Epson has announced the winners of the 17th Epson International Pano Awards, a global competition celebrating exceptional panoramic photography that once again brought top Southeast Asian talent into the international spotlight.
Supported for the third year in a row by a joint headline sponsorship from Epson Southeast Asia and Epson Australia, the prestigious competition continues to give regional photographers a prominent global stage to display their work alongside the finest panoramic imagery from around the world.
This year’s coveted Pano Awards Southeast Asia Open Photographer of the Year 2026 title went to Wutimet Bunyasirisith, an acclaimed landscape, travel, and fine art photographer based in Bangkok. His spectacular winning photograph, The Emerald Arch Over Lofoten, Norway, captures a sweeping, full-arch aurora borealis perfectly framing a jagged mountain peak and reflecting beautifully across the icy waters of the coast.
Because of the massive scale of the celestial display, Bunyasirisith utilized panoramic techniques to capture the entire scene. He recalled the exact moment the shot came together:
“This photograph came to life as the Northern Lights flared up and curved perfectly around the mountain,” Bunyasirisith shared. He explained that the immense scale of the aurora could not be captured in a single frame, prompting him to create a panorama that ultimately revealed the complete arch around the peak.
Siew Jin Kiat, Regional Managing Director, Epson Southeast Asia said: “We are thrilled to celebrate the exceptional talent emerging from Southeast Asia for the third year running. Wutimet’s success reflects a continuing trend of Southeast Asian photographers venturing to distant global landscapes to capture back awe-inspiring, world-class panoramic visuals. His work has shown us the relentless passion, vision and technical discipline that defines our region’s creative community. Epson is honoured to support our region’s best visual storytellers with world-class print solutions that preserve the depth, scale and rich colour of their photography.”
Competition Curator David Evans noted the sustained strength of regional entries: “Panoramic photography demands a unique balance of artistic vision and technical mastery, particularly when faced with unpredictable elements like the Northern Lights. Wutimet’s ability to execute a flawless full-arch composition in sub-zero temperatures is nothing short of masterly. As a curator, watching photographers from Southeast Asia consistently push the boundaries of scale and narrative is one of the most rewarding aspects of this global competition.”
Through their joint headline sponsorship, Epson Southeast Asia and Epson Australia remain committed to empowering the global photography community by delivering industry-leading imaging technology. This includes providing professional photo printers like the Epson SureColor series and advanced ultra-slim projectors, both engineered to deliver exceptional color precision and long-lasting, museum-quality archival prints.
The full gallery of winning and top images is available through The Pano Awards 2026 Winners Gallery.
