AT first look it is hard to believe your eyes.

A mountain of scrap metal groaning under its own weight looks like a multicoloured cliff face or a bizarre piece of modern art.

Now the young Hampshire-based photographer who captured the staggering image at Southampton Docks is up for a global media award.

Tom Parker is one of just ten snappers shortlisted for the Sony World Photography Awards.

Today he is on a mission to take his next big photo as he aims to scoop the top prize and seal his name in history.

The Southampton Solent University is up for the Student Focus Photographers of the Year title after being chosen from 230 entries from as far around the world as Argentina and Australia.

It follows the 21- year-old submitting a photograph of giant scrap metal piles at the city’s docks before it was shipped out for recycling in Spain.

The competition is a key industry launchpad giving global recognition to young, emerging photographers.

The brief called for entries summing up contemporary culture and his entry focuses on waste.

Shortlisted photographers have been awarded a Sony camera and challenged to shoot a series of images entitled “the edges of our cities” casting the spotlight on the outskirts of urban areas.

Winners will receive 35,000 euros worth of photography equipment to use for their university or school which will be presented at a glamorous gala ceremony in London on Thursday, April 23.

Tom, from Billericay, Essex, who likes creating striking images with vibrancy and colour said: “The shooting distance in this image was 500 metres so retaining the level of clarity and colour balance was very difficult. Despite the truck moving, I managed to capture it at a point in which the sheer scale of this ‘mountain’ of scrap metal is revealed.”

He hailed being chosen as an “extraordinary experience” and added: “The reality of the exposure and how much this means hasn’t quite settled in yet, but I’m thankful for the opportunity to display my imagery to a wider audience.”

Lecturer in photography Tom Selvin said he is delighted with Tom’s success and added: “Tom's work reflects our philosophy towards photography – a medium through which we can express ideas, address issues, and tell stories in a visually engaging way.”

The images will be on display at Somerset House in London as part of the 2015 Sony World Photography Exhibition at Somerset House from April 24 to May 10.