17 Enchanting Winning Aerial Photos from the reFocus 2025 Color Photography Awards

The reFocus 2025 Color Photography Awards brought together some of the most breathtaking visual perspectives from around the globe, and among its most captivating entries were the winning aerial photographs. These 17 enchanting images reveal the world from above, where colors, patterns, and landscapes transform into mesmerizing works of art.

Photo by: Ammar Alsayed Ahmed

Aerial photography has always offered a unique way of seeing, but the winning works at reFocus 2025 elevate this vision to new heights. From vibrant coastlines to geometric fields, bustling cityscapes to untouched natural wonders, each photograph unveils an extraordinary blend of artistry and technical mastery. What might appear ordinary at ground level becomes extraordinary from above, as abstract lines, textures, and hues form compelling compositions.

Many of these winning images celebrate nature’s grandeur—waves curling like brushstrokes, forests glowing in autumn tones, or deserts painted in golden light. Others highlight human presence in fascinating ways: highways turning into intricate patterns, urban skylines glowing at night, or agricultural fields resembling vivid mosaics. The interplay between natural beauty and human design is a recurring theme, reminding us of both harmony and tension between the two.

What makes these aerial photos enchanting is not just their elevated perspective but also the emotions they evoke. They invite viewers to see the world with fresh eyes, to marvel at scale, and to reflect on our place within it. The color palettes—sometimes bold and striking, sometimes subtle and dreamlike—add layers of mood and meaning.

The reFocus 2025 Color Photography Awards celebrate photography that pushes boundaries, and these 17 aerial winners prove how far imagination and perspective can take us. They are not just photographs; they are visual journeys into beauty, balance, and wonder, reminding us that the world, when seen from above, is pure art.

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#1. Gold: "Where Water Once Was" by Octavio Campos Salles

"Dozens of caimans lie motionless in a shrinking mud pool, awaiting the return of the rains in the heart of the Pantanal at the peak of the dry season."

#2. Silver: "After the meal" by Pål Hermansen

"Polar bear realxing after eating a walrus, Svalbard. This is a very rare prey, The polar bear has probems catching seal because of lack of ice in summer. This has been able to catch a walrus in spring, and can live from that most of the summer. Drone image with telephoto lens."

#3. Bronze: "Courtones" by Kristjan Stepancic

"Courtones is an image of a basketball court that screams of its uniqueness and colours. The aerial angle with the sun setting builds a really interesting play of light and shadow, shows the complementary colours of the court with its surroundings and creates a composition that leads your eye around."