Nature has a way of stopping us in our tracks, and the 2025 Refocus Photographer of the Year Awards did exactly that. This year’s winning images celebrate the raw, emotional, and often fragile beauty of our planet—captured through the eyes of photographers who understand that nature isn’t just scenery, it’s a living story. From icy wilderness to quiet moments of wildlife stillness, these award-winning photographs remind us why nature photography continues to move and inspire on a global scale.
At the top of this year’s honors is Jarrod Saw, crowned Nature Photographer of the Year for his breathtaking image “Breach.” The photograph captures a split second of raw power as nature erupts into motion—where silence meets thunder. It’s a reminder of how fleeting yet powerful a single moment can be when perfectly timed.
The Silver Award went to Randall Hanna for “Iceberg’s Edge,” a hauntingly beautiful image of a melting iceberg along Greenland’s western coast. The photograph tells a quiet but urgent story about climate change, fragility, and the slow transformation of our planet’s frozen frontiers.
Taking Bronze, Michael Paul’s “Naturally Unfolding” transports viewers to the base of Wyoming’s Tetons. Bathed in soft light, the image captures wildlife in peaceful coexistence—an untouched moment where nature breathes freely and time seems to pause.
The People’s Choice Award went to Thong Vu Duy for “Relaxing,” a serene portrait of birds bathing in dew. Soft light, delicate movement, and a sense of calm make this image a gentle reminder of nature’s quiet poetry.
Together, these winning photographs celebrate Earth’s beauty, fragility, and power—captured through patience, passion, and a deep respect for the natural world.
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#1. Nature Photographer of the Year: "Breach" by Jarrod Saw
"Where silence ends and thunder begins. A single moment frozen in flight."
#2. Silver: "Iceberg’s Edge" by Randall Hanna
"Melting iceberg along the West Coast of Greenland"
#3. 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."
#4. People’s Vote Award: "Relaxing" by Thong Vu Duy
"At dawn or after soft rain, birds pause to bathe in dew, letting cool droplets glide across their feathers. As they preen and shake off the world’s dust, they melt into the calm of the wild, creating a quiet, shimmering moment that reveals nature’s tender, timeless grace."
Honorable Mentions
#5. "Night Magic" by Ngar Shun Victor Wong
"The night skies in Namibia and New Zealand always create magics which amaze us."
#6. "New Earth" by Mike Mezeul Ii
"A series documenting various volcanoes across the globe bringing new Earth to this wonderful world."
#7. "Phenomenon" by Ryo Minemizu
"Beneath the sea exist forms beyond imagination, quietly unseen. Many are larvae and juveniles, long overlooked, yet from birth they bear remarkable adaptations, using them to survive each fleeting moment. I capture and present these extraordinary manifestations of life as “Phenomenon.”"
#8. "Gimme Shelter" by Preeti & Prashant Chacko
"A calf, briefly adrift from its herd, tucks itself into the protective embrace of the towering, thorn-laden trees, as if under its mother’s belly. Our pareidolia even gave the forest eyes and a benign mouth, reinforcing the illusion. The Rolling Stones song Gimme Shelter seemed apt for the scene!"
#9. "Snow Leopard In Her Domain" by Gero Heine
"Himalayas, Ladakh, India"
#10. "Seven Flamingos, Patagonia, Chile, 2025" by Chris Jordan
"Ultra-high resolution stitched multi-row panoramic photograph of a family of flamingos resting on a mirror-still bay in southern Patagonia early this spring."
#11. "Arctic Silence" by Patrick Ems
"A lone musher with his dogs drives through the vast arctic expanses of Spitsbergen."
#12. "The Osprey" by Magnus Berggren
"An osprey hoovering above the waters below searching for fish."
#13. "Where Peaks meet the Icy Edge" by Rachel Spencer
"At the Edge of St. Andrews Bay, King Penguins gather to enter and leave the icy waters, their distinctive forms standing out against the snowy peaks and kelp laden rocky shore. The harmony of life and landscape reflects nature’s resilience in one earth’s most remote and breathtaking places."
#14. "Against a Quiet Current" by Michael Paul
"An elk and her yearlings ford a rocky mountain river as the morning fog burns off. The current was so placid, it neither impeded their crossing nor concealed the sloshing of their steady march to the far bank."
#15. "The stare" by Magnus Berggren
"A eurasian pygmy owl in the forests of northern Sweden."
#16. "The Reykjanes Eruptions: Svartsengi" by Marco Di Marco
"From December 2023, nine fissure eruptions from Sundhnúkagígar reshaped Reykjanes. Lava threatened Grindavík, the Blue Lagoon, and the Svartsengi power plant, prompting huge barriers that saved most sites. Svartsengi is now a natural lab showing how rift volcanoes evolve and communities endure."
#17. "Colors of Adaptation" by Saleh Alshamali
"A vivid portrait of a chameleon resting on a branch, its vibrant green patterns blending seamlessly with the foliage. The image highlights nature’s artistry in camouflage and the delicate beauty of wildlife."
Nominees
#18. "Nature’s Crossing" by Brian Clopp
"A bull moose crosses a misty river in the Tetons one frosty morning. Getting the shot took planning and lots of research. During winter in Grand Teton National Park about twenty bull moose congregate in a specific area of sage flats where a hot spring maintains water flow."
#19. "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."
#20. "Sunset Ascent" by Mike Rigney
"Bottlenose dolphins erupting from the water in Baja California Mexico’s Gulf of California."
#21. "Skyfall" by Preeti & Prashant Chacko
"Late one evening in the Maasai Mara, a storm gathered over us. As we headed for camp, convinced the sky would fall on our heads, we noticed how the dramatic clouds and rays actually created an illusion of a giant tree in the sky. After that we raced instead to find its tiny twin on the ground."
#22. "Kicking Around" by Jim Guerard
"A lone bull elephant casually grabs a tuft of grass with his trunk and kicks it loose from the ground in Amboseli National Park. I was lying on the floor of my safari truck and extending my camera down to ground level to capture this low-angle image."
#23. "First Light" by Aaron Lynton
"My flash illuminates an otherwise dark shore break barrel just before the first light of the morning. Chasing surf before the sun rises; there’s not many better ways to start the day!"
#24. "El Capitan and Yosemite Valley at Sunrise" by Lisa Campbell
"I scouted this "very hard to find" spot the day before and hoped my calculations on where the sun would rise were accurate. Nothing like hiking thru the brush in the dark to get back here the next morning. But oh so worth the effort."
#25. "The Eye of Pele" by Aaron Lynton
"A molten lava river flows down the steep slopes of Mauna Loa during the historic eruption of 2022."
#26. "Tree of Life Sunstar" by Aaron Lynton
"As the sunrises, it dances through the banyan tree branches. Such a large root structure, one can only speculate how old she is. But what I do know is, when you are in her presence, time slows down and everything seems to be alright."
#27. "Straight Into My Lens" by Bryan Fevold
"A bull elk strolls silently through a quiet rain."
#28. "Golden Aspens in Utah" by Lisa Campbell
"This is Pando, a tiny part of a huge cloned grove of Aspens in Utah. Way out in the middle of nowhere, next to a tiny fish camp, with the closet restaurant about 45 miles away."
#29. "Rivers of Life" by Randall (Randy) Hanna
"Rivers flowing from a glacier in the Highlands of Iceland."
#30. "All gone" by Johnny Haglund
"In the last few years, Canada has seen several devastating forest fires. Like here, in British Columbia. At this spot, it used to be a huge forest, rich in wildlife. Now it’s all gone."
In Summary
What is the Refocus Photographer of the Year Award?
- It’s an international photography competition honoring outstanding visual storytelling across multiple genres, including nature.
Who won Nature Photographer of the Year 2025?
- Jarrod Saw won for his image “Breach,” capturing a dramatic moment of nature in motion.
What types of images were recognized?
- The awards honored wildlife, landscapes, and natural moments that highlight the beauty and vulnerability of the planet.
Why are these photos important?
- They raise awareness about nature, inspire conservation, and showcase the emotional power of visual storytelling.
Who can participate in Refocus Awards?
- Photographers from around the world, both professionals and amateurs, are eligible to participate.
