The 2025 Refocus Photographer of the Year Awards once again proved why landscape photography continues to stop us in our tracks. This year’s winning images feel less like photographs and more like quiet conversations with the planet itself. From frozen coastlines to glowing horizons, the award-winning landscapes remind us how powerful nature can be when seen through a patient, artistic eye.
Leading the category is Randall Hanna, crowned Landscape Photographer of the Year for his breathtaking image “Iceberg’s Edge.” Captured along the remote western coast of Greenland, the photograph freezes a fragile moment where towering ice meets dark, restless waters. The image isn’t just visually stunning—it’s emotional. You can almost hear the ice cracking, feel the cold air, and sense the urgency of a changing planet.
Across the collection, the 20 winning photographs showcase landscapes from every corner of the world. From glowing deserts and mist-covered valleys to icy tundras and dramatic coastlines, each frame tells a quiet story of time, climate, and patience. These photographers didn’t chase perfection—they waited for it. Sometimes for hours, sometimes for years.
What makes this year’s Refocus winners stand out is their honesty. There’s no over-polish, no excess drama—just raw, powerful moments shaped by light, weather, and timing. Together, these images remind us why landscape photography remains one of the most emotionally powerful art forms in the world.
These award-winning photographs don’t just show where our planet is beautiful—they remind us why it’s worth protecting.
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#1. Landscape Photographer of the Year: "Iceberg’s Edge" by Randall (Randy) Hanna
"Melting iceberg along the West Coast of Greenland."
#2. Silver: "The Glow of Light" by Jabi Sanz
"In the first moments of dawn, when the world still breathes calmly, the first light bathes the peaks of Fitz Roy in an ephemeral fire. Among the trees twisted by the Patagonian wind and the stillness of the lake, nature reveals its duality: strength and fragility, life and silence."
#3. Silver: "Holy Stream" by Shinya Itahana
"The fierce rock face is this world, and the sublime stream of water falling from the heavens seems to show us the way with its light. And we are just a part of the cosmic flow of time.(Tottori, Japan)"
#4. Bronze: "Space portal" by Faisal Aljrifani
"Which is one of the best rock formations ever."
#5. Bronze: "The Calm and the Storm" by Brett Freliche
"Following this supercell in Kansas, I pulled off near a crop field. I had just a few short minutes to set up my camera and tripod before the winds increased in speed and temperature dropped, warning me that I needed to change locations."
#6. People’s Vote Award: "Echoes in the Vineyard – Douro" by Juan Carlo Jacques De Araujo
"In UNESCO’s sacred valleys, vines embrace an abandoned home. A geometry of cultivation meets silence — a testament to human presence, and its vanishing."
Honorable Mentions
#7. "The Dune" by Federico Penta
#8. "Solitary Giant" by Max Terwindt
"A giant Baobab sticking through the fog like a skyscraper in Western Madagascar."
#9. "Moonrise Sprites Over Storr" by Liam Man
"A moonrise burns across the horizon as lights dance above the Old Man of Storr. Gale force winds howled through the night. When the storm passed, microscopic ice crystals remained suspended in the silent night air, through which the moonlight refracted a fiery orange."
#10. "A Face Inside The Dunes" by Gero Heine
"Relentless wind from the cold Atlantic Ocean brings fog into the dry and hot Namib desert and revealed the shape of a face."
#11. "Last light on Atacama" by Joel Delmas
"After enjoying incredible lenticular clouds over Atacama mountains in the afternoon, the sunset turned to be incredible with astonishing changing lights. This photo illustrates one amazing light among others I enjoyed this unique evening."
#12. "Rivers of Life" by Randall (Randy) Hanna
"Rivers flowing from a glacier in the Highlands of Iceland."
#13. "Morning Glory" by Kenneth Childress
"The early morning light provides a glorious view of a mesa near Hanksville, UT when viewed from an aerial perspective."
#14. "Somewhere in the Middle of Nowhere" by Erhan Coral
"This series explores vast empty landscapes where human presence is fragile, fleeting, and often overwhelmed by scale. Through silence, isolation, and subtle human traces, it reflects on our vulnerability and the quiet absurdity of existence within boundless geographies."
Nominees
#15. "Still Morning in the Cypress Swamp" by Jim Guerard
"Captured just after sunrise on a still, late October morning. The bald cypress trees in a local swamp were at peak foliage and a four second exposure really brought out the reflection in the water."
#16. "Milky Way over Mount Ijen" by Yuri Vantowski
#17. "Autumn Dusk in the Mountains" by Tommy Shibanai
#18. "Morning magic" by Jan Jaskula
#19. "Misty Morning Swans" by Kathy Sergio
#20. "Ring Of Fire and Ice" by Liam Man
"A “Ring of Fire” solar eclipse reaches annularity as two ice climbers summit the Glacier Leones. A drone illuminates the ice’s textures and colours, battling eclipse winds that throw plumes of snow into the sun’s rays. The foreground ice is strewn with rocky debris, left by a landslide upstream."
In Summary
What is the Refocus Photographer of the Year Award?
- A global photography competition celebrating outstanding visual storytelling across multiple categories, including landscape.
Who won Landscape Photographer of the Year 2025?
- Randall Hanna won for his powerful image “Iceberg’s Edge,” captured along Greenland’s coast.
What makes these photos special?
- They combine artistic vision, perfect timing, and emotional storytelling to highlight the beauty and fragility of nature.
Where were these photos taken?
- Across diverse locations worldwide, from polar regions to remote natural landscapes.
Why are these awards important?
- They spotlight global talent and inspire awareness about nature, conservation, and visual storytelling.
