All About Photo has announced the winners of its 2026 All About Photo Awards – The Mind’s Eye, and this year’s edition feels especially meaningful. Marking the competition’s 11th anniversary, the awards were judged by legendary photographer Steve McCurry, whose eye for powerful visual storytelling helped shape a selection of 45 standout images from photographers around the world.
The winning photographs come from 15 countries across four continents, and together they offer a vivid look at the many ways photographers are seeing the world today. Some images are quiet and reflective, while others are bold, emotional, or deeply documentary in style. A few feel almost cinematic. Others are intimate, conceptual, or poetic. But all of them share one thing in common: they make you stop and look twice.
This year’s competition attracted submissions from more than 500 photographers worldwide, so the final selection is just a small glimpse into a much larger creative field. Even so, the winners create a rich portrait of contemporary photography — one that captures both global diversity and shared human experience.
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#1 Window To The Past From The Series ‘Revolutionary Revelations’ By Matt Mcclain, Photographer Of The Year 2026
The award-winning images take us everywhere, from the historic streets of the United States to West Africa, from Tibet’s vast landscapes to the busy energy of Mumbai, Havana, and Beijing. But what makes this collection so compelling is not just where it was photographed — it’s how each artist chooses to see.
First Place went to Matt McClain for Window to the Past, a quiet image that looks through a rain-covered window and blurs the line between memory and the present moment. Second Place, Obscura by Brooke Shaden, turns inward with a surreal self-portrait that explores identity and transformation. Third Place, Celestial Ladies by France Leclerc, captures a powerful and graceful scene filled with cultural presence and stillness.
#2 Obscura By Brooke Shaden
#3 Celestial Ladies By France Leclerc
Fourth Place by Javier Arcenillas brings us onto a Tunisian train, where light and composition turn an everyday scene into something deeply intimate. Fifth Place, Bringing Home the Birds by Beamie Young, uses black and white photography to tell a timeless story of childhood, freedom, and symbolism.
Notably, three women photographers are among the top five winners, highlighting the growing strength and visibility of female voices in the field.
#4 Tunisia By Javier Arcenillas
#5 Bringing Home The Birds From The Series ‘Cuba, People In The Countryside’ By Beamie Young
The Merit Award section expands the story even further. Some of the honored photographs tackle urgent global realities, such as labor conditions, environmental fragility, and political unrest. Others focus on tradition, spirituality, or the small moments that make up daily life.
And then there are the images that feel almost magical: a cyclist reflected in a drop of dew, a diver suspended among whales, a beam of light breaking through the darkness of a remote chapel. These are the kinds of photographs that remind us how much wonder can still be found in the world, even in the most ordinary places.
#6 Hands That Feed The Sky Bytittu Shaji Thomas
#7 Cycling In The Dew By Wahyu Budiyanto
As the sole juror, Steve McCurry brought a distinctive perspective to this year’s selection. Rather than favoring one style, he highlighted a wide range of visual languages — from documentary realism to conceptual work to poetic storytelling.
The result is a collection that feels both immediate and timeless. These are not just competition winners. They are images that speak to memory, identity, culture, and the emotional texture of life itself.
#8 USA 2026 By Buck Holzemer
#9 Freedom By Cheng Zhu Alias Max Chu
Open to photographers of all levels, the All About Photo Awards continue to be a platform for powerful visual storytelling. This year’s winners receive $5,000 in cash prizes, plus international exposure through AAP Magazine, online exhibitions, and global media coverage.
Founded in 2015, the competition has grown into a respected showcase for emerging and established photographers alike. Its title, The Mind’s Eye, is inspired by Henri Cartier-Bresson’s idea of aligning “one’s head, one’s eye, and one’s heart” — a fitting philosophy for a competition that values both vision and feeling.
In a world full of images, these 39 stand out for one simple reason: they don’t just show us something beautiful or impressive. They make us feel something.
#10 Kathakali By Thaddäus Biberauer
#11 Touched By Light By Khaichuin Sim
#12 Getting Ready To Bullfight From The Series ‘Faith In Bullfighting’ By Jordi Cohen
#13 Water Body By Shrikanth Poojari
#14 Chinoiserie By Gavin Libotte
#15 Sunset At The Temple Of Heaven By Chris Yan
#16 Artistic Water Ballet From The Series ‘World Aquatics Artistic Swimming World Cup Super Final 2025’ By Zhang Lintao/Getty Images
#17 Waiting Out The Storm By Thibault Gerbaldi
#18 Bus Ride To Heaven By Shrikanth Poojari
#19 Under The Sky By Jiri Kostal
#20 Fusion With The Work From The Series ‘Ishida’ By Takeshi Yamamoto
#21 Young Monks Playing Football By Andrew Newey
#22 Dancing With Giants By Khaichuin Sim
#23 The Weight Of Creation By MD Tanveer Rohan
#24 Faith. Flares. Fortune By Eric Seidner
#25 Earth’s Veins By Marco Di Marco
#26 Arrested Protestor And Horse From The Series ‘Resist’ By Prescott Lassman
#27 In A Hurry By Gabi Steiner
#28 Full Swing By France Leclerc
#29 Girl Of The Northern Lights By Tommi Viitala
#30 Soul Beneath The Paint By Cesare Simioni
#31 They, By Them From The Series ‘Talking Shadow’ By Asako Naruto
#32 Amazon By Javier Arcenillas
#33 Santovenia Home For The Aged By Kerry Faulkner
#34 De Chirico By Gavin Libotte
#35 Drawing By Driving By Jiri Kostal
#36 Reaching For Heaven By Archie Cludven
#37 Wings Of The Forest By Fenqiang Liu
#38 She And The Popes By Robert Lie
#39 Wheels By Hervé Boutrouille
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