This striking image of a performer in Taiwan’s annual fire festival in the city of Taichung is a finalist in the 10th Sony World Photography Awards, which has just announced its shortlist. ‘Temple devotees dressed as “hell guardians” withstand heaps of burning firecrackers,’ says Foley Hits, who took the picture. ‘I was only five metres from the action and wanted to get the deafening sound into the feel of the shot.’ See all the contenders – plus work by legendary photographer Martin Parr – at an upcoming exhibition at London’s Somerset House (21 April–7 May; worldphoto.org).
SOMETHING TO DECLARE:
There’s more to the Maldives than you might expect
Don’t judge a book by its cover, says the old adage. But seen from the sundeck of my plush water villa at Shangri-La Villingili Resort, the Maldives did indeed look like the front page of a luxury holiday brochure. However, five-star ratings depend on consistency; your needs are not only met, they’re anticipated on a daily basis – and I’m a traveller who thrives on (at least a little of) the unknown. So, I decided to leave my hammock behind in favour of a cultural treasure hunt.