Here Are The Best 30 Impactful Images That Captivated The Jury At The 2025 All About Photo Awards

Every year, the All About Photo Awards celebrates the art of visual storytelling, inviting photographers from around the world to challenge the boundaries of creativity, perception, and emotion. The 2025 edition—titled “The Mind’s Eye”—was no exception. The theme encouraged artists to delve into the unseen, the surreal, and the deeply personal, producing a breathtaking collection of images that offer insight into the human psyche, our shared environments, and moments that often go unnoticed.

From the subtle poetry of a fleeting glance to the harsh reality of global struggles, this year’s winning entries span genres, techniques, and continents. Here are some standout images from the competition that captivated the jury and viewers alike.

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#1 1st Place Winner And Photographer Of The Year 2025: "Husnah" By Marijn Fidder (The Netherlands)

Image source: © Marijn Fidder "Husnah Kukundakwe (15) during an early swim training at the Elite Swim and Gym pool in Kampala, Uganda. Husnah was born with a congenital limb impairment that left her with no right lower arm. Husnah is a Ugandan swimmer who is currently the country's only classified Paralympic swimmer. Her first appearance at the World Championships in London was mentioned among the International Paralympic Committee’s (IPC’s) Top 10 Moments of 2019." Husnah: “Swimming was for me an escape from being really shy. I was always hiding my disability, because people look at me weirdly when they see my arm. So I’d always wear a sweater the whole day, even when it was hot, so people couldn’t see my hand. But when I started swimming, I learned to be more confident about myself.”

#2 4th Place Winner: "Exhaustion" By João Coelho (Portugal/Angola)

Image source: © João Coelho "This group of young people risk their lives every day in this ship graveyard. They have to dive to pull iron plates from the sunken carcasses of ships using only their hands and the strength of their arms. Exhausted, they must find the strength to fight the waves and currents to bring the heavy pieces to the beach where they are weighed and sold."

#3 "Fire Incident" By Syed Mahabubul Kader (Bangladesh)

Image source: © Syed Mahabubul Kader "This photograph shows people surrounding the remains of a car previously engulfed in flames in Dhaka, Bangladesh."

#4 "Camel Fair" By Arne Strømme (Norway)

Image source: © Arne Strømme

#5 "Untitled" By Pedro Jarque Krebs (Peru)

Image source: © Pedro Jarque Krebs

#6 "Hands Of Time, Net Of Light" By Chester Ng (United States)

Image source: © Chester Ng "Myanmar, 2025."

#7 "Plastic Hiking" By Mohammad Foisal (Bangladesh)

Image source: © Mohammad Foisal "A worker doing challenging work by carrying a huge bag full of plastic trash up a big stack that is made entirely of wasted plastic bottles."

#8 3rd Place Winner: "Steamy Serenity In Güroymak" By Erhan Coral (Turkey)

Image source: © Erhan Coral "In the heart of Eastern Turkey’s winter landscape, men and water buffaloes share the warmth of the Budaklı hot springs in Bitlis. Rising mist veils the frozen surroundings, blending human and animal silhouettes in a primal ritual of survival and coexistence. While the snow-covered plains and distant mountains whisper solitude, the steamy embrace of the thermal waters becomes a sanctuary, where tradition, resilience, and nature converge in harmony."

#9 "Georgia Protests: The Early Days - United In Love" By Patrick Enssle (Germany)

Image source: © Patrick Enssle "A portrait of a couple in front of burning street barricades. The couple stands close together, holding hands, with their faces illuminated by the fiery glow of the flames."

#10 "Mel" By Martina Holmberg (Sweden)

Image source: © Martina Holmberg "When Mel was two years old, she stayed in the car with her older sister while her mother went to buy something small at the convenience store. When the mother returned, the car was on fire. Mel's sister died, but Mel survived with severe burns. Throughout her life, she has lived with the aftermath of the accident and a deviant appearance. Despite difficulties in life, Mel has lived her dreams and graduated as a lawyer."

#11 "Sisters" By Neşe Arı (Turkey)

Image source: © Neşe Arı "A large number of refugees fleeing the Syrian war have sought refuge in Turkey. The country provides them with shelter, healthcare, and education services."

#12 "Symbol Of Strength And Grace" By Donell Gumiran (Philippines)

Image source: © Donell Gumiran "A young girl with an Arabian horse reflects the growing role of women in preserving cultural traditions. While equestrianism was historically male-dominated, Emirati women today actively participate in horse breeding, endurance riding, and racing, making this image a tribute to both tradition and modern progress."

#13 "Alone" By Holger Goehler (Germany)

Image source: © Holger Goehler

#14 "Hold The Line" By Brandon Yoshizawa (United States)

Image source: © Brandon Yoshizawa "A surreal experience documenting the Bridge Fire in the Angeles National Forest as it burns in the mountains behind the Los Angeles skyline and puts off an eerie glow. At the time of capture, the fire totaled 50,000 acres at 0% containment. In a sad way, this hauntingly beautiful photo documents the proportions of fire risk in California, which are elevated in several areas due to dry conditions. A truly unique photograph capturing the harsh reality of the summer months in my hometown."

#15 "Anchored In Hope" By Andrea Torrei (Italy)

Image source: © Andrea Torrei "The erosion of the beach in Senegal is a stark reminder of the devastating effects of climate change on young people. As the sea levels rise, the once-thriving tourist industry is struggling to survive, and many are left wondering if they will be able to stay in their homeland or migrate to find a better future."

#16 "Luo He, 2024" By Tianhu Yuan (China)

Image source: © Tianhu Yuan "Luo He is a Lolita handcraftswoman. In the process of commercialization of the Lolita subculture community, a variety of creative industry occupations have arisen, and one of them is the handcraftswomen. They emphasize their subcultural identity by making handmade accessories to enrich their Lolita-style outfit. The hat and the mirror are both of her own design. From the series Lolita Dreams, which is about the Lolita fashion subculture community in China."

#17 "Untitled" By Buck Holzemer (United States)

Image source: © Buck Holzemer

#18 "Breakfast In The Hut" By Thibault Gerbaldi (United States)

Image source: © Thibault Gerbaldi "In a distant Ethiopian village without electricity, life unfolds under the natural light that guides daily activities, emphasizing a culture where life, work, and socializing predominantly occur between sunrise and sunset. Early in the morning, we shared breakfast with a local family. I was captivated by how the light entering the hut through a distinctive opening to the outside world illuminated the face of this beautiful Ethiopian woman."

#19 "A Way To Feel Still Alive" By Valentina Sinis (Italy)

Image source: © Valentina Sinis "In a secret workshop in Kabul, women are attending make-up classes. In 2023, the Taliban announced that all beauty salons in Afghanistan must close, citing that these establishments provided services that are prohibited by Islam and contributed to economic difficulties for the families of grooms during wedding celebrations. The Taliban has restricted women’s employment and access to public places like parks and gyms, and has imposed strict limitations on media freedoms."

#20 "Of Birds And Men" By Gavin Libotte (Australia)

Image source: © Gavin Libotte "I noticed that hardly any street photographers shot from the level of the street. When I started doing this and adding the element of flash, I was astonished at the new perspective it reveals."

#21 "Competitors With Their Chickens" By Clark Mishler (United States)

Image source: © Clark Mishler "4-H kids enter their chickens at the Alaska State Fair in Palmer, Alaska."

#22 "Untitled" By Mark Seymour (United Kingdom)

Image source: © Mark Seymour

#23 "Ice Crack" By Yuan Su (United States)

Image source: © Yuan Su

#24 "Kakonk'u Village" By Maurizio Di Pietro (Italy)

Image source: © Maurizio Di Pietro "Kenya, Turkana County, Lokichar - A shepherd from the village of Kakonk'u, close to Lokichar, washes himself in a basin of rainwater. The extraordinary rains of March allowed the filling of a large basin where shepherds bring livestock to drink. Pastoralism is the dominant form of livestock-keeping in the ASALs (Arid and Semi-Arid Land) and given the recourse to mobility to manage climate variability."

#25 "Turkana Views" By Carole Mills Noronha (Australia)

Image source: © Carole Mills Noronha "The colours of Northern Kenya stand out against the harsh and dry semi-arid landscape. A brief encounter with a young boy reflected in a motorbike's mirror."

#26 "Against The Line" By Forrest Walker (United States)

Image source: © Forrest Walker "Istanbul, 2015. The last officially permitted Pride parade unfolds under a heavy police presence at Taksim Square. A woman walks calmly in front of a line of riot police — her face veiled in a black niqab, a katana slung across her back, a phone pressed to her ear, and a short black skirt. Her outfit, part defiance and part performance, blends elements of protest in a striking, unconventional mix. Tear gas was fired intermittently to push the crowd forward, adding to the tense, surreal atmosphere that defined the day."

#27 "Running Through The Silence Of Snow" By Raghuvamsh Chavali (Canada)

Image source: © Raghuvamsh Chavali "This picture was captured during a snowstorm near St. Jacobs and Elmira, in the Township of Woolwich, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada. Running Through the Silence of Snow shows a powerful moment of tradition and resilience. While the world around us moves faster every day, the Amish hold on to a simple and strong way of life. In this photo, a horse-drawn buggy moves quickly across a quiet, snowy landscape. The only sound was the steady beat of the horses' hooves, with everything else covered in silence. I wanted to capture the feeling of that moment, peaceful, timeless, and full of quiet strength."

#28 "Casual Firestorm 1" By Joshua Cohen (United States)

Image source: © Joshua Cohen "As flames consumed the business district and surrounding neighborhoods of Altadena, CA, reducing them to smoldering ruins in one of the most devastating urban firestorms in history, an eerie sense of calm settled over those who chose to stay behind on the morning of January 8th. With no way to fight the inevitable, they chose to bear witness, confronted by the raw power of nature and the undeniable fragility of everything they once thought permanent."

#29 "Inhale The Sun" By Michael Sela

Image source: © Michael Sela

#30 "Memories Amidst The Ashes" By Shinji Isobe (Japan)

Image source: © Shinji Isobe "In 2024, after a devastating fire in Manila’s Tondo district, a boy navigated the smoke-filled streets, searching through the rubble for anything of value. His determined gaze reflected resilience and hope, embodying a spirit that refused to yield to despair. Amid the devastation, his unwavering effort symbolized a belief in the future and the strength to move forward."