Ali Zolghadri, a fine art photographer from Tehran, has captured a stunning composite image of the Iran Mall that has been shortlisted in the creative category of the 2026 Sony World Photography Awards. The photograph, titled The Space in Between, was taken using a Samsung Galaxy A26 smartphone.
A Futuristic Space
The Iran Mall in Tehran is the largest shopping mall in the world. Zolghadri recalls it being nearly empty when he captured the image, just four months before the US and Israel launched their war on Iran. “This particular spot is in the central atrium. It’s a huge, futuristic space with sweeping curved lines, layered architecture, metallic surfaces and massive skylights,” he says. “The clean geometry and the way light moves through the structure really caught my eye. It’s a public space, but because of its scale, it often feels quiet and almost otherworldly.”
Manual Editing Process
The shot is a composite of three images, carefully blended in Photoshop. Zolghadri emphasizes that he does not use AI in his workflow. “As a fine art photographer, editing is an essential part of my process. Every element in the final composition was photographed by me, but some unnecessary elements were removed, and the frames were carefully blended in Photoshop. I don’t use AI in my workflow; everything is captured and edited manually by me. The post-production process is a continuation of the creative act, not a shortcut.”
Zolghadri intentionally kept a passerby in a white shirt to provide a sense of scale to the expansive space. “For me, fine art photography is not only about capturing a moment, but about constructing meaning,” he explains. “When I look at this image, I feel a mixture of admiration for the architectural structure and awareness of the human vulnerability within it.”
The Sony World Photography Awards 2026 exhibition will be held at Somerset House in London until 4 May.
