic Nights, Antarctica by Max Terwindt, The Netherlands
"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. 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."
#11. Highest Scoring Vertical Image: Szabi Nemeth, Australia
"Between Giants, Indian Ocean, Mauritius"
#12. Highest Scoring Gigapixel Image: Vitaly Golovatyuk, China
"X marks the spot in Shanghai, Yan an elevated road, Shanghai, China"
#13. Aerial Top Prize: Boreal Wings, Lofoten Islands, Norway by Francesco Dall’Olmo, Italia
#14. Aerial Top Prize: Currents of the Tundra – Sami Reindeer Migration, Alta Norway by Michiko Kimura, Australia
#15. Aerial Top Prize: The Cold Vein, California by Nickolas Warner, United States
#16. Aerial Top Prize: Serrated, Utah, USA by A.J. Rich, USA
#17. Aerial Top Prize: Lençóis Infinitos , Lençóis Maranhenses, Maranhão, Brazil by Henrique Murta, Brazil
#18. Aerial Top Prize: Folded Earth, Tolar Grande, Argentina by Marsel van Oosten, Netherlands
#19. Aerial Top Prize: Pyramid of Light, Cono de Arita, Argentina by Daniel Viñé Garcia, Spain
#20. Aerial Top Prize: Emerging volcano, Onekotan island, Kuril archipelago, Russia by Anton Agarkov, Russia
#21. Nature Landscape Top Prize: Cathedral of Starlight, El Peñón, Argentina by Daniel Viñé Garcia, Spain
#22. Nature Landscape Top Prize: Softly Wrapped, Jamnik, Slovenia by Daniel Trippolt, Austria
#23. Nature Landscape Top Prize: Stone Cathedral, Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness, Coyote Buttes North, Arizona by Jason Perry, Australia
#24. Nature Landscape Top Prize: Mystic Twilight, Dolomites by Shao Lun Huang, Taiwan
#25. Nature Landscape Top Prize: Monument Valley, Monument Valley, Arizona/Utah, USA by Karol Nienartowicz, PL
#26. Nature Landscape Top Prize: Ocean`s Eye, Indian Ocean, Mauritius by Szabi Nemeth, Australia
#27. Nature Landscape Top Prize: Sİlent Citadel, Tabuk-Saudi Arabia by Aytek Cetin, Turkey
#28. Nature Landscape Top Prize: Float, Grand Canyon National Park by Peter Coskun, United States
#29. Built Environment Top Prize: Anatolian Artisan, Avanos, Turkey by Daniel Viñé Garcia, Spain
#30. Built Environment Top Prize: The Power of Waves, Newhaven UK by Mang Sun, United Kingdom
#31. Built Environment Top Prize: Aerial View of Shenzhen Lightning in a Thunderstorm at Night, Guangdong, China by Kwong Lung Philip Wong, Hong Kon
#32. Built Environment Top Prize: Realeasing Wishes, Chiang Mai, Thailand by Joseph Goh, SG
#33. Built Environment Top Prize: Fuji Spring, Japan by Andy Wong, Hong Kong
#34. Built Environment Top Prize: Dusk at the fishing village of Hamnøy in Lofoten by Wei Lian, United States
#35. Built Environment Top Prize: Admont Abbey Library, Admont, Austria by Mickey Shannon, USA
#36. Built Environment Top Prize: Whispers in Stone, Asturias, Spain by Robert Pilari, Deutschland
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ):
What are the Epson International Pano Awards?
The Epson International Pano Awards is the world’s largest competition dedicated to panoramic photography. Established in 2010, it celebrates photographers who create exceptional panoramic images across landscape, nature, aerial, and other photographic genres.
Who won the 2026 Epson International Pano Awards Open Photographer of the Year?
Spanish photographer Daniel Viñé Garcia won the 2026 Open Photographer of the Year title. His impressive portfolio showcases spectacular landscapes across the high Andes and Argentina’s Puna region, including his winning photograph, The Sleeping Giant.
How many entries were received in the 2026 Pano Awards?
The 17th Epson International Pano Awards received 4,084 entries from photographers representing 93 countries. This marked a 19% increase compared with 2025, demonstrating the growing international interest in panoramic photography.
Where was Daniel Viñé Garcia’s winning photograph taken?
Daniel Viñé Garcia’s winning photograph, The Sleeping Giant, was captured at Parinacota Volcano in Chile. The remarkable composition features the towering volcano alongside neighboring Pomerape, creating a dramatic portrait of the high Andes.
What were the new categories introduced in the 2026 Pano Awards?
The 2026 competition introduced new Aerial categories, attracting 680 entries. These categories provided photographers with another opportunity to showcase extraordinary perspectives of the world from above, expanding the creative possibilities of panoramic photography.
