The reFocus Awards has announced the winners of its 2025 Color Photography Contest, celebrating some of the most exceptional talent in the field today. With entries from over 80 countries, the competition’s most diverse pool yet, the contest highlighted artistic excellence, technical mastery, and powerful storytelling across a wide range of subjects. From striking portraits that challenge convention to breathtaking aerial perspectives and surreal captures of everyday life, this year’s winning images stand out for their innovation and emotional depth.
Selected by a distinguished panel of judges from organizations including ABC News, National Geographic Society, BBC World Service, Shutterstock, and Condé Nast, the winning works reflect the reFocus Awards’ mission to honor and elevate global photography talent. Established in 2022, the platform continues to shine a light on the lasting power of the photographic image and its ability to inspire, connect, and move audiences worldwide.
More info: Facebook | Instagram | refocus-awards.com
#1 Earth’s Galaxy By Navaneeth Unnikrishnan
Professional – Gold – Nature
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 The Supercell By Uwe Schellscheidt
Non-Professional – Gold – Nature
A thunderstorm formed a supercell, including a small and short tornado, in Texas. The light blue area is where the hail comes out.
Image source: Uwe Schellscheidt
#3 A Quiet Moment By Manuela Palmberger
Professional – Gold – Landscapes
A quiet moment captured in the geothermal area of Kerlingarfjöll, Iceland.
Image source: manuela_palmberger
#4 Incoming By Maddison Woollard
Professional – Gold – Wildlife
This is my only capture of this adult Australian fur seal. The pups were curious and playful, and 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: maddisonwoollard
#5 This Icecap Is To Go By Jacquie Matechuk
Professional – Gold – Travel
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: jacquiematechuk
#6 Blue Swallow By William Mark Sommer
Professional – Gold – Film/Analog
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 America’s passing culture.
Image source: williammarksommer
#7 Underneath The Surface By Kirvan Baldassari
Professional – Gold – Underwater
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
#8 Two Time By Nikolay Schegolev
Professional – Gold – Street
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: schegolev_n
#9 In Limbo By Ana Julia Gobbi
Non-Professional – Gold – Conceptual
Steps echo. Lights flicker. Two shadows cross paths in silence. Not lost—just in limbo. Between the glow and the void, something pulses.
Image source: anajugob
#10 Traditions From Above By Chris Ha
Non-Professional – Gold – Fine Art & Travel
A celebration of Vietnam’s living traditions—captured from above to reveal the quiet poetry of daily labor. From tea fields to salt flats, each frame honors the hands, heritage, and harmony shaping the soul of a culture through craft.
Image source: Chris Ha
#11 Chile Pepper Workers By Serkan Dogus
Professional – Gold – People
Bangladeshi women contribute to the household economy by working in chile pepper factories during the summer.
Image source: srkndogus
#12 Nowhere By Alessandro Tagliapietra
Professional – Gold – Minimalism
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: tagliartworks
#13 As The World Before Us Burns, 1 By Kristine Vann
Non-Professional – Gold – Photojournalism
Altadena, CA.
Image source: _xkr1xs_
#14 Red Staircase By Laila Mackellar
Non-Professional – Gold – Architecture
The “red staircase” of the Stadtcasino Basel, Switzerland, is a striking architectural feature resulting from the building’s extensive renovation by Herzog & de Meuron. This two-storey staircase serves as a functional element, embodying the fusion of neo-baroque and contemporary elements.
Image source: ladema_pix
#15 Traditions From Above By Chris Ha
Non-Professional – Gold – Fine Art & Travel
A celebration of Vietnam’s living traditions—captured from above to reveal the quiet poetry of daily labor. From tea fields to salt flats, each frame honors the hands, heritage, and harmony shaping the soul of a culture through craft.
Image source: Chris Ha
#16 Traditions From Above By Chris Ha
Non-Professional – Gold – Fine Art & Travel
A celebration of Vietnam’s living traditions—captured from above to reveal the quiet poetry of daily labor. From tea fields to salt flats, each frame honors the hands, heritage, and harmony shaping the soul of a culture through craft.
Image source: Chris Ha
#17 The Elephant Herder By Sarah Wouters
3rd Place, non-professional category
The mahout and his elephant at Ban Ta Klang village of Surin province, Thailand. The villagers raise elephants like friends. They sleep under the same roof as the owner until the elephants become similar to being a part of the family. This has caused a strong bond between humans and the elephants.
Image source: Sarah Wouters
#18 Liquid Soul N°7712 Extinctions By Gaëtan Changeur
Professional – Gold – Abstract
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: liquid8soul
#19 In The Light By Daniela Schnabel-Sahm
Professional – Gold – Domestic Animals
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: wiedasdingvomvogeltierfoto
#20 Nowhere Is Safe For Them By Veronique De Viguerie
Professional – Gold – Photojournalism
Pakistan is expelling 1,5 million undocumented Afghans, refugees in the country. These women fled Afghanistan when the Taliban took over, but now they are being forced back to their country, registering at the border with Taliban authorities.
Image source: veroniquedeviguerie
#21 Nowhere By Alessandro Tagliapietra
Professional – Gold – Minimalism
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: tagliartworks
#22 Shadow Basketball III By Kateryna Polishchuk
Non-Professional – Gold – Aerial
Basketball court with a tree in the middle. Urban park, Kharkiv, Ukraine.
Image source: e_polischuk_dronephoto
#23 Heat Waves By David Cohen
Non-Professional – Gold – Abstract
Image source: fabfotosdave
#24 A Happy Accident By Luke Marcus Rosen
Non-Professional – Gold – Film/Analog
One of my first photographs taken as a double exposure on my Rolleiflex 2.8f, shot in 2017.
Image source: lukemarcusrosen
#25 Lost In A Vintage Dream By Tomas Larsen
Non-Professional – Gold – Fashion & Beauty
A touch of vintage, a hint of mystery. Lost in time, waiting for a call that may never come. Retro glam meets cinematic mood—where every detail tells a story.
Image source: tomaslarsen.ph
#26 Deep In Thought By Venkatesh Kittur
Non-Professional – Gold – Wildlife
Here, I am presenting a portrait of an orangutan with deep, soulful eyes, reflecting both intelligence and sorrow. Their gaze speaks of a quiet plea for survival, haunted by the encroachment of deforestation and habitat loss, a silent struggle for existence and survival in a rapidly changing world.
Image source: Venkatesh Kittur
#27 Red On Black: Basket Stars Of False Bay By Ofek Liepaz
Non-Professional – Gold – Underwater
Basket stars are without a doubt my favourite subject matter to photograph while diving in Cape Town. Their delicate tendrils and intricate patterns, coupled with their tendency to perch on red fans and sponges, make for some truly striking images.
Image source: underwaterofek
#28 Chiaroscuro By Andrea Zinn
Non-Professional – Gold – Still Life
“Chiaroscuro” is a meditation on the nature of cycles. The cycle of the sun through the windows of my home studio and the objects I choose explore the qualities of light and the ephemeral nature of living things in their passage from freshness to fading, remnants and regeneration.
Image source: zinnandrea
#29 Traditions From Above By Chris Ha
Non-Professional – Gold – Fine Art & Travel
A celebration of Vietnam’s living traditions—captured from above to reveal the quiet poetry of daily labor. From tea fields to salt flats, each frame honors the hands, heritage, and harmony shaping the soul of a culture through craft.
Image source: Chris Ha
#30 Chiaroscuro By Andrea Zinn
Non-Professional – Gold – Still Life
“Chiaroscuro” is a meditation on the nature of cycles. The cycle of the sun through the windows of my home studio and the objects I choose explore the qualities of light and the ephemeral nature of living things in their passage from freshness to fading, remnants and regeneration.
Image source: zinnandrea
#31 Nowhere By Alessandro Tagliapietra
Professional – Gold – Minimalism
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: tagliartworks
#32 Crestline Queen By Elijah Barnes
Professional – Gold – Portrait
Image source: elixbarnes
#33 Luceatanima By Daniil Slomakin
Professional – Gold – Fashion & Beauty
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
#34 Rose Couture By Patti Gary
Professional – Gold – Still Life
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: pattigaryphotography
#35 All The World’s My Stage By Dmytro Geshengorin
Non-Professional – Gold – Street
Waiting for a train, I noticed that the opposite platform looked like a theatre stage with all the commuters having arranged themselves perfectly for a brief moment, and I quickly took the shot. In the glass door, you can even see my reflection taking the photo.
Image source: dima_ges_
#36 Come Together At The Issac Theatre Royal By Chris Pegman
This image was shot during a spectacular show by ‘Come Together’ (a collective of the finest NZ artists) of Led Zep IV. I used my ultrawide non-fisheye lens to capture the band, crowd and venue. The venue is a building that has been rebuilt following the Christchurch earthquakes of 2010 & 2011.
Image source: chris.pegman
#37 Chiaroscuro By Andrea Zinn
Non-Professional – Gold – Still Life
“Chiaroscuro” is a meditation on the nature of cycles. The cycle of the sun through the windows of my home studio and the objects I choose explore the qualities of light and the ephemeral nature of living things in their passage from freshness to fading, remnants and regeneration.
Image source: zinnandrea
#38 The Elephant Herder By Sarah Wouters
3rd Place, non-professional category
The mahout and his elephant at Ban Ta Klang village of Surin province, Thailand. The villagers raise elephants like friends. They sleep under the same roof as the owner until the elephants become similar to being a part of the family. This has caused a strong bond between humans and the elephants.
Image source: Sarah Wouters
#39 Traditions From Above By Chris Ha
Non-Professional – Gold – Fine Art & Travel
A celebration of Vietnam’s living traditions—captured from above to reveal the quiet poetry of daily labor. From tea fields to salt flats, each frame honors the hands, heritage, and harmony shaping the soul of a culture through craft.
Image source: Chris Ha
#40 Chiaroscuro By Andrea Zinn
Non-Professional – Gold – Still Life
“Chiaroscuro” is a meditation on the nature of cycles. The cycle of the sun through the windows of my home studio and the objects I choose explore the qualities of light and the ephemeral nature of living things in their passage from freshness to fading, remnants and regeneration.
Image source: zinnandrea
#41 Red On Black: Basket Stars Of False Bay By Ofek Liepaz
Non-Professional – Gold – Underwater
Basket stars are without a doubt my favourite subject matter to photograph while diving in Cape Town. Their delicate tendrils and intricate patterns, coupled with their tendency to perch on red fans and sponges, make for some truly striking images.
Image source: underwaterofek
#42 Chiaroscuro By Andrea Zinn
Non-Professional – Gold – Still Life
“Chiaroscuro” is a meditation on the nature of cycles. The cycle of the sun through the windows of my home studio and the objects I choose explore the qualities of light and the ephemeral nature of living things in their passage from freshness to fading, remnants and regeneration.
Image source: zinnandrea
#43 Pink Niqab, 2020 De Tweede Sekse By Jaimy Gail
Professional – Gold – Portrait
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
#44 Red On Black: Basket Stars Of False Bay By Ofek Liepaz
Non-Professional – Gold – Underwater
Basket stars are without a doubt my favourite subject matter to photograph while diving in Cape Town. Their delicate tendrils and intricate patterns, coupled with their tendency to perch on red fans and sponges, make for some truly striking images.
Image source: underwaterofek
#45 Red On Black: Basket Stars Of False Bay By Ofek Liepaz
Non-Professional – Gold – Underwater
Basket stars are without a doubt my favourite subject matter to photograph while diving in Cape Town. Their delicate tendrils and intricate patterns, coupled with their tendency to perch on red fans and sponges, make for some truly striking images.
Image source: underwaterofek
#46 Red On Black: Basket Stars Of False Bay By Ofek Liepaz
Non-Professional – Gold – Underwater
Basket stars are without a doubt my favourite subject matter to photograph while diving in Cape Town. Their delicate tendrils and intricate patterns, coupled with their tendency to perch on red fans and sponges, make for some truly striking images.
Image source: underwaterofek
#47 The Elephant Herder By Sarah Wouters
3rd Place, non-professional category
The mahout and his elephant at Ban Ta Klang village of Surin province, Thailand. The villagers raise elephants like friends. They sleep under the same roof as the owner until the elephants become similar to being a part of the family. This has caused a strong bond between humans and the elephants.
Image source: Sarah Wouters
#48 Yellow Curve (Homage To Ellsworth Kelly) By Maria Castro
Non-Professional – Gold – Minimalism
Image source: toujours abstraite
#49 The Elephant Herder By Sarah Wouters
3rd Place, non-professional category
The mahout and his elephant at Ban Ta Klang village of Surin province, Thailand. The villagers raise elephants like friends. They sleep under the same roof as the owner until the elephants become similar to being a part of the family. This has caused a strong bond between humans and the elephants.
Image source: Sarah Wouters
#50 Iranian Girl By Kristina Makeeva
Professional – Gold – Conceptual
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
Follow Us
