There’s something raw and straight-up magnetic about black and white wildlife photography. Strip away the color, and suddenly you’re face-to-face with the truth—every wrinkle, every scar, every stare telling a story. The Exposure One Award Nature Photography Contest 2025 (Non-Professional category) proves exactly that with this powerful collection of 32 majestic black and white wildlife portrait winners. These images don’t just show animals—they introduce you to them.
Shot by passionate photographers from around the world, these close-up wild portraits lean hard into contrast, texture, and emotion. Fur turns into brushstrokes. Feathers become patterns. And the eyes? Man, the eyes hit different in monochrome. Each frame feels intimate, like the animal paused just long enough to let us in on its world. No flashy colors. No distractions. Just pure connection.
The 1st Place winner, photographer Janet Gustin, steals hearts with her unforgettable image titled “Ouch!”. The photo captures a kit fox pup gently biting its mother’s face while its siblings nurse below. It’s chaotic, tender, and wildly relatable. Motherhood in the wild isn’t all grace—it’s noise, competition, and tiny teeth. Gustin freezes that split second perfectly, reminding us that even in nature, getting attention sometimes means being a little bold.
What makes this series special is how human it feels. These photographers didn’t just observe wildlife—they waited, felt, and reacted. The result is a lineup of portraits packed with personality, drama, and soul. It’s proof that black and white photography isn’t old-school—it’s timeless.
You can find more info:
#1. 1st Place: "Ouch!" by Janet Gustin
"While siblings nurse below, one kit fox pup demands attention the only way he knows how – by gently biting mom’s face. The tender chaos of motherhood captured in a single frame. Even in the wild, kids compete for affection, and sometimes getting noticed means being a little bit bold."
#2. Silver: "King Of The Kopjes" by Zita Quentin
"The king had a really great hair day! This majestic male lion was sleeping on top of the rocks in the heat of the day for a while but the flies kept bothering him. He sat up and started to shake his mane. That’s when I captured a long burst of shots to get the movement in that beautiful mane!"
#3. Bronze: "Charging tiger" by Graeme Guy
#4. Bronze: "Portrait of a Young Sea Lion" by Rick Francis
"A juvenile sea lion’s curiosity creates a portrait opportunity."
Honorable Mentions
#5. "Puffin portrait" by Joern Eilertsen
"Captured at the island Hornøya in Finnmark, Norway."
#6. "Clash of kin" by Manish Nagpal
"Two brown bears face each other in a surge of fury and play."
#7. "Coyote Looking For Love" by Kasey Mueller
"Barely a whisper against the snow, the coyote crosses the frozen valley. A reminder that the wild endures softly, steadily, and unseen by most. Yellowstone, 30 degrees below zero, nature is undeterred- MUST. FIND. MATE."
#8. "Long-tailed macaques" by Graeme Guy
#9. "Reverence" by Pam Dorner
"Baby bear looks up at Mom with such deep respect at Katmai National Park."
#10. "In The Arms Of Love" by Lori Metcalfe
"Such a beautiful moment to witness. A young Barbary Macaque looking quite content with its Mom’s arms around it."
#11. "Majestic Lion at Londolozi" by Stephen Rauch
#12. "The Messenger" by David Stine
"The grace of the Great Egret is self-evident. Her white plumage and balletic steps represent the purity of spirit that expresses at the water’s edge. She elegantly leans forward about to take to the sky, and we’re reminded of our own awakening, our own resurrecting connection with the eternal."
Nominees
#13. "Lion" by Abdul Kader Kagalwala
"Lion Yawning Side face."
#14. "Making a Wish" by Janet Gustin
"A kit fox pauses in the shadows, a dandelion seed drifting past his ear like a whispered wish. Behind him, a half-blown dandelion holds its remaining seeds. In this quiet moment, even wild creatures seem to understand the magic of making wishes on nature’s most delicate messengers."
#15. "Beak Interrupted" by Tamara Rimpley
"A gathering of vultures is a strong sign of nearby action. Stopping to capture a photo, this vulture stared with intimidation as if I was interrupting the gathering. Taken in the Okavango Delta."
#16. "No Words Needed" by Lori Metcalfe
"A beautiful Churchill polar bear stopped to look my way and I was speechless."
#17. "Keeping Up" by Karen Cohen
"A Newborn elephant struts to keep up with her mother."
#18. "Brave Little Lion Cub" by Lori Metcalfe
"While the pride slept this little cub practised being brave."
#19. "Love And Care" by Zita Quentin
"I was watching a group of grey faced langurs just outside of Ranthambore National Park, Rajasthan, India, one early afternoon. It was fascinating to see their interaction: especially this young one carefully grooming its mother."
#20. "Run or always regret" by Wolfgang Autexier
"He’s beautiful, isn’t he? But… Look him in the eyes. How do you perceive it ? Ask yourself no more questions. Run, or always reget!"
#21. "Night Stalker" by Peter Ismert
"A great gray owl stalks a nearby meadow after sunset in search of its pray. The owl was illuminated by the remaining light during the golden hour while the dark forest provided a background for the scene."
#22. "Mother & Child" by Zach Parker
"A baby Humpback Whale hitching a ride on its mothers nose."
#23. "At The Watering Hole" by Zita Quentin
"Zebras, a hyena, a leopard and giraffes came to drink at the watering hole during the night. As they walk to or from the water, they kick up the fine dust. I spent 16 hours for three nights in a hide to observe these animals in Kenya."
#24. "Side Eye" by Francesco Negri
"Thresher sharks dwell in the deep, where light fades away. Their large black eyes adapt to uncover what hides in the darkness."
#25. "Nest Builder" by Rob Smith
"Great Egret"
#26. "Taking a Bear Break" by Heidi Ferguson
"This two year old was following mom fishing in Alaska, when it decided to take a little rest. We were supposed to have left that day but the weather was too windy, and as a result I got the chance to photograph mom and baby. This is the photo I had hoped to get and felt that B&W was best."
#27. "Balck Vulturine" by Anne-Marie Etienne
"The black leopard of Laïkipia, Giza caught a vulture guinea fowl and decided to bring her prey to her two cubs."
#28. "A Puffin’s Beak, A Puffling’s Meal" by Maria Ciampini
"A puffin returns from the sea, clutching fish for its chick. With each dive and catch, it shows the lengths seabird parents go to feed and raise their young on remote, windswept cliffs. Using its uniquely spined tongue, it can hold multiple fish crosswise, a remarkable feat of avian parenting."
#29. "Escorts of the Open Sea" by Gerardo Del Villar
"An oceanic whitetip shark glides through the open water surrounded by pilot fish. I waited for the moment when the group aligned toward the camera, using black and white to isolate their shapes against the dark sea and show the quiet elegance of a predator and its escorts."
#30. "Two Icons" by Zita Quentin
"Two icons in one frame: Craig, a 53 year old big tusker with the backdrop of Mt. Kilimanjaro in Amboseli National Park, Kenya. I photographed this epic scene in May 2025. Craig is one of the 20-25 big tuskers left in the world and it is an honor to be in his presence."
#31. "Meal is a meal – size doesn’t matter" by Tp Anantheswaran
"A leopard trying to chew through carcass of an elephant. Taken at Savita in Botswana."
#32. "Eye to Eye" by Lori Metcalfe
"Great Blue Heron with its catch. It spent some time getting the fish in the right position to swallow it."
In Summary
What is the Exposure One Awards 2025?
- It’s an international photography contest celebrating outstanding visual storytelling, including nature and wildlife categories.
What makes black and white wildlife portraits special?
- They highlight emotion, texture, and contrast, pulling focus to the animal’s expression and details.
Who won 1st Place in the Wild Portrait category?
- Janet Gustin won 1st Place for her photo “Ouch!”, featuring a tender kit fox family moment.
Are these photographers professionals?
- No, these winners are from the Non-Professional category, showcasing incredible talent from emerging photographers worldwide.
Why focus on close-up wildlife portraits?
- Close-ups create intimacy, revealing personality and emotion often missed in wider nature shots.
