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On the day that the Sony World Photography Awards opens for entries, the World Photography Organisation announces a number of exciting new changes for 2011.

Building upon the success of the annual World Photography Festival in Cannes, the festival will expand to four major cities across the globe throughout 2010 and 2011.  It will visit San Francisco, Mexico, Shanghai and London, bringing the World Photography Organisation’s passion for imagery to thousands more people each year.  The tour will finish in London where the Sony World Photography Awards ceremony will be hosted for the first time.

The World Photography Festival is an opportunity for photographers from around the world to meet and discuss the latest trends, challenges and innovations in photography today.  Each festival will showcase the Sony World Photography Awards winners and will feature practical workshops, exhibitions, talks, portfolio reviews and a photography symposium presented by leading international industry figures.

The World Photography Organisation also announces a new competition and additional categories for the 2011 Sony World Photography Awards.

The Open competition, which replaces the amateur competition, has been created for the growing number of people with a love of photography.  It has eleven categories including Nature & Wildlife, Travel and After Dark, and is judged on a single image.

Professional and ‘serious enthusiast’ photographers are invited to join the Professional competition and will be judged on a body of work.   The 14 professional categories are arranged into three genres - Commercial, Fine Art and Photojournalism & Documentary - and new categories include Lifestyle, Still Life, and People.

Winners of the Professional and Open categories will each receive their trophies at the Sony World Photography Awards ceremony in London on 27 April 2011.  The winner of the L’Iris d’Or / Sony World Photographer of the Year will also be revealed and will be presented with $25,000 (USD) plus Sony’s Alpha digital SLR camera equipment.  The overall Open competition winner will receive $5,000 plus Sony’s Alpha digital SLR camera equipment.

The World Photography Organisation strives to support and connect the next generation of photographers via Student Focus, its global education programme and competition.  In an exclusive partnership with Young Tate Online, the 2011 Student Focus programme will tie in with Tate Modern’s new photography exhibition in London, Exposed: Voyeurism, Surveillance and the Camera.  Inspired by this exhibition, ‘Surveillance’ will be the theme of the 2011 Student Focus competition.

For the first time, Student Focus is open to all universities from across the world, that hold a photography programme.  Ten shortlisted students and their tutors will be flown to London in April 2011 to conduct their final assignment as part of the World Photography Festival.  45,000 Euros worth of Alpha digital SLR camera equipment has been donated by Sony and the overall Student Focus winner will be announced at the Sony World Photography Awards Ceremony on 27 April alongside the Professional and Open category winners.

To coincide with the opening of the 2011 competition, the World Photography Organisation has re-launched its  The website is a hub for the photographic community and, in addition to showcasing the entries to the Sony World Photography Awards, it will provide the latest news from the world of imaging.  The website will also include exclusive interviews and podcasts with the World Photography Academy, a members section, a dedicated student section, forums, videos and blogs.

Scott Gray, Managing Director of the World Photography Organisation, commented: “The World Photography Organisation  provides a global platform for imagery and the dynamic new website and  festival schedule allow us to take photography to an even greater international community .  We are very excited about bringing the Sony World Photography Awards ceremony to London and celebrating the very best of international photography in one of the most culturally vibrant cities in the world."

Yoshiyuki Nogami, Vice President of Digital Imaging at Sony Europe, said: “At Sony we believe in the power of imaging and the ability to inspire, entertain and educate through the medium of photography. We are excited to once again continue with our support of this important contest and the incredible photographic talent it showcases from across the globe.”

The 2011 competition closes for entries on 5 January 2011.