‘The sleeping giant, Parinacota, Chile’ by Daniel Viñé Garcia (Spain), Open Photographer of the Year, Epson International Pano Awards 2026
Spanish photographer Daniel Viñé Garcia has been named Open Photographer of the Year in the 17th Epson International Pano Awards for his trio of remote South American landscapes.
‘The sleeping giant’, his winning image (above), was made at Parinacota Volcano in Chile, standing at more than 6,300m alongside neighbouring Pomerape at more than 6,200m.
Tomás Sánchez Ruiz, also of Spain, achieved the title Amateur Photographer of the Year with ‘Double arch over Stokksnes, Iceland’, also winning the Amateur Nature/Landscape category.
The competition’s two main winners were selected from 4,084 entries submitted by photographers based in 93 countries.
‘Cathedral of starlight, El Peñón, Argentina’ by Daniel Viñé Garcia (Spain), Open Photographer of the Year, Epson International Pano Awards 2026
“After allowing time for proper acclimatisation, I spent three days and three nights at around 4,500m above sea level, giving myself the best possible chance of photographing the area under ideal conditions,” says Garcia, previously recognised by International Aerial Photographer of the Year, World Photographic Cup, Milky Way Photographer of the Year and the Drone Photo Awards.
“‘The sleeping giant’ 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.
“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.”
‘Double arch over Stokksnes, Iceland’ by Tomás Sánchez Ruiz, Amateur Photographer of the Year, Epson International Pano Awards 2026
Ruiz had his own challenges and doubted he would capture the aurora image he coveted on a visit to Stokksnes.
“On the night I took this photograph, the aurora forecast was not particularly promising,” says the Mardrid-born photographer whose image ‘Westminster Abbey’ was also recognised in the Amateur Built Environment category.
“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.
“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 Mountain beneath the spectacular aurora already dancing above its peaks.”
‘Westminster Abbey, London, UK’ by Tomás Sánchez Ruiz, Amateur Photographer of the Year, Epson International Pano Awards 2026
A talent for storytelling is crucial to impactful photography, explains Jacky Lee ASICI FRPS, a member of the Epson International Pano Awards selection panel.
“Storytelling is what makes me want to return to a photograph and spend more time with it,” says the Canberra-based photographer who is web editor of the RPS Landscape Group.
“We all bring our own experiences to the photographs we view, and a strong image can move us in much the same way as music or film.”
Discover the full gallery of winning and runner up images in the 17th Epson International Pano Awards.
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