The 2025 reFocus Photography Awards have once again showcased the power of visual storytelling, and among the most compelling entries are the black and white photographs—timeless, emotional, and striking in their simplicity. This year’s selection, 33 Award-Winning Black and White Photos, captures a wide spectrum of human experience, nature, and abstraction, all without the distraction of color. These images rely solely on light, contrast, and composition to make their mark—and the results are nothing short of breathtaking.
Photo by: Hirak Bhattacharjee
From haunting portraits that reveal the depths of human emotion to stark landscapes that echo solitude and resilience, these photographs elevate the art form to its purest expression. The lack of color invites viewers to focus more intently on texture, form, and emotion. Each image tells a story, often more powerfully than words ever could.
Whether it’s the raw intensity in a street scene, the quiet elegance of a shadow, or the bold geometry of urban structures, these award-winning photos demonstrate why black and white photography remains a cornerstone of visual art. The 2025 winners not only impressed the judges—they reignited our collective appreciation for monochrome magic.
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#1. Overall Contest 1st Place Winner: "Toxic Lake" by Radek von Hirschberg
"Poles across the country embraced winter swimming as their favorite pursuit. It became the ‘it’ thing to do among the Polish middle class. This was evident, for example, in social media, once flooded with selfies of people standing in cold water. Standing almost everywhere, like e.g. in Toxic Lake."
#2. 2nd Place Winner: "Alone In Silence" by Herri Susanto
#3. 3rd Place Winner: "An Internal Odyssey" by Tzion Essel
#4. Aerial – Gold: "Snowy Rivers, India" by Kristine Clark
#5. Aerial – Silver: "Neurons" by Leszek Paradowski
#6. Aerial – Bronze: "Inis Oirr – Ruins of St. Caomhan’s Church" by Zack Carroll
#7. Architecture – Gold: "Symphony of Strings" by Jacquie Matechuk
#8. Architecture – Silver: "Old New York" by Pamela Baker
#9. Architecture – Bronze: "Underneath the Motion" by Thomas de Franzoni
#10. Fine Art – Gold: "Seeking Perspectives" by Jens Winkler
#11. Fine Art – Silver: "The Gathering" by Thomas de Franzoni
#12. Fine Art – Bronze: "Wings of the Forest" by Fenqiang Liu
#13. Landscapes – Gold: "Antarctic" by Jeff Schewe
#14. Landscapes – Silver: "Travail au champ" by Christopher Méthot
#15. Landscapes – Bronze: "Mist Trail" by James Bourret
#16. Minimalism – Gold: "North Uist Landscape" by Jens Winkler
#17. Minimalism – Silver: "By The Light of the Silvery Moon" by Vicki Santello
#18. Minimalism – Bronze: "The Bookmark" by Stéphane Malassine
#19. Nature – Gold: "Frost On My Windows" by Peter Jeschke
#20. Nature – Bronze: "The Golden Eagle Unveiled" by Fernanda Narchi Harp
#21. Nature – People’s Vote Award: "Visitor" by Maddison Woollard
#22. People – Gold: "Aghori Baba" by Hirak Bhattacharjee
#23. People – Silver: "Being armed for life" by Emilie Favier
#24. People – Bronze: "Maria Polly Cutmore" by Jessica Hromas
#25. Photojournalism – Gold: "West Bank & Jerusalem" by Michael Christopher Brown
#26. Photojournalism – Silver: "Impetus" by Roberta Vagliani
#27. Photojournalism – Bronze: "Insecticide Diffusion" by Aurélien Ernst
#28. Street – Gold: "The boys" by Ahmad Mansour
#29. Street – Silver: "Children of the Wall" by Alonso Oliveros
#30. Street – Bronze: "Up" by Daniel Mittermeier
#31. Wildlife – Gold: "The Watchman" by Jacquie Matechuk
#32. Wildlife – Bronze: "The Conversationalists" by Preeti & Prashant Chacko
#33. Wildlife – Bronze: "Wait for MEEEEE!" by Vicki Santello
