25 Winners of the reFocus Awards 2025 Photo Contest (26 photos)

The reFocus Awards has announced the best color photographs of 2025. The competition, which attracted entries from over 80 countries, showcased artistic excellence, technical mastery, and narrative power. From striking portraits that defy convention to mesmerizing aerial shots and surreal depictions of the everyday, this year's winners stand out for their innovative approach and emotional depth.





1. "Earth's Galaxy" by Navaneet Unnikrishnan



1st Place Professional in the "Nature" Category

A luminous kingdom where fireflies emit bioluminescent light, creating the illusion of a galaxy. This image captures the thrill of exploration. The soft light combines with the texture of the cave, highlighting the fragile, mystical beauty of nature.

2. "Supercell," by Uwe Schellscheidt

1st Place Amateur in the Nature Category

The storm produced a supercell and a small tornado in Texas. The light blue area is where the hail falls.

3. "A Quiet Moment," by Manuela Palmberger



1st Place Professional in the Landscapes Category

A Moment of Silence in the Keldlingarfjöll Geothermal Area, Iceland.

4. "Closing in," by Maddison Woollard



1st Place Professional in the Wildlife Category

This is my only photo of an adult Australian fur seal. The pups were curious and playful, but this one kept his distance, ignoring us. At one point, a fellow seal chased him, causing him to charge toward me.

5. "This Ice Cap Will Soon Be Gone," by Jackie Matechuk



1st Place Professional in the Travel Category

Time seems to stand still in the Arctic. But beneath the surface stillness lies a sense of unease—ancient giants, reflected in swift waters, remind us of the fragility of beauty and its ability to vanish in the blink of an eye.

6. "The Blue Swallow," William Mark Sommer



1st Place Professional Film/Analog Category

Route 66 changes from boom to bust, from season to season. But the Blue Swallow Motel remains a living piece of history for the nostalgic traveler seeking roadside relics of America's bygone culture.

7. "Under the Wave," Kirwan Baldassari



1st Place Professional in the Underwater Photography Category

A surfer rides the crest of a wave in French Polynesia.

8. "Two Times of the Vitebsk Station," Nikolai Shchegolev



1st place among professionals in the "Street" category

Past and present, light and shadow, man and woman. One morning I came to the train station and took this photo shortly before the vintage train departed.

9. "Limb," Ana Giulia Gobbi



1st place among amateurs in the "Concept" category

Footsteps sound hollow. The light flickers. Two figures intersect in silence. They are not lost, but seem suspended between reality and emptiness.

10. "Traditions from Above," Chris Ha



1st Place Amateur in the Fine Arts and Travel Category

A celebration of Vietnam's living traditions: from tea plantations to salt marshes. A tribute to the hands, heritage, and harmony that shape the soul of a culture through crafts.

11. "Drying the Chili Pepper Harvest," by Serkan Dogus



1st place among professionals in the "People" category

Bangladesh women work in factories, supporting the country's economy.

12. "In the Light," by Daniela Schnabel-Sam



1st Place Professional in the "Pets" Category

When I saw this church, I immediately knew I had to photograph here. And luck smiled on me: the model blended in perfectly, and the peeking sun illuminated her.

13. "Nowhere," by Alessandro Tagliapietra



1st place among professionals in the "Minimalism" category

These photographs are part of a series taken in the northern part of the Venetian Lagoon, where I live. I use long exposures and sometimes set my tripod right in the mud. I especially like foggy days because they help highlight my subjects.

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15. "The Elephant Driver," Sarah Waters



3rd Place Amateur

Residents of Ban Ta Klang village in Surin Province, Thailand, consider elephants their friends. They live with them under the same roof until the animals become part of the family. This close bond between people and elephants has become the foundation of their relationship.

16. "Liquid Soul #7712" by Gaëtan Changer



1st Place Professional in the Abstract Category

I create visual worlds where abstraction intertwines with nature through fluid forms. They are born from the interaction of water, pigments, and light. In the studio, I photograph these magical landscapes, blurring the boundaries between the natural and the artificial, the real and the imaginary.

17. "No Safe Place for Them," by Véronique de Viguerie



1st Place Professional in the Photojournalism Category

The women fled Afghanistan for Pakistan when the Taliban came to power. Now they are being forced to return home.

18. "Heat Waves" by David Cohen



1st Place Amateur in the Abstract Category

19. "In Thoughts" by Venkatesh Kittur



1st Place Amateur in the Wildlife Category

Portrait of an orangutan with soulful eyes that reveal intelligence and sadness. Their gaze begs for survival, asking for protection from deforestation and habitat loss. It's a silent struggle for life in a rapidly changing world.

20. "Nowhere," by Alessandro Tagliapietra



1st Place Professional in the Minimalism Category

These photographs are part of a series taken in the northern part of the Venetian Lagoon, where I live. I use long exposures and sometimes set my tripod right in the mud. I especially enjoy foggy days because they help highlight my subjects.

21. "Queen of Crestline," Elijah Barnes



1st place among professionals in the "Portrait" category

22. "Luceatanima," Daniil Slomakin



1st place among professionals in the "Fashion and Beauty" category

The suit is tailored to create a sculpted look. and add a touch of mystery to the image. The background, bathed in diffused light, creates a contrast between the model's silhouette and the mountains.

23. "Pink Fashion," Patti Gary



1st Place Professional Still Life

Dried roses with gracefully curled petals are reminiscent of expensive gowns. Their colors—deep purple, blush, ochre, sea foam—reveal unexpected beauty. Grace, flexibility, and the ability of color to change.

24. "Traditions from Above," Chris Ha



1st Place Amateur in the "Fine Arts and Travel" Category

A celebration of Vietnam's living traditions: from tea plantations to salt marshes. A tribute to the hands, heritage, and harmony that shape the soul of a culture through craftsmanship.

25. "Iranian Girl" by Kristina Makeeva



1st place among professionals in the "Concept" category

A woman is not an ornament. A woman is not a shadow. A woman is not a ghost through which one can see the world around her. She should not hide.