Thai photographer wins Epson Southeast Asia Pano Award
HIS winning photograph, The Emerald Arch Over Lofoten, Norway, captures the Northern Lights forming a sweeping arch above a mountain and reflecting across the water.
Photograph courtesy of Wutimet Bunyasirisith
Bangkok-based photographer Wutimet Bunyasirisith has won the Southeast Asia Open Photographer of the Year title at the 17th Epson International Pano Awards for his panoramic photograph of the Northern Lights over Norway.
His winning image, The Emerald Arch Over Lofoten, Norway, captures an aurora borealis forming an arch around a mountain peak, with its reflection stretching across the waters of a frozen coastline.
Bunyasirisith, a landscape, fine art and travel photographer, created the image by combining multiple frames to capture the full scale of the natural phenomenon.
“This photograph came to life as the Northern Lights flared up and curved perfectly around the mountain,” he said.
He explained that the aurora’s immense size made it impossible to capture in a single frame, prompting him to use panoramic photography.
The competition, now in its 17th year, showcases panoramic photography from around the world, including entries from Southeast Asia.
Epson Southeast Asia and Epson Australia served as joint major sponsors for the third consecutive year.
“We are thrilled to celebrate the exceptional talent emerging from Southeast Asia for the third year running,” said Epson Southeast Asia Regional managing director Siew Jin Kiat.
Competition curator David Evans praised Bunyasirisith’s ability to photograph the Northern Lights under challenging weather conditions.
“Panoramic photography demands a unique balance of artistic vision and technical mastery, particularly when faced with unpredictable elements like the Northern Lights,” Evans said.