There’s something about black and white wildlife photography that just hits different. Strip away the color, and suddenly you’re face-to-face with raw emotion, texture, and attitude. That’s exactly what the 2025 One Exposure Awards delivered in the Wildlife Portraits category—a jaw-dropping lineup of images that feel intense, intimate, and straight-up timeless.
These 27 powerful portraits don’t rely on flashy colors or dramatic edits. Instead, they lean hard into contrast, light, and expression. Fur, feathers, snow, and skin come alive in monochrome, pulling you closer to the subject’s soul. Every wrinkle, every stare, every breath feels amplified. This is wildlife photography at its most honest—no noise, no distractions, just pure connection.
The Gold Award went to Risto Raunio for “Emperors,” a moving portrait of an emperor penguin family reunited after feeding their chick. The image is quiet but powerful—parenthood, survival, and tenderness wrapped into one perfectly balanced frame. Raunio also claimed Silver with “Tight Gaze,” capturing a Japanese macaque locked in an intense stare as snow falls around it. The expression feels almost human, frozen in time and emotion.
Bronze was awarded to Jason Marino for “Born to Soar,” a striking portrait of an eagle slicing through mountain air in Jasper National Park. The image is all strength and freedom—wings stretched wide against dramatic peaks, proving that black and white can still feel epic.
Together, these winning images—and the full set of 27—celebrate wildlife portraiture as fine art. They remind us that when color steps aside, emotion steps forward.
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#1. Gold: "Emperors" by Risto Raunio
"Emperor penguin family together after feeding the chic."
#2. Silver: "Tight gaze" by Risto Raunio
"Japanese macaque in snowfall."
#3. Bronze: "Born to Soar" by Jason Marino
"An eagle soars among the mountain peaks of Jasper National Park, Alberta, Canada."
Honorable Mentions
#4. "Arctic fox" by Risto Raunio
"Arctic fox in snow storm in Iceland."
#5. "Sea Puppy Gaze" by Remuna Beca
"With irresistible puppy-like eyes, an Endangered Australian sea lion playfully engages with the camera with curiosity in South Australia’s kelp forests."
#6. "Taking time off" by Randall (Randy) Hanna
"Mom takes a break before the cubs arrive."
#7. "Don’t Even Think About It" by Tom Raymond
"Adult hippo strikes a menacing pose, as if to say don’t even think about coming any closer. Photographed in the Northern Kruger, South Africa."
#8. "Alarming" by Bayliss Ward
#9. "The White-Tailed Eagle" by Magnus Berggren
"Portrait of a wild White-tailed eagle"
#10. "Bighorn Sheep, Montana" by James C Collyer
#11. "Silent Sentinel" by Bill Felter
"A portrait of a barred owl captured in soft light, emphasizing the delicate textures and quiet intelligence of the species. Rendered in monochrome to highlight tone, depth, and stillness."
#12. "Do They Remind You (of Someone You Know)?" by Anup Shah
"Each wild chimpanzees of Gombe National Park, Tanzania seems an individual with a distinct identity. There is something about a wild chimpanzee’s face. It’s such an interesting face. I see intelligence, emotion and I see sentience. I wonder if sentience is discrete or continuous across species."
#13. "Presence" by Rachel Spencer
#14. "Mother Mary" by Fabian Meckl
"A peaceful moment between a mother vervet monkey and her baby. Nursing in a tree, away from any ground dwelling dangers, her hands gently holding the child to her body. How could people not see us in them?"
#15. "Wilderness Connection" by Michael Paul
"It was a wonderful half hour observing this fox deep in the belly of the Wyoming highlands. With a long lens, I remained distant viewing its focused attention at the slightest perception of prey breaking only once to lift its head and acknowledge my presence."
#16. "Majesty in Focus" by Saleh Alshamali
"A striking black and white portrait of a falcon, symbolizing power and grace. The sharp contrast of light and shadow highlights every feather detail, capturing the bird’s regal presence and untamed spirit."
#17. "Brown bear gaze" by Risto Raunio
"Brown bear devouring blueberries in Finnis taiga forest."
#18. "Touchdown" by Marilyn Maxwell
"The vulture descends toward a giraffe carcass. These birds clear up to 70% of the continent’s carrion. Poaching and unsustainable development have pushed most African vulture species to a status of endangered or critically endangered."
#19. "Those Beautiful Aigrettes" by Jacqueline Schletter
"Great Egret in full display during nesting season."
#20. "Great in Stillness" by Saleh Alshamali
"Captured at dawn in Kuwait’s Jahra Reserve, this Greater Flamingo rests gracefully on still waters. The black and white tones highlight its quiet elegance and reflection, evoking serenity and the timeless beauty of nature"
#21. "Eyes of the Night" by Saleh Alshamali
"A haunting black-and-white portrait of a short-eared owl, captured in natural light, highlighting its piercing gaze and calm dominance within the wild."
#22. "Glare of the King" by Randall (Randy) Hanna
#23. "Phantom" by Susanne Baden
"In northern Kenya, there is the chance to see a black leopard, usually at night. It is by far the most impressive animal I have ever seen."
#24. "Sailing" by Marilyn Maxwell
"A female saddle-billed stork seeks a less crowded mullet pan. These giant birds are not endangered, but their habitats are."
#25. "King of the Coast" by Evan Watts
"Alaska’s Bear Coast stretches hundreds of miles and boasts some of the best brown bear habitat on earth. This massive boar was the largest and most dominant on his stretch of coast, and in this image, he is seen eyeing a sow, a potential mate, that might allow his dominant bloodline to continue."
#26. "Red Stag, Argentina" by James C Collyer
#27. "Peaceful" by Bayliss Ward
In Summary
What are the One Exposure Awards?
- The One Exposure Awards are an international photography competition recognizing excellence in fine art, nature, and documentary photography.
Who won Gold in Wildlife Portraits at the 2025 One Exposure Awards?
- Risto Raunio won Gold for “Emperors,” a black and white portrait of an emperor penguin family after feeding their chick.
Why is black and white effective in wildlife portraits?
- Black and white removes distractions, emphasizing emotion, texture, contrast, and the subject’s expression.
Where was the Bronze-winning photo taken?
- Jason Marino’s Bronze-winning image “Born to Soar” was photographed in Jasper National Park, Alberta, Canada.
What makes these wildlife portraits stand out?
- Strong storytelling, emotional depth, dramatic contrast, and masterful use of light define the winning images.
