The Refocus Awards 2025 have announced this year’s winners in color photography. Photographers from around the world submitted their best shots across 20 diverse categories, including abstract, aerial, architecture, conceptual, domestic animals, event, fashion & beauty, film/analog, fine art, landscapes, minimalism, nature, people, photojournalism, portrait, still life, street, travel, underwater, and wildlife.
“These images serve as a reminder of the importance of visual image-making through color. There are so many thoughtful and compelling perspectives here that define our creative community, and show us a bright future, past, and present in color photography,” said Lily Fierman, co-founder of the Refocus Awards.
More info: refocus-awards.com | Instagram | Facebook
#1 Nature Category | Gold: “Earth’s Galaxy” By Navaneeth Unnikrishnan
“Beneath the earth lies a glowing realm, where Bioluminescent Glow Worms create a galaxy-like spectacle. This image captures the awe of exploration, blending the soft glow with the cave’s textures, highlighting nature’s fragile, otherworldly beauty in a moment of quiet wonder.”
Image source: © Navaneeth Unnikrishnan
#2 Photojournalism Category | Gold: “Nowhere Is Safe For Them” By Veronique De Viguerie
“Pakistan is expelling 1,5 million undocumented Afghans, refugees in the country. These women fled Afghanistan when the Talibans took over, but now they are forcibly back in their country, registering at the border with Taliban authorities.”
Image source: © Veronique De Viguerie
#3 Domestic Animals Category | Bronze: “Of The Sea” By Lieke Zweekhorst
“From the series ‘A Man and His Horse’, made in The Gambia. This image shows a weekly ritual in which he bathes the horse and checks her skin for parasites.”
Image source: © Lieke Zweekhorst
#4 Landscapes Category | Bronze; Nature Category | Silver: “A Place Called Home” By Fenqiang Liu
“Canoeing through a quiet Louisiana swamp at sunrise, I watched soft light filter through the trees. A Great Egret glided over the water, drawing my lens to the richness of the swamp—a warm, thriving habitat many wildlife species call home.”
Image source: © Fenqiang Liu
#5 Minimalism Category | Silver: “Back To Your Own World” By Thomas De Franzoni
“This photo likely depicts a solitary flamingo standing or wading in a tranquil lagoon, surrounded by the soft haze of winter fog. The mist diffuses the light, creating a dreamy and ethereal atmosphere.”
Image source: © Thomas de Franzoni
#6 Photojournalism Category | Silver: “Sustainable Childhood” By Paolo Marchetti
“According to UN estimates, approximately 320.000 children between 5 and 14 years of age are forced to work. In Managua (Nicaragua), nearly 1.000 children live on the largest garbage dump in Central America, where they rummage in search of recyclable materials, which can later be resold on the streets.”
Image source: © Paolo Marchetti
#7 Photojournalism Category | Bronze: “The Silent Displacement” By David Lombeida
“Abdu-Rahnan’s child sleeps outside on a property where the owners let the family use the land temporarily. In the West Bank, Abdu-Rahnan and his family have been displaced by settler violence after their entire community was forced out of their homes, days following the October 7th attacks.”
Image source: © David Lombeida
#8 Film/Analog Category | Gold: “Blue Swallow” By William Mark Sommer
“Seeing Route 66 change from boom to bust, season to year, surviving the loss of the surroundings and the bypass of old routes, The Blue Swallow survives as a living part of history for the nostalgic traveler that seeks the roadside relics that convey of America’s passing culture.”
Image source: © William Mark Sommer
#9 Underwater Category | Gold: “Underneath The Surface” By Kirvan Baldassari
“Underwater in French Polynesia, a surfer rides through the barrel of a wave. Nearby, another person floats, watching the moment unfold.”
Image source: © Kirvan Baldassari
#10 Wildlife Category | Gold: “Incoming” By Maddison Woollard
“This is my only capture of this adult Australian fur seal. The pups were curious and playful. This fella would float in the distance, ignoring us. A younger seal was chasing and nibbling him, and that interaction sent him charging in my direction. Unveiling this remarkable, dynamic encounter.”
Image source: © Maddison Woollard
#11 Wildlife Category | Bronze: “Snowy Owl I See You” By Kathy Sergio
Image source: © Kathy Sergio
#12 People Category | Silver; Portrait Category | Silver: “Sulfur Miner At The Top Of The Crater” By Mitchell Kanashkevich
Image source: © Mitchell Kanashkevich
#13 People Category | Bronze: “Night Market At Inle Lake, Myanmar” By Daniel Garzon Moreno
“Every week, on Inle Lake (Myanmar), hundreds of canoes gather to form the night market with different fruits and vegetables to trade with the local population.”
Image source: © Daniel Garzon Moreno
#14 Underwater Category | Silver: “Sea Puppy Gaze” By Remuna Beca
“With irresistible puppy-like eyes, an Australian sea lion playfully engages with the camera with curiosity in South
Australia’s kelp forests. Listed as Endangered, these rare sea lions face threats from habitat loss, fishing bycatch, and pollution.”
Image source: © Remuna Beca
#15 Landscapes Category | Gold: “A Quiet Moment” By Manuela Palmberger
“A quiet moment captured in the geothermal area of Kerlingarfjöll, Iceland.”
Image source: © Manuela Palmberger
#16 Minimalism Category | Gold; Fine Art Category | Bronze: “Nowhere” By Alessandro Tagliapietra
“These photographs are part of a series taken in the northern part of the Venice lagoon, where I live.
All images are taken with long exposures, sometimes with the tripod directly stuck in the underwater mud. I look forward to the foggy days to isolate the subjects as much as possible.”
Image source: © Alessandro Tagliapietra
#17 People Category | Gold: “Chile Pepper Workers” By Serkan Dogus
“Bangladeshi women contribute to the household economy by working in chile pepper factories during the summer.”
Image source: © Serkan Dogus
#18 Street Category | Gold: “Two Time” By Nikolay Schegolev
“Past and present, light and cold shadow, man and woman… one morning I came to the train station and took this photo shortly before the departure of the retro train.”
Image source: © Nikolay Schegolev
#19 Wildlife Category | Silver: “Surrounded By Love” By Jacquie Matechuk
“In the vast expanse of the Maasai, the soft light of dusk gives way to a scene of profound, almost sacred intimacy. A family of elephants stands close together — whose true majesty lies not in their size, but in the depth of their connection, a bond as old as time itself.”
Image source: © Jacquie Matechuk
#20 2nd Place Winner And Gold In Fine Art Category: “The Lake” By Masoud Mirzaei
Image source: © Masoud Mirzaei
#21 Domestic Animals Category | Silver: “Sagaz” By Tori Gagne
“Pure Raza Spanish Stallion.”
Image source: © Tori Gagne
#22 Street Category | Bronze: “Mexican Mennonite Boys, Chihuahua, Mexico” By Morad Bouchakour
“Mexican Mennonite boys having fun under cover of the night.”
Image source: © Morad Bouchakour
#23 Travel Category | Bronze: “Echoes Of Heritage: The Buffalo Keeper’s Path” By Sam Oetiker
“A local water buffalo farmer and his daughter cross an ancient stone bridge as the first rays of sunshine spill over the peaks. Location: Guilin, China.”
Image source: © Sam Oetiker
#24 Conceptual Category | Gold: “Iranian Girl” By Kristina Makeeva
“A woman is not decoration. A woman is not a shadow. A woman is not a ghost through which one can see the environment. She should not hide in the walls of buildings.”
Image source: © Kristina Makeeva
#25 St Place Winner And Gold In Event Category: “Ring Of Fire, And Ice” By Liam Man
“A ‘Ring of Fire’ solar eclipse reaches annularity as two intrepid ice climbers summit the mighty Glacier Leones. A drone illuminates the ice’s textures and colours, battling fierce winds that whip up plumes of snow that burn in the sun’s rays.”
Image source: © Liam Man
#26 Architecture Category | Silver: “Former Armstrong Rubber Building” By Owen Davies
“The former Armstrong Rubber Building in New Haven, Connecticut. Part of my series LIGHT/MASS, which explores the alien-like urban landscapes found in cities and towns across the United States.”
Image source: © Owen Davies
#27 Architecture Category | Bronze: “The Citi Never Sleeps” By Orestes Gonzalez
“The lone Citibank Tower in Long Island City, Queens, NY, acts like a backdrop to a snowy embankment of graves in Queens’ historic Calvary Cemetery.”
Image source: © Orestes Gonzalez
#28 Event Category | Silver: “Pe’ahi Canonball” By Aaron Lynton
“In an attempt to avoid an even worse big wave beating, Rafael Tapia hits the eject button.”
Image source: © Aaron Lynton
#29 Nature Category | Silver: “Sunset Ascent” By Mike Rigney
“Bottlenose dolphins jumping in the Gulf of California at sunset in Baja California, Mexico.”
Image source: © Mike Rigney
#30 Nature Category | Bronze: “Naturally Unfolding” By Michael Paul
“At the foot of Wyoming’s Tetons, the waning day brings a cast of characters together to mingle for a moment of refreshingly untouched nature.”
Image source: © Michael Paul
#31 Portrait Category | Gold: “Crestline Queen” By Elijah Barnes
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Image source: © Elijah Barnes
#32 Travel Category | Gold: “This Icecap Is To Go” By Jacquie Matechuk
“Gliding through a cathedral of ice, this moment in the Arctic feels suspended in time. But beneath the stillness lies urgency—these ancient giants, reflected in fleeting waters, remind us just how swiftly beauty can disappear.”
Image source: © Jacquie Matechuk
#33 Conceptual Category | Bronze: “Not An Exit” By Austin Irving
“NOT AN EXIT is a collection of large format analog photographs that proposes a closer examination of the nondescript interiors that we routinely pass through; doorways and hallways, spaces intended for movement but here, somehow appear impenetrable.”
Image source: © Austin Irving
#34 Landscapes Category | Silver: “Chessboard Of The Isles – Battle At Sea” By Shih Hung Yang
“In Norway’s Arctic archipelago, scattered islets resemble chess pieces on the sea. Upon the rocks lies a lone green pitch—like a king’s square. Beneath shifting skies, each match becomes a game of fate and strategy in this oceanic chessboard.”
Image source: © Shih Hung Yang
#35 Abstract Category | Gold: “Liquid Soul N°7712 Extinctions” By Gaëtan Changeur
“I create visual worlds blending abstraction and nature through fluid forms born from the interaction of water, pigments, and light. In a studio setting, I photograph these dreamlike landscapes, questioning the boundary between the natural and the artificial, the real and the imagined.”
Image source: © Gaëtan Changeur
#36 Domestic Animals Category | Gold: “In The Light” By Daniela Schnabel-Sahm
“When I saw this church, I knew I had to take photos there. The church has a light channel in front of its entrance. And I was lucky, the model fit perfectly with the stones of the church and during the shoot the sun came out and shone directly into her face.”
Image source: © Daniela Schnabel-Sahm
#37 Portrait Category | Gold: “Pink Niqab, 2020 De Tweede Sekse” By Jaimy Gail
“This photo shows four women across three generations wearing a pink niqab. By replacing black with soft pink, the niqab sheds its oppressive image, symbolizing femininity and tenderness. The work challenges stereotypes, humanizes the garment, and sparks dialogue on cultural diversity and symbolism.”
Image source: © Jaimy Gail
#38 Still Life Category | Gold: “Rose Couture” By Patti Gary
“Rose Couture celebrates the elegance of aging. Dried roses, with petals curled into rich folds, resemble elaborate gowns. Their colors—deep magenta, blush, ochre, seafoam—reveal unexpected beauty. This series honors grace, resilience, and color in transformation.”
Image source: © Patti Gary
#39 3nd Place Winner And Gold In Aerial Category: “Where Water Once Was” By Octavio Campos Salles
“Dozens of caimans lie motionless in a shrinking mud pool, awaiting the return of the rains in the heart of the Pantanal at the peak of the dry season.”
Image source: © Octavio Campos Salles
#40 Abstract Category | Bronze: “Bloemenveld, Holland” By Yvonne Denman
“This series reimagines Holland’s tulip fields as vibrant, painterly landscapes of motion, light, and hue. Using ICM and selective focus techniques, the series embraces the emotional qualities of the floral expanse, transforming linear rows of tulips into dreamlike fields of color and texture.”
Image source: © Yvonne Denman
#41 Architecture Category | Gold: “Tempelhof” By Jonathan Ducrest
“The vintage charm of the decommissioned Tempelhof airport in Berlin.”
Image source: © Jonathan Ducrest
#42 Still Life Category | Bronze: “Cobalt And Clementines” By Patti Gary
“A study in complementary color and texture – deep cobalt tones and sunlit clementines evoking distant places and timeless still life traditions.”
Image source: © Patti Gary
#43 “Eclipse” By Remuna Beca
“A shark silhouette transforms the sun into an underwater eclipse. Captured while scuba diving in the Bahamas.”
Image source: © Remuna Beca
#44 Fashion & Beauty Category | Gold: “Luceatanima” By Daniil Slomakin
“The suit is tailored to give the figure a sculptural sharpness and add an air of mystery to the image. The background is flooded with a vast, almost bleached sun or diffuse light, making the model’s silhouette appear strikingly graphic and high-contrast against the gentle outlines of the mountains.”
Image source: © Daniil Slomakin
#45 Architecture Category | Silver; Travel Category | Silver: “Nightscape At The Furka Pass, Switzerland” By Peter Fischer
“The lost place of the Belvedere Hotel at night. It is located at the Furka Pass in the South of Switzerland.”
Image source: © Peter Fischer
#46 Fashion & Beauty Category | Silver: “Webster, Les Odalisques” By Jo Fetto
“A series of portraits which go beyond representation. The aim is to create images which have a presence using the tools of intimacy and connection with the subject. What are we preconditioned to find ‘Hot’?”
Image source: © Jo Fetto
#47 Minimalism Category | Bronze: “Bubble” By Jeremy Blatti
Image source: © Jeremy Blatti
#48 Portrait Category | Bronze: “Lyric At El Pais” By Tony Dočekal
“Lyric, nine years old, lived in a converted school bus at a motorhome site in Arizona. Her parents sought autonomy outside societal norms. The brown beans and golden cutlery create a quiet tension, challenging ideas of wealth, belonging, and what defines a rich life.”
Image source: © Tony Dočekal
#49 Still Life Category | Silver: “Mother Of Pearl” By Xuebing Du
“Mother of Pearl captures love and beauty through floral photography inspired by Renaissance painting. Focusing on roses in full bloom, it highlights soft textures, organic forms, and pearly tones. The interplay of light and shadow creates a surreal elegance, evoking femininity and timeless grace.”
Image source: © Xuebing Du
#50 Abstract Category | Silver: “Through The Haze” By Sam Lee Street
Image source: © Sam Lee Street
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