AAP Magazine announced the winners of its #61: Street photography competition. The winning shots were captured in 18 countries across five continents.

Sandrine Hermand-Grisel, Editor-in-Chief of All About Photo. explains that deciding the winners was difficult: "What I particularly appreciated in this edition was the diversity of perspectives and the photographers’ ability to find meaning in unexpected situations.

"Some images were powerful in their simplicity, others surprised me through their composition, humor, or emotional depth. Together, they demonstrate how much can be discovered by simply paying attention to the world around us."

AAP Magazine #61 – Street Winners

First Prize Winner

A man warms himself on a steam grate in Northwest DC on Wednesday January 28, 2026 in Washington, DC. The area was still recovering following winter storm Fern.

McClain explains, "The photo was taken as part of daily news coverage following a winter storm. I was simply walking by when I noticed this scene. This was part of a series I did throughout 2026 called America: Red, White and Blue that centered on the 250th anniversary of the United States."

Competition highlights

Marchamalo says, "One day I decided to escape boring real life and dedicate myself to chasing light. I immediately became addicted to it, and that changed everything. This addiction has allowed me to decipher a much more exciting and irrational reality."

Torrei explains, "In a suburb of Rabat, I came across a playing field where the blue ground, the wall and the sky formed a continuous expanse. I noticed how the children moved through this vast space, their small figures like notes on a musical score. Their gestures, the distances between them and the moments of stillness created a constantly changing rhythm. Rabat, Morocco 2024."

Sunye says, "I moved to Istanbul, where my street photography turned to colour, inspired by the stylised warmth of Le Fabuleux Destin d'Amélie Poulain and the liveliness of that city and its people. When I moved back to Paris however, I instinctively returned to black and white mostly."

Grether explains, "Life is full of unexpected moments, often hidden in the most ordinary situations. Through my street photography, I am drawn to unusual gestures, subtle humor, and surprising connections between people and their surroundings."

Marmer says, "I took this photo during a ferry ride from Vancouver to Nanaimo. It was a typical, grey Pacific Northwest winter day. A young couple tied a bright red hammock on the deck and climbed inside for the entire ride. The only thing that remained visible was a pair of hands holding a smartphone"

Visit the AAP Magazine website to discover more images and the stories behind the frames.

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Wildlife photography has exploded since Instagram took off, and you see so many amazing animal frames these days that sometimes they all blur into one. However, this Grand Prix-winning image at the 74th Nikkor Photo Contest truly stands out.

The frame depicts a northern gannet in action in the moment of capturing its fish prey. Entitled “The Struggle for Survival Beneath the Surface,” it was taken by Mayumi Takeuchi, who reportedly clicked the shutter while treading water and using a large housing fitted with a strobe. She told the competition judges that it was “truly miraculous” to have captured that moment.

Takeuchi’s image was selected from over 23,000 entries to this year’s edition of the photography competition, which first ran in 1953 and promotes photographers from Japan across print and, since last year, the web too. As the overall winner, she took home a Nikon Z8 camera body and ¥500,000 (approximately $3,100 / £2,300).

Mayumi Takeuchi's gear and settings

• Camera: Nikon D5
• Lens: 8.0-15.0 mm f/3.5-4.5
• Focal Length: 15.00 mm (in 35mm: 15 mm)
• Exposure: 1/250 sec | f/22 | ISO 400

There was a particularly interesting winning image (Gold Award) in the “Web Freedom” category, too. Toru Shinohara’s “Inside the Soda Water” captured a surfer riding a barreling wave, although the interplay of light and the translucent wave created the illusion of the surfer being inside the wave rather than on its surface.

Over on the print side of the competition, the Gold Award went to Sanae Ono’s “Secret Base,” which depicted four cousins who gathered at their family home over Golden Week (a major Japanese holiday period). The photographer told Nikon that the cousins had turned the living room into a “secret base” for conjuring up plans – memories I’m sure we all have.

In fact, I think all of these winning images have something unique to them. Be it lighting, a quirky composition, or a scene rarely captured, they are standouts for sure. To see all the commended images at this year’s Nikkor Photo Contest, head to the official competition webpage.

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Most photographers spend their lives protecting film from light. Lotus L. Kang does the opposite.

In her installation, shown above, long sheets of photographic film hang unfixed from steel beams. As light and humidity reach them, they slowly change color, and develop “bruises, blood and bile-like hues”.

It’s one of four projects shortlisted for the Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation Prize 2027, which rewards artists for an exhibition or book in Europe that's made a significant contribution to photography. In their different ways, they all show how far the discipline has come from simply pointing a camera and pressing a button.

Beyond the veil

Iranian-born Hoda Afshar is shortlisted for her exhibition Performing the Invisible, which draws on the archive of the French psychiatrist Gaëtan Gatian de Clérambault.

In the early 20th century, the latter took thousands of photographs of veiled women in Morocco to explore his psychoanalytic ideas around covering and fantasy. Now, in the 21st century, Afshar uses mirrors, video and sound to reverse the focus. Instead of the veiled women in the original pictures, the subject becomes the act of looking itself.

Loss and destruction

Toronto-born Lotus L. Kang’s installation, The face of desire is loss, explores how bodies change over time, what we remember and what gets lost along the way. Alongside her lengths of unfixed photographic film, there are sculptures of tatami mats, cast objects of crying birds, a film of tidal mudflats and 49 bottles of spirits. (Why 49? In Buddhism, it's the number of days a soul spends between death and rebirth. So now you know.)

Ukrainian artist Sasha Kurmaz is shortlisted for her book, Red Horse. An 800-page visual diary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, it combines documentary photographs with notes, drawings, newspaper cuttings and found objects that capture his experiences and those of the people around him. On one page, a handwritten note records the 15m width of a bomb crater beside a residential building.

Finally, Italian artist Salvatore Vitale is shortlisted for SABOTAGE. Made in collaboration with South African freelancers, it looks at the hidden human labor behind the digital economy, from surveillance to algorithmic control.

Bringing together film, photography and sculptural installations, its images include a man smashing a laptop on a rocky hillside.

“From century-old photographic archives to radical contemporary experiments, the 2027 shortlist proves how urgently photography speaks to our times,” says Anne-Marie Beckmann, director of the Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation.

The winner, who'll be announced in April, will get £30,000 ($40k), and each of the other three will get £5,000 ($6,665).

Work by all four artists will be shown at The Photographers’ Gallery in London from March 10 - June 6 2027, and then at the Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation in Eschborn, near Frankfurt, from June 19 to September 26.

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You need to see this year’s shortlist from the Royal Meteorological Society’s (RMetS) Weather Photographer of the Year to truly understand how spectacular, phenomenal, and downright jaw-dropping the elements can be!

And when admiring them, why not cast your vote for your favorite of the 30 finalists? The public vote is now open until November 5, 2026 (23:59 GMT), with the winner announced on November 17.

Looking at the shortlist, which the competition organizers said was selected from over 5,500 entries from nations worldwide, a few jump out. I particularly like Lisa Kuhn’s frame of Mount Shasta, a prominent, glacier-clad stratovolcano rising to 14,179 feet (4,322 meters) in the Cascade Range, Northern California.

Kuhn told the Meteorological Society that she’d already been out to shoot the volcano that day but returned for a better view. “I was surprised to see the lovely outcome of the photo with the smooth layers on the front of the cloud,” she shared.

While it’s hard to choose individual images from the shortlist, another that catches my eye is “Fire” by Erfan Samanfar. The Iranian photographer’s striking frame depicts a farmer trying to protect their land as fire ravages all around. It takes a moment to notice the farmer, shrouded in thick, blue-gray smoke in the bottom corner of the frame.

The wider shortlist features scenes of fascinating cloud formations, heart-stopping lightning strikes, and crashing glaciers. Be sure to spend some time appreciating these fantastic images and casting your vote.

Professor Liz Bentley, Chief Executive of the RMetS, said: “Our judging panel had an incredibly tough task in shortlisting the images and deciding on the winning images, and we are now delighted to hand over to the public to vote for their favorite.”

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Spanish astrophotographer Mikel Iraeta managed to capture not one, but two beautiful arcs of our galaxy above the world-famous Milford Sound fiord in New Zealand – although it rains an average of 300 days a year here.

Iraeta's Double arch in Milford Sound was announced as the Open Nature/Landscape category winner at the 2026 Epson International Pano Awards, the leading global competition dedicated to panoramic photography.

The final image was assembled from 107 photographs (!) and required very specific conditions: no rain, clouds, or moonlight. Iraeta told the awards how he managed to capture a scene that he describes as "a unique photo, one that I have not seen anywhere else and that I think would be very difficult for anyone else to replicate. "

Category Winner: Open Nature/Landscape

Iraeta explains, "This is what I consider an almost impossible photo because you need some very specific conditions to pull it out.

"In fact, the day before I visited, the access road was closed due to snow avalanche danger. I ventured there without any expectations, with the sole intention of enjoying the place, aware of the improbability of the task.

"It is very difficult to have an entire clear night with no rain, no clouds, no moon, and for all of this to coincide at the end of September when it is possible to capture the double arc of the Milky Way. But I thought what if..."

The photographer continues, "I still remember feeling excited under the stars, aware of what I was witnessing."

Iraeta's shot required a bit of luck, a chain of coincidences and technical skill, both behind the camera and in the editing process.

He says, "The sky is composed of two separate tracked panoramas, each comprising eight panels, with each panel in turn consisting of a stack of four 45-second exposures.

"The first panorama is taken after sunset to capture the spiral arm containing the galactic core. The second contains both Magellanic Clouds, Gum, and the Orion Nebula, captured between 2 and 4am.

"It is important to time the shots so that both panoramas are at approximately at the same height above the horizon.

"Finally, the ground needs to be captured for which the moving tides need to be considered. For this foreground I used a 14-panel 360º panorama, where each panel is created from a bracketing of three photographs, plus an additional photograph to include myself. The final image is therefore the result of combining 107 different photographs."

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A now 18-year-old photographer has turned a misty morning and a lake full of swans into an award-winning wildlife image – using a Nikon DSLR that's been around for a decade. Szymon Bartold's Swan lake captures the birds gliding through glowing orange hues at sunrise, their silhouettes reflected in the water's surface to create an almost mystical scene. As mute swans rose majestically from the mist, bathed in golden light, he pressed the shutter.

Previously, Bartold'simage won Silver at the Bird Photographer of the Year competition. Now it won the top prize at one of Europe's major wildlife photography contests, the GDT European Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition, in the 14- 17-year Youth Category.

Founded in 2001, the GDT European Wildlife Photographer of the Year has grown into a global benchmark for contemporary nature photography, celebrating work that is innovative and strong in storytelling. The German Society for Nature Photography (GDT) selects the best images and awards the overall winner, the Fritz Pölking Prize, and the Rewilding Europe Award.

Winner: Youth Category | 14-17 years

Image info
Title: Swan lake

Tech details
Camera: Nikon D5
Lens: 150-600mm f/5-6.3
Exposure: 1/6400sec, f/6.3, ISO 1000

Story behind the still
Szymon explains, "Out walking, I came across a lake with a large number of waterbirds, and decided to return before dawn the next morning.

"Well hidden, I watched as mute swans (Cygnus olor) rose majestically out of the mist in a scene bathed in gold light.

"One perfect moment, one frame – and a feeling of pure joy I'll never forget."

Discover all winning images on the GDT European Wildlife Photographer of the Year website.

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A young photographer from Germany has captured the fleeting magic of a winter sunset in an award-winning image that transforms the last rays of sunshine into a golden spectacle.

Marla Schwarze's image, Winter Gold, shows the reeds along Dortmund's Lake Phoenix glowing in the evening light and sparking water. The image earned Marla top honors in the Youth Category (ages 14 and under) of the GDT European Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition, selected by the German Society for Nature Photography.

Captured with a Nikon Z6 and a 70-300mm lens, Marla captured the sun just before it disappeared. As she explains, the challenge was to capture the atmosphere of the winter evening and the flickering play of light as the sun illuminated the swaying reeds.

Winner: Youth Category | Ages 14 and under

Image info
Title: Winter gold
Location: Lake Phoenix, Dortmund, Germany

Tech details
Camera: Nikon Z6
Lens: 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6
Exposure: 1/500sec, f/5.6, ISO400

Story behind the still
Marla explains, "I wanted to hold onto that one second, that fleeting instant.

"The image shows the low evening sun, the swaying reeds flooded with light, set against the sparkling water, with the rays refracting inside the lens.

"I made a particular effort to capture exactly this special winter atmosphere and the flickering play of light in that one moment."

Discover all winning images on the GDT European Wildlife Photographer of the Year website.

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Think "spider" and most people don't think "adorable"; quite the opposite in fact. But the image from German photographer John-Oliver Dum might make you reconsider that prejudice.

With two huge, black eyes and a face fringed with fluffy white scales, this cute critter looks like something Pixar or Disney would draw for their next kids' film. No wonder the picture has taken second place in this year's Nikon Small World 2026 Photomicrography Competition.

So what exactly are we looking at? Meet Salticus scenicus: a jumping spider common across Europe that typically measures 5mm to 9mm long: that's smaller than the nail on your little finger.

In Dum's prize-winning photograph, it's been magnified 20 times, which turns grains of pollen – which are too small to see with the naked eye – into what look a little like jewels. Perhaps I'm being fanciful, but to me the grains clustered on top look like a crown, while another sits perfectly between the two main eyes, like a pendant. Overall, it's a surprisingly regal effect.

How it was shot

At this level of magnification, depth of field is highly limited, so only a sliver of your subject will be sharp. To solve this puzzle, Dum used focus stacking, a technique he specialises in.

This means that what looks like a single image is actually built from dozens (or sometimes more than 100) individual frames, shot at slightly different focus distances, then merged so everything is pin-sharp.

Based in Bendorf, Germany, Dum typically works at magnifications from 1x to 100x. His kit includes a Sony Alpha 1, an MJKZZ macro rail for making precise, tiny focus steps, and microscope optics from Mitutoyo, Nikon, Olympus and Carl Zeiss Jena. His work has been shown at venues including the Tokyo Photographic Art Museum and ARTIS-Micropia in Amsterdam.

For me, it's the level of detail in this picture that's the most impressive. Despite the spider being smaller than a fingernail, you can see the individual scales on its face, the fine hairs on its legs and the texture of every pollen grain clearly.

Photography often shows us the world we're used to seeing from a different perspective. This photograph, though, shows us an entirely different world, that we can't see with the naked eye at all, which in my book makes it special indeed.

Nikon Small World showcases the beauty and complexity of life as seen through the light microscope via photography and video, and is open to anyone with an interest in microscopy.

This year’s overall winner was Ole Bielfeldt’s never-before-seen view of an inkjet printer at work. You can view all the winning images on the Nikon Small World website.

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Let’s face it, we photographers are incredibly self-critical and can easily get caught up comparing our images with those of way more experienced creatives. However, this year, a major photography awards contest wants to help nip imposter syndrome in the bud for first-time entrants.

Announced by the World Food Photography Awards sponsored by Tenderstem® Bimi® (WFPA), the 2027 edition of the contest will allow first-time entrants to enter their own category. According to WFPA, the “Newcomer Prize” has been created to make entering photography competitions “less daunting” and calm the nerves of beginner competitors.

Caroline Kenyon, founder of the WFPA, said: “Since the Awards began in 2011, it’s been really important to us to support and encourage photographers, whether professional or amateur, young or old.” Kenyon went on to explain that entrants have often told WFPA that being shortlisted “gave them the confidence to turn professional.”

Alongside the “Newcomer Award”, the 2027 WFPA will also feature a suite of prizes aimed at boosting winners’ creative skills and professional experience.

This includes a four-week residency at the Hugo Burge Foundation in Scotland, plus a £1,400 stipend (approximately $1,800 / AU$2,600), for the winner of the “Award for Innovation”. And for the winner of the “Food Portraiture” category, it also includes a one-to-one virtual portfolio review with James Davies, art direction and image lead at Waitrose.

David Loftus, chair of WFPA judges, said: “I’m delighted to see the Awards taking this positive step forward. I really hope photographers feel that these opportunities are valuable, meaningful, and genuinely supportive of them and their work.”

The 2027 WFPA welcomes professional and amateur photographers to submit images across a broad range of categories and styles featuring food, including travel, street, documentary, still life, and portraiture. For further information and to enter, visit the contest’s official website. Entries close February 7, 2027.

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Glance at this image without context, and you might imagine a forest of trees on an alien planet. In fact, you’re looking at the neurons inside a mouse’s brain.

This stunning image, by Kaelin Wulf and Rachel Flannery of the Allen Institute in Seattle, took third place in the Nikon Small World 2026 Photomicrography Competition. And the way they captured it is utterly remarkable.

Neurons, aka nerve cells, are the fundamental working units of the brain and nervous system. They use chemical and electrical signals to receive, process and transmit information around our minds and bodies.

Neurons in an expanded mouse brain

As you can imagine, neurons are very tiny indeed, and the branches connecting them are tinier still. So small they’re hard to separate even with a conventional light microscope.

To photograph them, then, the team at the Allen Institute – a non-profit that carries out large-scale research into the brain, cells and the immune system – couldn't just rely on magnification alone.

Instead, they used a technique called expansion microscopy. Quite simply, this means physically enlarging the tissue by embedding a sample of the brain in a special gel that makes it swell like a balloon.

Wulf and Flannery also used two other techniques.

The first was fluorescence, which makes the labelled neurons glow, so they stand out vividly against the dark. The second was light sheet imaging, which involves scanning the sample with a thin plane of light, and building up a sharp, 3D picture slice by slice.

By combining all these techniques, the image could then be photographed using a modest 5X objective lens. The resulting image? Both scientifically useful and stunningly beautiful.

Nikon Small World showcases the beauty and complexity of life as seen through the light microscope via photography and video, and is open to anyone with an interest in microscopy.

This year’s overall winner was Ole Bielfeldt’s never-before-seen view of an inkjet printer at work. You can view all the winning images on the Nikon Small World website.

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The extraordinary image titled Hidden Worlds has earned multi-award-winning photographer Imre Potyó the coveted title of European Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2026, selected by the German Society for Nature Photography.

For 13 years, Potyó has captured hibernating bats in Hungary's Börzsöny Mountains, taking his camera to protected and mine tunnels that have restricted access. "This image speaks to a larger truth about the natural world: much of life exists beyond our immediate awareness, in places we seldom visit and among organisms we rarely notice," says Tom Gilks on behalf of the jury.

Potyó is not only a nature photographer but a scientist and environmental expert. He has won many prestigious international awards, including Hungary's Nature Photographer of the Year, the Grand Prix of Hungarian Nature Photography, the UK's Wildlife Photographer of the Year, and HIPA, the international photography competition from Dubai.

'Hidden Worlds' – GDT European Wildlife Photographer of the Year

Tech info
Gear: Nikon D7200 + Tamron AF 60mm f/2 Di II Macro
Exposure: 41secs, f/25, ISO 320

The story behind the still
Potyó explains: "A key characteristic of the lesser horseshoe bat (Rhinolophus hipposideros) is that, during hibernating it occasionally wakes and leaves its roost to hunt flying insects.

"In doing so, the bat leaves behind droppings that gradually accumulate into a continuous dark layer.

"In the beam of a torch, a whitish coating can be seen on the guano - a small pin mould thriving in this unusual habitat.

"Using a macro lens, I captured the mould in the foreground with the hibernating bats visible in the background.

"The photograph, a long exposure incorporating a focus shift, was taken during a controlled bat count and without disturbing the animals."

Discover all winning images on the GDT European Wildlife Photographer of the Year website.

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A never-before-seen microscopic view of an inkjet printer printing words on paper has won the prestigious Nikon Small World 2026 Photomicrography Competition.

Young German photographer Ole Bielfeldt captured the image using a microscope objective in an unconventional way. Getting the shot right took some experimentation, as the printer's quick movements and tiny ink droplets were challenging to photograph sharply.

His award-winning image began with a simple question: how does a printer place ink onto paper with such precision? "I think it was super interesting because I didn’t know how it really worked," Bielfeldt said. "It’s like it was magic, and I didn’t understand it, but now I do."

How he captured the award-winning image

Capturing the ink droplets in motion was difficult. Bielfeldt's first attempts ran into two problems: the printhead moved too quickly to keep a small area in focus, while the droplets themselves were travelling too fast to be frozen by the camera's shutter speed.

"I thought I would need some expensive equipment. But it turned out I already had everything I needed," he said.

Bielfeldt modified the printer's setup so that the paper moved beneath a stationary printhead, making it easier to keep the area he wanted to photograph in focus.

He used a self-built imaging rig fitted with a microscope objective, and worked in a dark room, using a flash to freeze the ink droplets mid-air.

Why the image stood out

"Ole Bielfeldt’s winning image embodies what makes Nikon Small World so powerful: the intersection of microscope imaging, ingenuity, and artistry," said Eric Flem, senior manager, communications and CRM at Nikon Instruments.

"By using a microscope objective in a different way, he transformed a familiar object into something altogether new and previously unseen.

"It is a reminder that the microscope is not only a scientific tool but also a creative one, capable of expanding how we see and imagine the world around us."

The full list of winners can be found on the official competition website.

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Arriving at Mautohe Cathedral Cove, on New Zealand’s North Island, at sunrise, astrophotographer Evan McKay was “stunned by the beauty of the light.” Noticing the composition with Te Hoho Rock as the centerpiece, framed by the natural curvature of the beach, he planned his return for a night shoot, as explained on his website.

“I knew the Moon would be rising early in the night, leaving no time to photograph the scene under true starlight. Still, I hoped the landscape might look just as magical as it had at sunrise,” said McKay.

But nature had other ideas, with unanticipated solar activity producing beyond-magical conditions. “The Milky Way and the rising Moon were the elements I'd planned for, but the beautiful, radiant green airglow was an unexpected paid actor in the scene,” the photographer said.

Evan McKay's gear and settings

• Multilayer, 24-panel mosaic
• Exposure: Full-color sky: f/2, ISO 1600, 15 sec. Duoband: f/2, ISO 1600, 120 sec
• Equipment: Nikon Z6a, Sigma 40mm, Optolong L-Para filter
• Location: Cathedral Cove, New Zealand

The photographer explained that the vibrant airglow seemed to channel toward the rising Moon, “tying the whole scene together.” And the judges at this year’s Astrophotography Prize (AstroPrize) agreed, naming McKay the AstroPrize Photographer of the Year 2026.

The judges praised McKay’s image for its “exceptional detail and depth,” along with its strong sense of atmosphere and place, with McKay taking home 3,000(approximately£2,200/AU4,200) in winnings.

While McKay took the overall contest prize as well as the “Astro Landscape” category, winners were announced across three more categories. Polish photographer Marzena Rogozińska won the “Deep Space” category for her shot of intricate streams of interstellar dust within the Chameleon Dark Clouds of the constellation Chamaeleon.

Meanwhile, Jason Perry (US) placed first in the “Aurora” category with his frame of the Aurora Borealis dancing above the mountains of Å in Norway’s Lofoten Islands.

Last but certainly not least, Chinese astrophotographer Alpha Zang was named the winner of the “Remote Imaging” category for his scene of Galileo’s Finger (LBN 420), a finger-shaped cloud of cosmic dust located in the constellation Lacerta (the Lizard), at the edge of the Milky Way Galaxy.

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LCE Photographer of the Year 2027 is open for entries, and it’s free to enter, so you’ve no excuse not to throw your lens hood into the ring. The competition, run by popular UK-based camera retailer London Camera Exchange, runs from October 12, 2026 to January 20, 2027 and is open to anyone aged 18 or over, with prizes limited to residents of the UK.

What I’ve always liked about this competition is that it’s designed to be as accessible as possible. Not only is it free to enter, but it’s also not bogged down by endless restrictions. Images can be taken anywhere in the world, on almost any camera device (including smartphones and drones), and as you’d expect, AI-generated imagery is strictly prohibited.

Entrants are invited to submit one image per category, of which there are 14, ensuring that all major genres are catered for. This will once again include Emerging Talent and ‘People’s Choice’ categories, with the former dedicated to photography students studying in the UK, and the latter open to the voting public to crown their winner.

LCE POTY 2027: Categories...

• Action
• After Dark
• Birds
• Creative
• Emerging Talent
• Events
• Landscape
• Macro
• People’s Choice
• Pets
• Portrait
• Street
• Travel
• Wildlife

Prizes and judging panel

A total prize kitty worth £10,000 ($13,400)is up for grabs. Each category winner will receive £500 ($670) in LCE vouchers as well as a trophy, while the Emerging Talent winner’s place of study will also receive a further £500. The overall LCE Photographer of the Year will receive an additional £2,500 in LCE vouchers.

Entries can be submitted online or, thanks to a particularly charming quirk of the competition, in-person at any of LCE’s 26 stores. Finalists will be invited to the LCE Photographer of the Year awards ceremony at next year’s Photography & Video Show, taking place at ExCeL London from March 13 to 16, 2027. Their work will also be displayed in an exhibition at the show’s entrance.

The judging panel consists of four industry experts: SheClicks founder Angela Nicholson, award-winning pro and YouTuber Jimmy Cheng, acclaimed street photographer Peter Dench, and Digital Camera World’s very own content director and Bokeh Face: The Digital Camera World Podcast regular, Chris George.

According to the managing director of LCE, Lee Harasyn: “London Camera Exchange is celebrating its 70th anniversary in 2026, so we are aiming for this year’s competition to be our biggest and best yet.”

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Whether you're a seasoned photographer, a beginner just getting started or someone who loves capturing beautiful moments, submitting your images to photo competitions is one of the best ways to gain exposure and recognition.

Entering contests isn't just about winning – though prizes and publicity are great bonuses! – it's also a chance to dive into your archives, rediscover your best images and refine your personal style. Many photographers say that competitions were the stepping stone that helped them build a name, grow their audience or land their first big feature.

And with so many open calls across all genres, there's something for everyone. So, here's a list of photography competitions with open calls that are accepting submissions from October 2026 until January 2027. It's a small selection to spark inspiration, but there are countless others out there.

Insta360 Global Awards

Deadline: October 30

Fee: Free

Open to: Photographers and videographers of all levels

Requirement: Entries must be shot on Insta360 or Antigravity products

Format: Videos: 30sec-3min MP4/MOV, single image only under 20MB

Categories: Street, Travel, Life, Portrait, Sports, Night

Prizes: $150,000+ prize pool with over 100 winners to be announced

Environmental Photography Award

Deadline: November 01

Open to: Photographers of all levels

Fee: Free

Focus: Environmental photography that raises awareness of environmental protection and explores the relationship between humans and nature

Categories: Polar Regions, Forests, Ocean, Changemakers, Human vs Nature

Prizes: €8,000 in total grants; winners and shortlisted photographers will feature in the award's exhibition and book

IAPB World Sight Day Photo Competition

Deadline: November 18

Open to: Photographers of all levels

Fee: Free

Focus: Eye health and the role vision plays in everyday life, as part of IAPB's #LoveYourEyes campaign

Categories: Love Your Eyes, Love Your Child's Eyes, Love Your Eyes at Work, Love Health for All, Making the World See the Value of Vision (new for 2026)

Prize: $1,000 cash prize each for the professional stream winner and the amateur stream winner

World Sports Photography Awards

Deadline: November 23

Fee: Free

Open to: Photographers of all levels

Eligibility: Up to 10 images taken between December 2025 - November 2026

24 categories: American Football, Athletics, Baseball, Basketball, Combat Sports, Cricket, Cycling, Equestrian, Football, Golf, Gymnastics, Ice Hockey, Motor Sports, Nautical, Other, Racquet Sports, Rugby, Skate, Special, Swimming & Diving, Tennis, Urban & Extreme, Venues, Views & Crowds, Winter Sports

Prizes: Prizes are provided by sponsors of the World Sports Photography Awards, details TBA

Sony World Photography Awards

Deadline: November 27 (Student), January 5 (Youth + Single Images), January 12 (Series)

Fee: Free

Open to: Photographers of all levels

Competitions: Series (previously Professional competition), Single Image (previously Open competition), Student, Youth

Categories: up to 10 different categories depending on competition

Prizes: Cash prizes up to $25,000, top-tier Sony equipment, and global exhibition opportunities

Wildlife Photographer of the Year

Deadline: December 03

Fee: adult entrants may submit up to 25 images (£35 fee), ages 18–26: free entry (25 images), ages 17 and under: free entry (10 images)

Categories: 13 single-image categories; new category: Positive Action, three multiple-image categories and three Young WPY age groups

Prizes: Cash awards of up to £15,000 for the adult Grand Title winner and £2,00 for the Young WPY winner, plus trophies, certificates, publications in the WPY Portfolio book, invitations or trips to the London awards ceremony and opportunities for professional recognition

Concrete in Life

Deadline: December 04

Fee: Free to enter

Open: Photographers of all levels

Categories: Urban and Infrastructure, Concrete in Daily Life, Concrete Beauty and Design

Prizes: Overall winner will receive a top prize of $10,000, with other prizes of $5,000 and $2,500

The Tideway Prize

Deadline: December 31

Open to: UK photographers of all levels, with three age categories: Open, Youth (16-24), and School Student (ages 11-15)

Fee: Free

Theme: "Standing by the Thames" – photographs capturing the River Thames, including its people, wildlife, recreation, work, industry, architecture, infrastructure, and everyday life

Prizes: Open winner: £2,000 in photography vouchers; Youth winner: £1,000 in photography vouchers and a half-day photography masterclass with Matthew Joseph, and more

Oppo Photography Awards

Deadline: December 31

Open to: Photographers and videographers of all levels, shooting with Oppo, OnePlus or RealMe devices

Fee: Free

Theme: "Super Every Moment"

Categories: Me, Journey, Video, Zoom, Live, Snap

Prizes: $76,500 prize pool across 38 awards

LCE Photographer of the Year

Deadline: January 20

Open to: Photographers of all levels

Fee: Free to enter

Categories: 13 categories, from wildlife, to action and travel. The LCE POTY also features dedicated category for photography students to showcase their developing style.

Prizes: £10,000 prize fund

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The Center of the Cosmos is an ultra-wide panorama of one of the world's most photographed places: Times Square in New York. Photographer Xuecheng Liu captured the iconic intersection from an unusual aerial perspective, with illuminated streets and buildings radiating outwards in a galaxy-like pattern.

His image won the Open Built Environment / Architecture category at the world's largest competition dedicated to panoramic photography – Epson International Pano Awards.

Lui is known for his unique attempt to make the familiar look unfamiliar. His work received international recognition, for example, at the Sony World Photography Awards. He was also awarded the Weibo Landscape Photographer of the Year title. Now Lui adds another prestigious honor to his growing list of awards.

The award-winning image 'Center of the Cosmos'

Liu explain, "Times Square is one of the most photographed places in the world, so my challenge was to find a perspective that could make such a familiar place feel unfamiliar again.

"From above, the dense architecture, streets, and illuminated billboards seem to radiate around the square.

"I stitched together 25 frames to create an ultra-wide aerial panorama, revealing the scale and density of the skyscrapers surrounding Times Square.

"I wanted the panorama to immerse the viewer in the vast expanse of the city, with countless points of light resembling stars surrounding the centre of a galaxy."

The Epson International Pano Awards

Founded in 2019, the Epson International Pano Awards remain the world's largest competition devoted exclusively to panoramic photography.

The 2026 edition drew thousands of entries across Nature/Landscape, Built Environment, VR/360° and Aerial categories, celebrating both professional and amateur photographers. Explore the 2026 winning gallery by visiting the Pano Awards website.

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Looking for competitions to enter? Here are 10 global photo contests now open for entries from October 2026 to February 2027.

The World's largest competition dedicated to panoramic photography – Epson International Pano Awards – has announced its winners, with Spanish photographer Daniel Viñé Garcia taking home the Open Photographer of the Year title.

His winning image, The Sleeping Giant, captures a spectacular sunset over Chile's Parinacota Volcano, neighbouring Pomerape and the surrounding high-altitude lakes, all bathed in atmospheric purple and orange hues,

But capturing this extraordinary scene was no easy feat. Garcia spent three days and three nights at high altitude, waiting for the right conditions to photograph the landscape. His patience paid off when he caught one of the final bursts of sunlight illuminating the volcanic peaks.

Open Photographer of the Year

The Sleeping Giant is a 360-degree aerial panorama assembled from 33 individual exposures. Garcia carefully refined the framing to focus the final composition on what mattered most: the volcanoes, the light and the landscape's shapes.

He explains, "Parinacota Volcano was one of the main photographic goals of my trip to Chile.

"Rising to more than 6,300 metres, its distinctive snow-covered cone has an almost perfect symmetry that immediately reminded me of volcanoes such as Mount Fuji.

"Beside it stands Pomerape, another giant reaching more than 6,200 metres, together forming one of the most impressive landscapes I encountered during the journey.

"After allowing time for proper acclimatisation, I spent three days and three nights at around 4,500 metres above sea level, giving myself the best possible chance of photographing the area under ideal conditions."

The Epson International Pano Awards

Founded in 2019, the Epson International Pano Awards remain the world's largest competition devoted exclusively to panoramic photography.

The 2026 edition drew thousands of entries across Nature/Landscape, Built Environment, VR/360° and Aerial categories, celebrating both professional and amateur photographers. Explore the 2026 winning gallery by visiting the Pano Awards website.

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Browse the best 360 cameras and the best fisheye lenses.

Looking for competitions to enter? Here are 10 global photo contests now open for entries from October 2026 to February 2027.

In wildlife photography, we often see photos depicting the photographer’s or a hunting animal’s perspective. But this unique image of a hungry polar bear, captured from a seal’s perspective, is nothing short of a nightmarish scene.

The frame was created by Norwegian photographer Audun Rikardsen, who rigged a Canon EOS 6D DSLR directly beneath a seal’s breathing hole on Arctic drift ice, with a motion sensor also set up to fire the shutter.

A few hours later, a hungry polar bear stuck its head in, searching for its next meal, capturing what can only be described as the last thing a seal would ever want to see.

Rikardsen's gear and settings

• Canon EOS 6D
• Canon EF 14mm f/2.8L II USM
• f/9

Rikardsen’s image, aptly titled A Seal’s Nightmare, was recently crowned Image of the Year at the Our Nature Photo & Video Award 2026.

The photographer told the contest organizers that having already waited eight hours for the bear to arrive and trigger the motion sensor, the animal then bedded down next to the hole for a nine-hour kip. This left Rikardsen no choice but to wait for the polar bear to awaken from its slumber to retrieve his camera.

At the 2026 Our Nature Awards, winners were announced across a range of wildlife photography categories.

In the “Stories or Portfolio” category, Belgian photojournalist Alain Schroeder took first place. His series documented daily life at a clinic operated by the Sumatran Orangutan Conservation Programme (SOCP), Indonesia, where workers help rehabilitate and prepare rescued, injured, and formerly captive orangutans for return to the wild.

The photographer explained that expansion of palm oil and rubber plantations, logging, road construction, mining and hunting are forcing increasing numbers of orangutans out of their natural environment.

And in the “Our Nature – Air” category, Czech photographer Jan Pokluda placed first with a frame depicting a great spotted woodpecker feeding its chick in what he told the contest organizers was an “unusually low” nesting cavity in the trunk of an old oak tree.

All of the winners from this year’s Our Nature Photo & Video Award 2026 can be seen on the contest’s official website. Speaking about his winning image, Audun Rikardsen said: “When I finally saw the image, I knew I had captured the polar bear photograph I had dreamed of for years.”

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Here’s our pick of the best cameras for wildlife photography. And we’ve also compiled our list of the best underwater housings for cameras and phones.

Two consumer cameras sit among Japan’s Good Design Award top rankings, as the Nikon ZR and Kodak Charmera earn a spot in the competition’s top 100 designs. But for the eighth year in a row, the brand with the most accolades from the international product design competition is a camera company: Fujifilm.

The Good Design Award gives out a badge to every entry that passes a quality and value screening, which means the list of 2026 winners has more than 1,400 entries, giving about 29 percent of the entries honors. A dizzying number of those awards have gone to cameras, from the unusual gimbal design of the DJI Pocket 4 series to the tiny Instax Pal 2.

While the program gives badges to every entry that meets its design standards, the program also gives out top-tier awards and a Top 100 designation. Two consumer cameras sit in the Top 100 for 2026, the mirrorless Nikon ZR and the viral keychain camera, the Kodak Charmera.

The Nikon ZR takes the Z6 III and crams it into a smaller body built for filmmakers – but also adds RED color science. The result is a camera that has now earned several accolades – including a TIME Best Invention as well as awards from EISA, TIPPA, Red Dot and iF. Digital Camera World gave the camera a 4.5-star rating, calling it “a true videographer's dream.”

The Kodak Charmera also sits among the top 100. The Charmera’s initial launch was so popular it sold out in 24 hours. The camera’s popularity is not due to what’s inside – it’s just 1.6MP – but rather stems from a tiny, retro blind box design at $35 / £35.

The brand that appears the most on the Good Design Awards list for 2026 is Fujifilm, which has 35 products earning honors, making it the eighth year in a row that Fujifilm has been the most-awarded company for the Good Design Awards.

Awarded Fujifilm cameras include the entry-level mirrorless X-T30 III and medium-format GFX100RF Fragment Edition. Instax swept even more awards with the Instax Pal 2, Instax Mini Evo Cinema, Instax Mini 13, Instax Mini 99 in silver, Instax Wide 400, Instax Link Wide 2, and Instax Mini Link+.

Fujifilm’s first disposable camera preloaded with black-and-white film, the Quicksnap Black and White, also earned an award along with the XC13-33mm f/3.5-6.3 OIS lens and several broadcast and cinema lenses.

Additional notable award winners among the entries include the Panasonic Lumix L10, the Canon EOS C50, and the DJI Pocket 4 series. The MyFirst Instant Print camera made for kids also won an award. (A Panasonic HyperSpectral Camera also sits in the top 100, but it’s an industry camera, not a consumer camera.)

Several lenses also won honors, including the Canon RF 7-14mm f/2.8-3.5 L Fisheye STM. Canon’s entire f/1.4 L VCM series and Nikon’s entire second-generation Z f/2.8 zoom lens series also earned recognition.

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Award-winning wildlife photographer Tom Way captured a heartwarming moment between a newborn giraffe calf and its mother. The beautiful black-and-white image shows the tiny calf standing beneath its mother's legs – a fleeting moment that may soon become a thing of the past.

Way explains, "This young giraffe was no more than a few hours old when we first found both the mother and infant in a small thicket close to the open plains of Kenya's famous Mara North Conservancy."

The touching scene was captured with a professional full-frame DSLR camera and a fast telephoto lens. Nikon has now announced the image as the winner of the prestigious Remembering Wildlife Photographer of the Year award.

'Under Mother's Guidance'

Tech info
Camera: Canon EOS 1D X
Lens: Canon EF 400mm f/2.8L IS II USM
Accessories: Canon Extender EF 1.4x III
Exposure: 1/640sec, f/4, ISO 640

The story behind the still
Way says, "We watched at a distance as the young giraffe suckled, still wobbly on its legs before coming forwards towards us perfectly framed between the mother's legs."

He continues, "Although newly born, an average infant giraffe still measures 6ft in height, taller than the average human and, by growing around an inch a day, it will not be too long before this young giraffe would not be able to fit under its mother at all.

"At this age, newborns are extremely vulnerable and it requires a vigilant mother to raise their infant to adulthood."

Remembering Wildlife
Among more than 70 images, Way's photo is featured in the 11th book in the Remembering Wildlife series titled Remembering Giraffes.

All book profits are donated to conservation projects, with this year's proceeds supporting essential giraffe conservation. To date, the series has raised more than £1.28 million for conservation, supporting 86 projects across 36 countries.

As a proud sponsor, Nikon gifts Way a Nikon Z8 and a Nikon Z 180-600mmm f/5.6-6.3 VR. Discover all winning images; visit the Remembering Wildlife website.

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Three extraordinary street photographs from Rome, London and Hong Kong have taken the top three spots in the Street Photography category at the 2026 Siena International Photo Awards, celebrating the art of capturing those fleeting moments that most people would simply walk past. Announced during the Siena Awards Photo Festival in Italy, the winning images offer three very different perspectives on everyday life, but they all have something rather wonderful in common: an extraordinary eye for composition, timing and storytelling.

Taking first place is Italian photographer Luca Paccusse with Urban puzzle, a brilliantly observed photograph captured at a bus stop in Rome. Against the chaos of passing traffic and the warm evening light, a face on an advertising poster becomes part of a wonderfully complicated composition, with the gazes of strangers appearing to intersect and overlap. It's the sort of photograph that makes you look twice, and what I particularly love about it is the patience involved. Paccusse recognised the potential in an otherwise ordinary scene, waited for the elements to fall into place, and produced an image that perfectly demonstrates why observation is one of the most important skills in street photography.

"Amid the chaos of Roman traffic and the warm glow of the sunset, Luca is struck by a face on a poster at the bus stop. After a few minutes of waiting, he manages to compose this interlocking of gazes, which intertwine and overlap, capturing the layers and complexity of a city where diverse identities merge and blur, like tiles in an ever-shifting urban mosaic."

Second place went to Olesia Kim for The fan out, a wonderfully colourful and energetic photograph captured during London's famous Notting Hill Carnival. While the event itself offers an almost endless supply of photographic opportunities, Kim has chosen to concentrate on something much smaller, capturing three figures partially concealed behind decorative fans against a graffiti-covered urban backdrop. The contrast between the elaborate fans and the raw surroundings is particularly striking, while the positioning of the figures gives the photograph an almost choreographed appearance. It's playful, full of character, and another fantastic example of how an everyday gesture can become something genuinely special when viewed through a photographer's lens.

"During the Notting Hill Carnival, London’s West End transforms into a whirlwind of steel pans, booming sound systems, and vibrant masquerade bands. This event, Europe’s largest street festival celebrating Caribbean culture since 1966, attracts millions of visitors each year. Under the sweltering August sun, attendees from all over the world cool themselves with bright fans, becoming part of the living performance. In this intimate frame, three figures hide behind ornate fans. Their rhythmic waving, set against a backdrop of raw urban graffiti, adds a sophisticated, fluttering layer to the carnival’s famous kaleidoscope of colors, turning a simple gesture of cooling down into an exuberant choreography."

Rounding out the top three is Paul Mckenzie with A family affair, an intimate and rather fascinating photograph captured at the Wah Fu housing complex in Hong Kong. Here, Mckenzie has used framing and shadow to tell a much bigger story than the photograph initially suggests. A child bends down to retrieve a toy, a father is represented only by his shadow, and a woman's striking gold high heel makes an unexpected appearance within the composition. It's an unusual combination of details, but that's precisely what makes the image so compelling. There's a wonderful sense of humour and humanity to the scene, with the contrast between the glamorous footwear and the weathered surroundings creating a photograph that feels almost theatrical, despite being rooted in an ordinary family moment.

"In the densely populated Wah Fu housing complex, worn by time and life, and home to an economically disadvantaged working-class community, a father plays with his child as the mother casually walks into the frame, like an unexpected apparition in an intimate fragment of daily life. The scene highlights the contrast between the mother’s perceived glamour and her humble surroundings: as the child bends down to pick up a toy, only the mother’s leg and a foot in an eccentric golden high heel are visible. The father remains just outside the frame, present only through his shadow playing with the child."

The Siena Awards were established with the ambition of transforming the historic Italian city into an international centre for photography, bringing together established professionals, emerging photographers, amateurs and enthusiasts through a series of competitions, exhibitions and cultural events. The project celebrates photography as a universal language, connecting people and cultures through powerful visual storytelling. This year's winning photographs form part of the Siena Awards Festival, with exhibitions running until November 29, 2026.

What makes these three photographs particularly special, at least in my eyes, is that none relies on an extraordinary event to make an extraordinary picture. Instead, they demonstrate the real beauty of street photography: finding order in chaos, recognising the unexpected, and having the patience to wait for everything to come together. From the reflections of a Roman bus stop to the energy of Notting Hill Carnival and an intimate family moment in Hong Kong, these images are a wonderful reminder that some of the best photographic stories are happening right in front of us. Sometimes, all it takes is someone with a camera who knows when to press the shutter.

Exposure One has announced the winners of its Photographer of the Year Awards 2026, bringing to an end the latest edition of one of the world’s major celebrations of black-and-white photography.

This year, the competition crowned an International Photographer of the Year from its professional entrants and an International Discovery of the Year from its amateur entrants.

Snagging the professional accolade was Joshua YeheNara, with a series of 8x10 large-format film frames of rocks seemingly floating through the air. The New York City-based photographer told Exposure One that he used “some specialized equipment and techniques” to create the illusionary effects.

In fact, YeheNara is an ultraspecialist photographer who not only shoots with, but restores and even modifies, classic, rare Deardorff large-format studio cameras.

“I am currently the only known photographer to own both an 8×20-inch and an 11×28-inch panoramic Deardorff studio camera,” he told the event organizers. “Fewer than 350 of these cameras were ever manufactured.”

Another New York State-based photographer, Ed Healy, took the overall amateur accolade at this year’s contest. Healy’s winning frame depicted a snowy, moody, yet endearing scene following a blizzard in Buffalo on Christmas Eve 2022.

Exposure One also announced “Gold” winners across 20 categories – again differentiating between professionals and amateurs.

In the “Aerial” category, Cristina Ford (US/professional) snapped a beautiful scene of waves retreating from a black-sand beach, while Francesco Calarota (Germany/amateur) captured a large ship resting alone in dark waters, held to the rocky shore by a single fragile line.

There were also noteworthy winners in the Event category. Los Angeles-based Scarlett Freund captured the joy of the Pride Festival in her city, winning the professional award.

Swiss photographer Nady Rizk took the amateur accolade, snapping a creative frame of a performer at the Montreal Jazz Festival in Canada, rendered on the LCD screen of another festival-goer’s camera.

According to Exposure One, the jury was made up of photography and arts professionals affiliated with institutions including the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA), Leica Gallery Los Angeles, Aperture, and the Art Gallery of Alberta.

To see all the winning images for this year’s Photographer of the Year Awards, head to the Exposure One website.

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14-year-old photographer Oscar Whitfield has won the prestigious Young Wildlife Photographer of the Year award with a striking black-and-white close-up image of a determined dung beetle rolling a ball of dung, with a swarm of flies nearby.

The award-winning image, Labour of Love, was taken with a full-frame mirrorless camera and telephoto lens during a family game drive in Zimbabwe, where the British photographer lives. The photo has earned Oscar one of the biggest honors in wildlife photography.

The Wildlife Photographer of the Year, developed and produced by the Natural History Museum, London, announced him as the winner of the 11–14 Years category and the competition’s Young Wildlife Photographer of the Year Grand Title.

The Young Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2026

Tech info
Camera: Canon EOS R6 Mark II
Lens: Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM | C
Exposure: 1/1250 sec, f/6.5, ISO 3200

"This is exceptionally well done. Photographing such a small, constantly moving subject is challenging, yet the image feels so intentional. The composition reveals an entire story and by doing so the photograph quietly reveals how life cycles depend on what we often overlook or dismiss," explains Jury Member Jasper Doest.

Oscar is a Stonyhurst College pupil, where students have access to state-of-the-art facilities to help them explore and develop their skills in photography.

"We hope his success will inspire other young people to explore their own creative interests and discover the extraordinary opportunities that photography can offer," explains Sarah Joseph, Deputy Head Academic.

She also highlights the technical skill and creativity behind Oscar's award-winning image, as well as "the patience, curiosity and attention to detail required to capture something truly special."

See the winning images

The sixty-second Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition will be on display from October 16, 2026 until July 11, 2027 at the Natural History Museum in London. Tickets are available here. Discover more winning images on the Natural History Museum website.

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The AOP Emerging Talent Award winners were just announced. Austin Bradley (UK graduate, 2025) wins Gold with photographs shedding light on a shrinking glacier in Iceland. The Silver award goes to Ritchie Elder, who documented the final day of the term at the Ukrainian Saturday School at Leith Academy in Scotland – the first-of-its-kind.

"This year’s prevailing genre shining through both still and moving image submissions is undoubtedly human-focused, even where the human imprint is on places and animals.

"It's an impressive selection of work, chosen by our expert panel of judges, for our 2026 Emerging Talent finalists, and I’m looking forward to seeing their career development with anticipation," says Isabelle Doran, CEO of the Association of Photographers.

'57 Metres: Iceland’s Shrinking Glacier' wins Gold

AOP states that "Bradley wanted to find a way to visually communicate glacial retreat" making viewers understand the significance and impact of climate change through photography.

He rigged a 57-metre highline across Sólheimajökull Glacier in Iceland, "with the length of the line representing approximately how far the glacier retreats each year due to a warming climate."

Bradley spent several carbon offset days working with highliners, a small film crew and a glaciologist to capture the process on camera, with the footage set to feature in an upcoming documentary.

'Saturday School' receives Silver

Ritchie Elder documented the final day of the school term at the Ukrainian Saturday School at Leith Academy in Scotland – a first of its kind. Established more than three years ago, the school gives Ukrainian children displaced by war the chance to still be connected to their heritage, learning the language, culture and history.

Titled Saturday School, the series forms part of a wider documentary project developed in collaboration with the Association of Ukrainians in Great Britain.

See the award-winnig works

Sponsored by BUILDHOLLYWOOD, the Gold-winning work by Austin Bradley will be exhibited from October 19th–25th, 2026 across selected BUILDHOLLYWOOD digital sites throughout London, creating a street gallery for the work across the city.

In addition, co-sponsor Wex Photo Video will exhibit all finalists’ work onsite at their Putney store location in London.

Discover the 15 finalists' works here. For more information about the winners and exhibition, visit the AOP Awards website.

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The Wildlife Photographer of the Year, developed and produced by the Natural History Museum, London, has just announced its winners. The prestigious Wildlife Photographer of the Year title goes to Italian photographer Federico Veronesi, who captured a female elephant carrying a deceased calf in Huab River Valley, Damaraland, Namibia.

The heartbreaking image, The Aftermath, is a powerful black-and-white photograph that, as researchers suggest, could show us how elephants understand death. This behaviour has been observed in Asia and Africa; researchers also say it could be interpreted as a sign of grief.

"This photograph works on so many levels. Emotionally it's a gut punch, heartbreakingly poignant. Intellectually it's proof that animals have cognition. This photograph says it all!" says Kathy Moran, Chair of the Wildlife Photographer of the Year Jury.

Tech details
Gear: Nikon Z8 + Nikon Z 400mm f/2.8 TC VR S
Exposure: 1/1000sec, f/2.8, ISO 72

The story behind the still
When Veronesi was photographing elephants in Namibia, an unusual trail of drag marks across the dry riverbed caught his attention. Soon he followed up with the family group. Then he witnessed the female emerge with the calf, its leg wedged between her tusk and trunk.

See the winning images
The sixty-second Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition will be on display from October 16, 2026 until July 11, 2027 at the Natural History Museum in London.

Tickets are available here. Discover more winning images on the Natural History Museum website.

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According to the United Nations, the number of people over the age of 60 will more than double to 2.1 billion by 2050. And as populations continue to age, there are concerns that there won’t be enough young people in the workforce to meet the growing needs of health services.

In 2019, Ukrainian photojournalist Dmitry Kostyukov captured what seemed like a novel scene of an elderly woman interacting with a robot at a nursing facility in Jouarre, on the outskirts of Paris, where decision-makers were considering these challenges.

But Zora, the robot, was anything but a “futuristic marvel,” the photographer explained in an Instagram post. It was, in fact, “at the center” of an experiment in France to change care for elderly patients, Kostyukov explained.

Under the control of a nurse, the 58cm-tall robot can provide entertainment, support communication, and even lead exercise sessions.

“When Zora arrived at this nursing facility, a strange thing began happening,” Kostyukov said. “Many patients developed an emotional attachment, treating it like a baby, holding and cooing, giving it kisses on the head.”

While Zora Bots, the company behind Zora, believes its technology will help take pressure off staff by offering alternative ways of caring for an aging population, others think differently.

Some healthcare professionals and researchers say that replacing human carers with robots could risk further isolating vulnerable individuals or, at the very least, lead to infantilization, where elderly patients are treated like children.

Amusing, intriguing, or dystopian – however you view Kostyukov’s picture – the image went on to win the “Medicine in Focus” category at the 2019 Wellcome Photography Prize, a major photography exploring the intersection of science and society.

Now, the organizers of the contest are making a final call for entries to the 2027 edition, for a chance to win £10,000 (approximately $13,000 / AU$19,000). You can make yours at the official event webpage before 11:59 GMT on October 21.

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The image Power Play has won several awards this year. Now, the split-second capture of a female puma caught in a dramatic hunting attempt in Chile has earned its third photography prize, winning the Animals in their Environment category at the prestigious Siena International Photo Awards.

Retired tech executive Kevin Shi, who decided to pick up a camera and become a photographer, captured the scene at 1/2000sec. He described the moment as a "rare treat" and said that, in the end, the guanaco managed to escape.

"For days, Kevin had been following the predator, a mother of two cubs who depended on her for food. At dawn, after observing the guanaco for a long time, the puma cautiously approaches and launches her attack, repeatedly trying to pull it down and bite into its neck to suffocate it," states Siena International Photo Awards.

Animals in their Environment category winner

Image info
Title: Power Play
Location: Torres del Paine National Park, Magallanes, Chile

Tech info
Gear: Canon EOS R5 + 600mm lens
Exposure: 1/2000sec, f/6.3, ISO 1000

The wildlife photo was previously recognized as a winner at the Travel Photographer of the Year competition, the Chromatic Awards, and received a Merit Medal from HIPA.

The Siena International Photography Awards

The Siena International Photo Awards launched in 2015 in Siena, Italy and is part of the broader Siena Awards and Festival. The competition welcomes entries from professionals, amateurs and students across nine categories.

To get more information and to see all winning images, visit the award's website.

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Keeping your ISO as low as possible seems to be a fixed mantra for many photographers, but what if you don’t have the time or the light to adjust your exposure? Do you skip the shot or risk ungodly grain and motion blur?

“It’s the picture that counts,” not the settings, says wildlife tour leader and multi-award-winning British photographer Andy Rouse, who was recently named the Honorary Award winner of this year’s MontPhoto Contest, despite using what many would call sacrilegious settings.

Rouse captured his winning frame of a black leopard named Giza at Laikipia, a high-altitude, biodiverse plain in central Kenya, shooting at ISO 51200 and a 1/15-second shutter speed.

According to the photographer, there are “thousands and thousands” of images of Giza and, as he wanted to take “something different,” he cranked the ISO right up, initially planning to capture a portrait of the feline illuminated by a nocturnal lamp.

Andy Rouse’s gear and settings

• Sony A1 II
• Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS II
• Focal length: 122 mm
• Exposure: 1/15 sec | f/22 | ISO 51200

Watch: Andy Rouse tells the full story behind capturing his award-winning frame of Giza the black leopard

“When I saw it [Giza] walking, I didn’t have time to change it [the ISO], so I just left it where it was,” said Rouse. “If I’d done it again, obviously I’d have taken the ISO down,” he continued, adding that with the animal now on the move, he had to act quickly.

“You know what, though, it’s high ISO, but I took it out of DxO (post-processing software) and it (the image) won a major award,” said Rouse, adding that his frame “should stop everyone in their tracks” who worries about high ISO.

Rouse said that images you enter into a competition need to be “something special” and believes that by using the settings he chose, he was able to capture a “different take” on a much-photographed subject, impressing the MontPhoto judges.

You can see more of Andy Rouse’s work at his Instagram and access exclusive content on his Patreon page.

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I love the whole debate around using a sophisticated mirrorless or DSLR camera versus a smartphone, and this contest-winning image is yet again proof that cameraphones can stand up to professional rigs.

Taken by photographer Dianne Slotten in Catalina State Park, Arizona, on an iPhone 16 Pro, the image went on to win the Grand Prize at the 2026 America’s State Parks Photo Contest – a whopping $10,000 (approximately £7,500/AU$14,300). Not bad for a smartphone image…

Slotten’s photo, which ReserveAmerica, the contest co-host, said captured the “moody and mystical” atmosphere of a drizzly November morning in the Sonoran Desert, even pipped two other photographers who were both shooting with a Nikon Z8.

Sometimes called the “baby Z9,” the Z8 features the same powerhouse 45.7MP CMOS sensor as the flagship Nikon Z9, not to mention the solid autofocus made up of 493 phase-detect and contrast-detect points.

Chris Dahl's gear

• Nikon Z8
• Nikkor Z 24–120mm f/4 lens

The two Z8 photographers, great artists in their own rights, were Chris Dahl and Angie Precure. Dahl placed first in the “Shores & Waterways” category for what the contest co-hosts called a “quiet, deeply reflective composition” of a waterway in Hunting Island State Park, South Carolina.

Precure, meanwhile, won the “Peaks & Plains” category with a landscape shot of Steptoe Butte State Park Heritage Site, Washington, which depicted clouds during a “dramatic transition.”

Angie Precure's gear

• Nikon Z8
• Nikon Z 24-70mm f/2.8

The America’s State Parks Photo Contest is an annual national photography competition hosted by America’s State Parks in partnership with the National Association of State Park Directors (NASPD) and ReserveAmerica/Aspira.

Visitors submit photos to showcase the natural beauty, wildlife, and outdoor recreation found across state parks in all 50 U.S. states. To see all of this year’s contest-winning images and hear from the winners themselves, watch the winners video below…

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A photo of a steam train festooned with disco lights won the Christmas Parties and Seasonal Events category at the 12th annual Event Photography Awards.

It was taken by leading railways and British royal family photographer Jack Boskett, one of 250 guests who attended the ceremony at the Central Hall Westminster in London, UK.

The Event Photography Awards (EPA) is a not-for-profit competition founded to highlight the importance of great photography to the international events industry.

Over 2,300 images of events held all around the world, from photographers in over 20 countries, were entered in 2026's competition.

The EPAs comprise 18 core categories, plus a new Black & White Award – sponsored by Digital Camera magazine – introduced for 2026.

Also new is the Event Photographer of the Year accolade, bestowed in conjunction with the Best Portfolio award.

View the current and past winners of the Event Photography Awards here.

We caught up with Jack Boskett after the ceremony and asked him to illuminate us about his colorful capture…

"It was an absolute shock and I was delighted to win," Boskett said. "I think this is the fourth year running that I have won an award at the EPAs.

"Winning makes all the hard work of being a photographer worthwhile, and it's even harder for photographers to stand out these days because of AI.

"So when genuine photography wins awards – I'm not just saying me, but everyone else who has won this evening and everybody who was shortlisted – it's absolutely fantastic to see so many stunning, genuine photographs."

Boskett's photo was taken during an event on the Severn Valley Railway in England, UK, called the Boogie Lights Express.

A bespoke sound and light show, "thousands of coloured LED lights make the steam train look magical inside and out," says the SVR website.

A family-oriented event, passengers are given colored LED wristbands, and get to enjoy a disco on the two-way 70-minute journey between Kidderminster and Highley stations.

Photographing 'The Boogie Lights Express'

"It was a hard shot to take," Boskett adds. "The locomotive is doing about 25 miles an hour in the dark, and you've got to focus on having the right camera settings.

"I cranked up the ISO quite high, but the shutter speed was very low – 1/50 sec. It was literally pitch black and there was no light around me.

"When the locomotive came through the cutting, through the trees, it just shone and lit up everything around me and looked better than I expected.

"I wasn't expecting 'The Boogie Lights Express' to win tonight. There were some very, very good photographs in the category, so it was a really nice surprise to come out on top."

Camera used: Nikon Z 9 and Nikon Z 70-200mm f/2.8 VR S at 70mm. Settings: 1/50 sec at f/3.2, ISO 2000.

Click here to see more of Jack Boskett's photography.

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In the pitch darkness of night, a lifesaving rescue takes place on a Mexican beach. Under the fiery red light of a nocturnal lamp, conservation worker Isreal Oblea helps an olive ridley sea turtle move her newly laid eggs farther up to beach from the shoreline.

The mother turtle is exhausted, having made the long pilgrimage to El Suspiro in Baja California, and has nested too close to the water. With the rising tide comes the risk of her eggs being swept away, but Oblea’s actions mean that the offspring will get a chance at life.

The shot was taken by Spanish photographer Miguel Serrano Ruiz (Miguel SR) and is a part of a series that recently won the “Portfolio” category at the 2026 Ocean Photographer of the Year Awards (Ocean POTY).

Miguel SR's gear and settings

• Sony A7 III
• Sigma 24-70mm DG DN Art
• 1/100 / f/3.5 / ISO 3200

An independent documentary photographer and filmmaker, Miguel SR’s work focuses on social and environmental stories. He told the Ocean POTY organizers that he’d initially gone to the conservation camp in El Suspiro to document the olive ridley turtle nesting season (July-December).

But the photographer explained that living among the conservationists for a month shed light on how they “dedicated their lives” to ensure the survival of this turtle species, which is included on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

Miguel SR also photographed Deira Gordillo, who, like Isreal Oblea, was captured burning the midnight lamp. Only Gordillo’s essential work that night was to record nesting and hatching data for Mexican environmental authorities. According to Miguel SR, Gordillo’s team patrols the beach every night from 2:30 a.m. until sunrise to observe nests.

Sometimes, however, the conservationists find that a turtle has died and are tasked with digging graves for it in the sand to prevent the spread of bacteria and disease, Miguel SR explained. This is a sad reality of the work, despite the paradisiacal setting.

As the “Portfolio” category winner, Miguel SR took home £1,000 (approx. $1,300 / AU$1,900), along with being featured in this year’s competition winners book. The overall Ocean POTY winner for 2026 was Julien Anton for his paternal scene of a father seahorse with his offspring.

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'Slayer Fans' was crowned best photo in the Music Events – Audiences category in the Event Photography Awards 2026.

It was taken by events and wedding photographer Brian Robinson at a Slayer concert in London in 2025.

A not-for-profit competition, the Event Photography Awards (EPA) was established to highlight the importance of great photography to the international events industry.

Some 2,300 images of events from around the world, taken by photographers in over 20 countries, were entered in 2026's competition.

18 core categories form the EPAs, and a new Black & White Award – sponsored by Digital Camera magazine – was introduced for 2026.

Also taking a bow this year was the Event Photographer of the Year accolade, bestowed in conjunction with the Best Portfolio award.

View the current and past winners of the Event Photography Awards here.

After the ceremony at the Central Hall Westminster in London, UK, attended by more than 250 guests, we caught up with Robinson to discover more about his winning image…

"I was photographing the Slayer show at Finsbury Park in 2025, working with film director Ryan McFall," Robinson recalls, "and was shooting behind-the-scenes photos for the film crew filming Slayer.

"While I was photographing the crew, the band and literally everything to do with the show, I clocked the fan in the middle of the shot who was absolutely loving it.

"As most photographers would have done, I took a quick gauge of my settings, turned around, burst off a few frames and went back to work, photographing the crew and the band."

"When editing it later I noticed how much passion was on the faces of everybody else, and also the legs that were flying across the top – at that moment, I knew it had to be a black and white picture."

Robinson is a Slayer fan himself, so photographing the band was a dream come true for him.

"I've been that guy on the front row, so I felt how he was feeling and hope I've captured that."

Photographing music and live events is Robinson's passion. Collaborating regularly with film director McFall has opened doors to working at big concerts like Slayer's.

"Event photography is not just about the band – it's more about shooting [what goes on] behind the scenes.

"I've only entered a few competitions before, for weddings, which I occasionally shoot, but this is the first award I've won.

"It was definitely worth making the long journey from Cornwall [in south-west England] to London!"

Camera and lens used: Canon EOS R6 and Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM at 46mm. Exposure: 1/500 sec at f/3.2, ISO 800.

Click here to see more of Brian Robinson's photography.

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German music photographer Afra Gethoeffer Gruetz took two wins at the Event Photography Awards 2026 – bagging the best black and white image, plus sharing top spot in one of the categories for music.

The Event Photography Awards (EPA) is a not-for-profit competition, founded to highlight the importance of high quality photography to the international events industry.

Over 2,300 images captured at events around the world were entered in 2026's competition, submitted by photographers in more than 20 countries.

Gethoeffer Gruetz's 'Black Ink' shot was crowned best photo in the inaugural Black & White Award category – sponsored by Digital Camera magazine – while 'Deep Growl', a shot of Yukina from the band Hanabie headbanging during a show, placed joint first in the Music Events – Performers category.

The EPAs comprises 18 core categories, and the Black & White Award was introduced for 2026, alongside the Event Photographer of the Year accolade, bestowed in conjunction with the Best Portfolio award.

View the current and past winners of the Event Photography Awards here.

Gethoeffer Gruetz was unable to attend the ceremony at the Central Hall Westminster in London, UK, so we caught up her afterwards so she could tell us the story behind 'Black Ink'…

Based in Munich in southern Germany, Gethoeffer Gruetz has a PhD in art history and her photography journey started in 2015, shooting photos of live gigs for the online magazine metal1.info.

Since then, she has mostly photographed metal and punk shows, specializing in low-light photography.

So it must be very satisfying to have won a prestigious international award for 'Black Ink', her photo of Evan Seinfeld from the American hardcore band Biohazard.

It was taken at the Backstage Werk, the most important club for live music in Munich, which is a significant venue for the city's subculture.

"The photo was taken with a Nikon Z 6II and the Nikon Z 24-70mm f/2.8," she says. "The settings were 1/400sec at f/2.8, ISO 1800, which is pretty typical for me at a hardcore show.

Concert photography is all seeing a picture and reacting in a moment, and fortunately Gethoeffer Gruetz was in the right position to place Seinfeld under the halo above him.

"The options for changing my position were pretty limited; it was more like realizing how cool the halo looked from the position I was already in.

"All you can do is adjust your position by bending your knees or taking a little step to the left or the right.

"In concert photography, at least at shows with fast lights and lots of movement by the musicians, I don't plan my shots – I react to what I get.

The photo was shot in landscape orientation, then cropped to portrait to remove distracting elements.

"I actually had the musician from the hips up, including the mic stand and the neck of his bass guitar, but to get rid of all that, cropping it to portrait format was the only option."

The challenges for this type of photography are well-known – crowded photo pits and being able to photograph a limited number of songs (usually the first three, and hardcore songs tend to be quite short) – plus only being able to work with the lighting in the venue.

"For this photo, low light wasn't the problem; it was pretty bright, but mostly backlight which can be challenging as well."

Gethoeffer Gruetz says the decision to convert the photo to black and white came at the editing stage – she never thinks about editing while shooting.

"For me, editing is always a process during which I find out what the best edit will be for each individual photo – I never use presets.

"In this case the tattoos need hard contrast and color would have been distracting, but that was something I discovered at the editing stage."

And the judges on Digital Camera magazine were suitably impressed, awarding Gethoeffer Gruetz the Black and White category award.

"It's definitely one of my favorite pictures of 2025 and one of my all-time black and white favorites," she says.

"I don't actually edit a lot in black and white, only if I think it will give the photo an extra dimension. I guess in this photo it worked out perfectly, and I am really happy the judges thought so as well."

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Leica has announced the winners of its 2026 Leica Oskar Barnack Award, with photographer Damir Faizulin taking home the top prize, American photographer Laila AnnMarie Stevens winning the Newcomer Award, and Italian photographer Valentina Sinis becoming the first recipient of the Leica Oskar Barnack Women Grant.

The three photographers were honored during Leica's Celebration of Photography on October 8, held at the World of Leica in Wetzlar, Germany. Now in its 46th year, the prestigious photography competition continues to celebrate photographers who use their cameras to explore the world around them, often tackling important social, cultural, and environmental issues.

This year's winners were selected from more than 400 entries, with each project offering a distinctly different perspective on the human experience.

Damir Faizulin takes the top honor with his powerful documentary series, Preserving Nature as Preserving Ourselves, which explores the changing landscape and communities of Dagestan in Russia's North Caucasus region. Through his photography, Faizulin captures the delicate relationship between people and nature, documenting how growing tourism, modern development, and the gradual disappearance of traditional ways of life are reshaping the region.

Having first visited Dagestan in 2020, he moved there the following year to immerse himself in its culture and document these changes firsthand. “It’s important to me that a photograph does not simplify reality, but rather helps us recognise its complexity.” His achievement is particularly remarkable because, until age 33, Faizulin pursued a career as a professional wrestler and martial artist before turning to documentary photography. Even more impressively, this was his first international photography competition.

Meanwhile, American photographer Laila AnnMarie Stevens has claimed the Newcomer Award for her deeply personal black-and-white series, Clayton Sisterhood Project. Drawing inspiration from her own family history, Stevens explores the importance of female solidarity, identity, and belonging through the lives of her two sisters and four nieces, who left Queens, New York, to establish a shared home in Clayton, North Carolina.

The resulting photographs offer an intimate look at contemporary family structures, celebrating the strength and connections between generations of Black women. Stevens, who began having her photography published in The New York Times at just 20 years old, has already established herself as an exciting emerging talent. Reflecting on the recognition, she said: “Taking into account the current political climate in the United States, where so many rights relating to autonomy, care and visibility are being actively challenged, this award has given me high hopes.”

The third award marks an important milestone for Leica, with the inaugural Women Grant going to Italian photographer Valentina Sinis for her ongoing project, The Last Butterflies. Her work follows Kurdish women who have left their homes to join the armed resistance in Iraqi Kurdistan, exploring themes of sacrifice, identity, and the personal consequences of conflict. With support from the grant, Sinis will continue documenting their experiences, looking more closely at how war changes relationships with family, homeland, and the very idea of belonging. Her next chapter will combine portraits, landscapes, and photographs of abandoned places, with the completed work scheduled to be presented at next year's awards. Commenting on the project, Leica's Karin Rehn-Kaufmann said: “The Last Butterflies powerfully depicts the new role that women have been playing in war for some time now. The images show how they are joining together to fight for their country without men, in a clear and moving depiction. It’s important that Valentina Sinis is able to continue and complete this project.”

Selecting this year's winners was no small task, with a five-person jury evaluating an exceptionally diverse collection of photographic work. The main award drew nominations from more than 130 photography experts across approximately 50 countries, while the Newcomer category involved 28 institutions and universities from 18 countries.

What makes the Leica Oskar Barnack Award particularly interesting is that it doesn't simply reward technically impressive photographs, but recognizes projects that have something meaningful to say. From environmental change to family connections and the consequences of war, this year's winning series demonstrate just how powerful photography can be as a storytelling medium.

As Rehn-Kaufmann explained: “This year’s selection struck me as being particularly multi-layered and nuanced. It was less about making quick visual impact and more about encouraging long-term exploration and depth of photographic research.”

First established in 1980, the Leica Oskar Barnack Award has grown into one of the most respected and financially significant competitions in photography. Faizulin receives €40,000 alongside €10,000 worth of Leica camera equipment, while Stevens takes home €10,000 and a Leica Q3. Sinis also receives €10,000, a Leica Q3, and professional support to help bring the next stage of her project to life.

All three awards underline Leica's continued commitment to supporting photography that goes beyond simply producing beautiful images. The winning projects, alongside the wider 2026 shortlist, will be showcased at the Ernst Leitz Museum in Wetzlar, accompanied by a dedicated catalog featuring complete photographic series, interviews, and background stories.

The exhibition will subsequently travel to Leica Galleries and photography festivals, giving audiences around the world an opportunity to experience some of the most compelling photographic storytelling of the year.

For more information, visit www.leica-oskar-barnack-award.com.

It was a case of first time lucky several times over for Marc James at the Event Photography Awards 2026… the US-born photographer topped two categories, and bagged the Event Photographer of the Year crown.

James's 'Headless Chicken' photo (pictured above) won the Behind the Scenes category while 'Old Friends' was judged to be the best Conferences & Corporate Events image.

And he also took home a check for US$1,350/£1,000/AU$1,900 as Event Photographer of the Year, an additional accolade for having won the Best Portfolio Award.

The Event Photography Awards (EPA) is a not-for-profit competition and showcases the importance of great photography to the international events industry.

For 2026's edition, professional and amateur photographers in over 20 countries submitted more than 2,300 images of events that took place around the world.

18 core categories make up the EPAs and a new Black & White Award was introduced for 2026, sponsored by Digital Camera World magazine.

Another newcomer for 2026 was the accolade of Event Photographer of the Year, awarded in conjunction with the Best Portfolio prize.

View the current and past winners of the Event Photography Awards here.

The ceremony at the Central Hall Westminster in London, UK, was attended by more than 250 guests, but we managed to track down Marc James at the reception afterwards to find out more about his two category-winning photos…

'Headless Chicken' – best Behind the Scenes photo

James was working at the World Halal Food Festival at the London Stadium in the UK, and came across an interesting scene.

"Once in a while, the universe aligns and the stars come together," he explains. "This just came up right in front of me and all I had to do was click the shutter.

"The photograph tells it all: it was a very, very hot day and I felt so bad for this poor young girl. She had worked hard and was suffering.

"I thought it was a fun and cheeky photo but I didn't think it would be so crowd pleasing.

"It's a fun photo, but there was stiff competition – so many great artists entered this year's competition, and there were plenty of great photographs for the judges to pick from."

But there's more to event photography than pointing and shooting. Photographers work very hard to find the right light, notes James, and an angle that will flatter the subject.

"We work very hard to design shots for our clients, and do everything we can to get the best shot possible."

His professionalism and attention to detail saw him go home with more than one award from the Event Photography Awards 2026, though…

'Old Friends' – best Conferences & Corporate Events photo

Another assignment saw James documenting the pre-show networking drinks at the Georgian Group Architecture Awards held at Inner Temple, London, UK.

It was a jovial environment, remembers James, as people were catching up with friends they might not have seen for a while.

"I was set up to take another photograph a little to the right of the two subjects, and out of the corner of my eye I saw these men having a touching moment.

"In my head, it seemed that they'd had a long friendship. You don't see this amount of connection at a lot of corporate events, people showing genuine emotion.

"For a pair of senior men they're quite tactile – you'd think they would be the most stoic, hands-off, people in the room.

"I was glad my exposure was correct and I was able to take the shot very quickly. And there's a lovely symmetry with the lady in red in the background.

"The Inner Temple [in the heart of London's legal district] is a gorgeous venue, too, really well lit and very historic. I was honored to have gotten that job."

But winning this trophy might never had happened… had James's wife not encouraged him to submit it to the Event Photography Awards.

"Initially, I wasn't going to enter it. My wife has got a good eye and is my official photo picker.

"She knows quality when she sees it, and pushed and pushed me to enter it, but I was a bit reticent.

"Looking at the other high-quality entries to the Corporate Events category, I didn't think that 'Old Friends' had a huge chance, but she insisted and I'm glad I listened to her."

Event Photographer of the Year

But there was another gong on the night for James. Having won two categories, come runner up overall and having had many photos shortlisted, he won the Best Portfolio Award, which this year came with the additional accolade of Event Photographer of the Year.

Based in London, James is originally from the US and had a previous career before taking up photography.

"As you can probably hear, I'm not from these parts, but from just outside Boston, MA, and I worked in finance before becoming a photographer.

"My wife and got married around the time of Covid and were waiting for our UK visas to be approved.

"I had an epiphany and didn't want to regret anything later in life, so I decided to give photography my all.

"I jumped in with two feet and was very, very lucky to find some really good mentors who believed in me from the start.

"It was a steep learning curve but with effort, perseverance and a lot of support behind me, it has been a fun ride so far."

Click here to see more of Marc James's photography.

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Deep in the bowels of a dark wine vat, Spanish photographer Juan Miguel Ortuño Martínez clicked the shutter, capturing the moment a winery worker, Pedro, cleaned the enormous apparatus from the inside.

The image went on to win the 2026 Louis Jadot Wine Photographer of the Year, regarded as the major wine photography contest worldwide, and which forms part of the World Food Photography Awards.

With the 2027 award now open for entries, Juan Miguel has shed light on how, while working in near-total darkness, he created his commended image.

“The light was extremely scarce and that was the greatest difficulty in getting the shot,” the photographer told the competition organizers.

Juan Miguel used a Canon R5 with a Canon 24mm lens at f/1.4, ISO 6000 and a shutter speed of 1/12sec, explaining that he pushed the equipment to its “absolute limit” to recreate the atmosphere.

“The atmosphere was entirely real,” said Juan Miguel, who deliberately chose to only rely on the scarce light filtering through the vat entrance from a lamp outside.

“It was the light falling on the central figure, and if he had moved a few centimeters he would have melted into the darkness and the image would have lost much of its interest,” Juan Miguel explained.

The judges agreed, with Decanter magazine's Patrick Grabham, a judge for the 2026 World Food Photography Awards, naming the image his favorite from that edition of the event.

"It's a beautifully observed photograph. I love the use of light and the way it draws in the viewer,” he said.

The 2027 Louis Jadot Wine Photographer of the Year competition is now open. Head to the official website to see all World Food Photography Awards contest categories and entry requirements.

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Maternal instincts transcend all species, be it on land or below water, and at this year’s Ocean Photographer of the Year Awards (Ocean POTY), there were two particularly intimate scenes of a mother’s love for her young, both gaining commendation from the contest judges.

Underwater photographer Andrea Michelutti created both images in Anilao, a diving hotspot in the Philippines.

The first is of a harlequin crab resting at the entrance of a tubular sponge, carefully tending her cluster of orange eggs. The second is of a shrimp carrying a clutch of eggs, sheltering within coral branches.

Andrea Michelutti's gear and settings

• Sony RX100 VII (compact)
• Lens: 24-200mm f/2.8-4.5 (built-in)
• Marelux housing
• Marelux Apollo S strobes
• Focal Length: 29.10 mm (in 35mm: 79 mm)
• Exposure: 1/1000 sec; / f/11 / ISO 100

On shooting the harlequin crab, Michelutti told the contest organizers: “Capturing this rare moment of maternal care required several dives at the same site, waiting for the crab to emerge.”

And when it finally did, the diver used a snoot light – a specialized tube or optical device attached to an underwater strobe or flash to concentrate the light beam.

According to Michelutti, this isolated the mother crab from the “busy reef,” revealing an “intimate glimpse of life” hidden within the sponge. Michelutti also used this snooting technique to photograph the shrimp.

Andrea Michelutti's gear and settings

• Sony RX100 VII (compact)
• Lens: 24-200mm f/2.8-4.5 (built-in)
• Marelux housing
• Marelux Apollo S strobes
• Focal Length: 22.50 mm (in 35mm: 61 mm)
• Exposure: ISO 64 / f/11, 1/1000 seconds

The photographer explained how, this time, he placed the snoot light behind the coral to create the “fiery glow” surrounding the eggs. At the same time, the diver used a front light to reveal details of the mother shrimp’s body, taking care not to disturb what he called its “fragile habitat.”

Both of these endearing scenes struck a chord with the Ocean POTY judges. The vibrant image of the shrimp transporting her young placed second in the “The Ocean Unseen: Hidden Worlds” category. And the image of the harlequin crab protecting her offspring was a finalist in the same category.

Mitsuna Kawai's blackwater portrait of a ribbonfish among salps won the "Ocean Unseen" category at this year’s contest. But the overall title of Ocean Photographer of the Year 2026 went to Julien Anton for his paternal scene of a father seahorse with his offspring.

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When photographer Santiago Pérez Rincón was in Tolima, Colombia, for a wedding, he took the opportunity to visit the natural valley in the region of Cañón del Río Anaime.

Rincón then shot an image that will later be referred to as an eye-opening capture, showcasing an endangered Yellow-eared Parrot whose survival depends on the wax palm. Now the image has been recognized in the Conservation category at the Audubon Photography Awards.

"Some of the country’s last wax palm forests survive here, even as multinational corporations continue clearing these ecosystems to make way for monocultures of Hass avocado crops," Rincón explains to Audubon magazine. With a local guide, he was able to spot a Yellow-eared Parrot.

Rincón continues, "I hope this image of the bird and palm surrounded by crops conveys a message of vigilance: Thanks to the tireless efforts of environmental advocates, the species was saved from near extinction – but if avocado plantations keep encroaching, the parrot’s story of recovery could take a turn for the worse," he explains.

Winner: Conservation

Contest: Chile and Colombia
Species: Yellow-eared Parrot
Location: Cañón del Río Anaime, Tolima, Colombia
Gear: Sony A7 IV + Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS
Exposure: 1/800 sec, f/5.6; ISO 1600

Judge’s Take (Jaír F. Coll)
"This photograph captures the poignant resilience of the Yellow-eared Parrot. The scene contrasts the bird’s solitude with a background dominated by the geometry of monoculture crops, highlighting the fragmentation of the species’ habitat.

"With an impeccable composition, the work is not only aesthetically beautiful but also serves as an urgent invitation to reflect on the pressure that agribusiness exerts on our Andean landscape and its endemic species. "

The Audubon Photography Awards
This is a competition celebrating photographers who use their skills to highlight the beauty, challenges and threats facing birds across Chile, Colombia, Canada and the United States. You can explore all 2026 winning images here.

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What makes a pitbull dangerous? Is it their nature or their nurture? These are the sorts of questions that US-based pet photographer Katie Brockman has raised after recently becoming the International Dog Photographer of the Year 2026.

Crowned queen of the Studio category as well as the overall competition, Brockman’s portrait of her adorable pet bully, Caldwell, highlights what she says are the “injustices” he, and all bully breeds, face “simply for existing.”

“For this image, I wanted to convey society’s complicated relationship with pitbulls and bully breeds,” she told the competition organizers. “The collar and chain represent breed bans, restrictions and other ways pitbulls are punished.”

Brockman used real newspaper clippings to make Caldwell’s crown and collar, which featured headlines both praising and demonizing pitbulls.

The photographer said these represent how the breed is unjustly “caught in the middle” between critics and advocates through no fault of its own.

A longtime advocate of the breed, Brockman adopted Caldwell from a rescue center, finally giving him a forever home after three years.

The award-winning photographer believes it’s “still a long road” until pitbulls are treated equally to other breeds, but she’s confident it will eventually happen.

The Dog Photography Awards celebrated canine frames across a range of themes and settings.

In the Action category, Slovenian photographer Nika Kuplenk Golobič placed first for her high-octane shot of a client pooch named Ori springing toward the camera through the snow.

Golobič explained that she got “incredibly lucky” as the location and the light created a “magical atmosphere.”

And over in the Dogs & People category, Sarah Ebner, from Switzerland, came out on top for her self-portrait taken with her dog, Koda.

Ebner explained that the photo was captured in a special place where she used to take both Koda and her other dog, Faye, who died last year. “Even though she wasn’t physically there with us anymore, in my heart, she was there with us.”

The 2026 edition of the photography competition saw roughly 1,900 entries from 50 countries. As the overall winner, Katie Brockman claimed €700 (approximately $800 / £600), an engraved trophy and a spotlight placement in the competition’s annual book and winners’ gallery.

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The Ocean Photographer of the Year competition added a new category this year: Ocean Unseen: Hidden Worlds. Its focus, as the name suggests, was our oceans' smallest and least-seen inhabitants: the microscopic and the overlooked. And its first winner, Mitsuna Kawai, has set the bar high.

Captured during a dive off the coast of Osezaki, Japan, this March, it's a dramatic scene alright. A ribbonfish rises vertically through the dark waters, as gossamer filaments trail and loop from its fins.

A swarm of salps – small, jelly-like animals that feed on tiny particles in the water – drift around it, transforming what might have been a dull black background into a maelstrom of color. It looks less like a typical underwater shot and more like something from fantasy or sci-fi.

All the more surprising, then, that the kit behind it is relatively modest. This picture was taken on a Canon EOS R10, a 24MP APS-C mirrorless body aimed at beginners and enthusiasts.

The lens is the RF-S 18-150mm f/3.5-6.3 IS STM, the travel zoom Canon often bundles with said model, set to its widest 18mm (29mm in full-frame terms). Exposure was 1/160 sec at f/9 and ISO200, in manual, at 19:45pm local time on a late March evening.

That lens choice makes a lot of sense. When you're hanging in open water at night, there's no real way of knowing what's about to drift by: it could be something the size of a fingernail-sized or a behemoth with meter-long tentacles. You can't change lenses inside a housing, though, so a zoom that covers wide-angle through to short telephoto is just the ticket.

The focus distance of this image was just 28cm – and that's smart, too. Shooting wide and close minimizes the amount of water between your lens and your subject, leading to stronger color, greater contrast and less backscatter (lit-up particles) in the frame.

Yes, you want some of the latter to make the scene feel immersive, but you don't want to go overboard, so to speak.

Few people on Earth will ever see a scene like this in real life, which is exactly why this category is such a great innovation. Not to mention being a reminder that specialist kit matters less than knowing where to be and how close to get.

Presented by Oceanographic and Blancpain, the Ocean Photographer of the Year drew more than 15,000 entries this year, with Julien Anton's seahorse portrait taking the overall title. You can view all this year's winners in the gallery.

While regular practice is the ultimate way to become a good photographer, critiquing other people’s images is also an important aspect of your development.

The more types of photography you observe, the more critical your eye becomes – an important skill needed for producing your own images.

And now, with the Exposure One Awards having opened its People’s Vote Award as part of the 2026 Photographer of the Year, what better way to not only see a vast array of new monochrome imagery, but to hone your eye further.

Each year, the black-and-white contest – which also accepts sepia and single-color-tone images – puts all entries nominated by judges for the Photographer of the Year Award forward for a People’s Vote Award, too.

At this year’s event, images across some 20 categories have been nominated, with themes including wildlife, architecture, abstraction, nudity, portraiture, photojournalism and landscapes.

To cast your vote, simply head to the People’s Vote webpage, spend some time critiquing the nominated shots – there are many, by the way – and select your winner.

So far, almost 30,000 votes have been cast and, according to the rules, you're allowed to vote once per day until the deadline, which is 05:00 BST on October 12 (be sure to convert this to your local time).

If you're keen on taking part, then my tip is to vote once per category, so you’re exposed to the breadth of this year’s nominated images.

Personally, I’ve been impressed by Brazilian photographer Ronaldo Andrade’s shot titled Travessia, or "Crossing". The scene depicts Pesca da Tainha, a traditional artisanal mullet fishing ritual that takes place annually between May 01 and July 10 in Florianópolis, Brazil.

I’m also a fan of Parisian Pierre-Yves Cruaud’s image of a pair of old hands on top of one another. A simple yet intriguing frame, it’s a great example of how seemingly everyday moments, like resting one’s hand on a table, can make great pictures.

The event organizers haven’t yet said when the People’s Vote winners will be announced, but keep an eye on the event webpage for updates. We’ll also be covering further updates about the 2026 Exposure One Photographer of the Year Award here on Digital Camera World, so stay tuned.

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Capturing an Olibird in flight "inside its sanctuary of shadows was a test of patience and technique," explains wildlife photographer Faber Mosquera Álvarez.

Now the image that cost him nerves and pain has been announced as the category winner in Birds in Landscapes, Colombia, at the prestigious Audubon Photography Awards.

"I knew the lighting conditions in the cavern would be critical, so I went ahead of the group I was with, crossing a rushing river to find the perfect angle without disturbing the area," he says to Audubon magazine.

Álvarez increased the light sensitivity of his APS-C DSLR and selected a fast shutter speed of 1/250 sec to freeze the birds' movement.

He adds, "As my companions caught up with me, the cave came alive in an explosion of fluttering wings. I had a nasty fall on the river rocks on my return trip, but my knee pain vanished when I saw this image," explains Álvarez.

Winner: Birds in Landscapes, Colombia

Contest: Chile and Colombia
Species: Oilbird
Location: Cañón de los Guácharos, Quindío, Colombia
Gear: Nikon D500 + Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM | C
Exposure: 1/1250 sec, f/5; ISO 8000

Judge’s Take (Sebastian Herzog)
"Taking sharp, captivating photos of birds in flight requires a lot of experience and skill, but capturing a primarily nocturnal bird inside a cave without using a flash is on another level!

"This photo stands out for its technically complex execution, which freezes the Oilbird in mid-flight and allows us to discern all the details of its plumage, despite lighting conditions far from ideal. It offers us a rare glimpse into the dark home of this enigmatic species."

The Audubon Photography Awards
This is a competition celebrating photographers who use their skills to highlight the beauty, challenges and threats facing birds across Chile, Colombia, Canada and the United States. You can explore all 2026 winning images here.

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Established in 2008, the Fritz Pölking Prize celebrates extraordinary nature photography stories and portfolios. And this year's winning series certainly fits that bill.

Tales of the Forest Keepers, by Dutch biologist and photojournalist Michiel van Noppen, takes us into the rainforests of Costa Rica and tells the story of the extraordinary relationship between the Baird’s tapir – the largest native land mammal in Central America – and the rare Jícaro Danto tree.

Above, you can see my favorite image from the project. Two Baird's tapirs, the older Mamita and a youngster called Julian, forage around the base of a tree in a Costa Rican rainforest. Clusters of cucumber-like fruit hang from the trunk. Mamita, wearing a GPS collar, stretches up to feed.

It's not a particularly showy or dramatic image. There's no front-cover 'wow-factor' here. Yet this is the picture that explains everything about the story.

The tree is a Jícaro Danto (Parmentiera valerii), found only in the Guanacaste Mountain Range; around 600 are thought to survive in the wild. Its fibrous fruit has just one disperser: the endangered Baird's tapir, which eats it, wanders for kilometres and deposits the seeds in a ready-made pile of fertilizer.

Mamita is guiding Julian around the Jícaro Danto trees of Tapir Valley Nature Reserve, a buffer zone of over 100 hectares next to Tenorio Volcano National Park. You're watching one generation teach the next how to keep a symbiosis alive.

It's also good to know that this photo didn't depend on having the latest or most expensive kit. The camera is a Nikon D3100, the 14MP APS-C DSLR that Nikon launched as an entry-level model in 2010.

The lens is a Sigma 10-20mm f/4-5.6 EX DC HSM, set to 18mm, or 27mm in full-frame terms. Exposure was 1/200 sec at f/8 and ISO800, in manual.

To my mind, the most important decision here was going wide with the shot. Had the framing been tighter, at best he'd have got a good close-up.

This picture, however, gives you the whole shebang: the fruit at the top of the trunk, the mother feeding in the middle, the son bottom-left, the trunk acting as a central spine for the eye to follow and dense forest framing everything beautifully.

In the words of juror Hanneke Van Camp: "That's exactly what conservation photography is about: making the complex connections between species visible, bringing together scientific and local knowledge and showing ways for people and nature to live well alongside each other."

Van Noppen will be honored as part of the official award ceremony of the European Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2026 competition, held at the International Nature Photography Festival on October 23.

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Ordinarily when you take a picture at night, you want to reduce the darkness and illuminate the scene as much as possible. Yet to my mind, that needn't always be the priority. Sometimes, drama trumps detail. And above you can see a very good example.

This one of the images from Michiel van Noppen's Fritz Pölking Prize-winning series, Tales of the Forest Keepers, about a conservation project in the Costa Rican rainforest.

In pitch darkness at 17 minutes past midnight, a Baird's tapir is being treated for infestation of screwworms – a species of parasitic blowfly whose larvae feed on the living flesh of warm-blooded animals.

The tapir's head is crossed with scars and there's a large, open wound. To treat it, a gloved, tattooed arm reaches in from the left, while a headtorch blazes straight into the lens. It's not a pretty sight, but this isn't grossness for grossness's sake. There's a serious point to be made.

Tapirs are especially vulnerable to screwworm. Pushed out of the shrinking rainforest, they're now often seen crossing yards and cattle pastures, typically carrying bite wounds.

It's a frustrating situation, because screwworms were actually eradicated from Costa Rica for more than 40 years, yet illegal livestock trafficking across Central America has recently heralded their return.

How it was shot

This dramatic scene was shot on a Canon EOS R6 with an RF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM at 37mm. The settings were 1/25 sec at f/5.6 and ISO 8000, in manual, with flash. The recorded focus distance was 1.31m.

The combination of high ISO, slow shutter speed and flash is a smart one. The flash does the heavy lifting on the subject and freezes it, while the longer exposure and high ISO enable the headtorch and its glow to register as well.

Without that, you'd probably get a flash-lit tapir floating in uniform black, with none of the sense of a team working by torchlight. Here, though, the darkness does not obscure the drama, but helps bring it to life by framing it.

The visible action runs on a diagonal: headtorch top left, arm across the center, wound and treatment on the right. The red liquid adds a splash of color, pulling the eye back to the middle of the frame.

Nobody's face is visible, but that's a feature, not a bug. This picture isn't about the human, it's about the act of care and the nature of the threat.

Van Noppen will be honored as part of the official award ceremony of the European Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2026 competition, held at the International Nature Photography Festival on 23 October.

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It turns out, like humans, animals too only want their best angles snapped, with several of the finalist images at this year’s Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards striking some seriously sexy poses.

The global photography competition has revealed its shortlist for the 2026 edition, which saw more than 10,000 entries, the highest number in its history, from 112 countries.

Among them is a praying mantis strutting the sexiest look you never knew an animal could do, captured by Peruvian photographer Diego Perez.

Perez told the competition organizers that he had first tried photographing the entire insect, but the images “felt too familiar,” subsequently lowering his position to get the promiscuous

Then there’s a caiman, photopraphed by Italian Paolo Torre, who appears to be rocking an Elvis-esque hairstyle while giving the camera the most seductive side-eye only the King of Rock ’n’ Roll knew how to.

According to Torre, the animal had emerged from the water in an area with a lot of floating vegetation, some of which had remained on its head.

Finally, US photographer Scott Suraino snapped an Alaskan brown bear showing off its fantastic physique during what appeared to be a morning calisthenics routine. Suraino said that it seemed like the “beach babe” was getting her summer body ready.

Perez, Torre, and Suraino will now compete, along with all of the other finalists, to be crowned the Nikon Comedy Wildlife Photographer of the Year and win a safari trip to Kenya’s Maasai Mara. Other prizes include a Nikon Z6 III, Z50II, and ZR, plus rucksacks from ThinkTANK.

The overall winner, category winner, and highly commended images will be announced on Tuesday, December 8, at an awards night in London. This will be followed by a one-week exhibition in December for all the 2026 finalists at the OXO Gallery in London.

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With mirrorless rigs now the go-to technology, many wildlife photographers these days wouldn’t sniff at a DSLR camera, especially bird photographers, who often want the fastest and sharpest kit available.

But US-based photographer Erich Podbielski has just proven that DSLR setups still have the firepower to compete with any new, shiny mirrorless, using one to recently gain an honorable mention at the 2026 Audubon Photography Awards.

With a Canon EOS 90D, a seven-year-old 32MP APS-C DSLR, extremely modest by today’s standards, and a Tamron SP 150-600mm f/5-6.3 Di VC USD lens, Podbielski snapped the frame of a flock of brown pelicans at Oregon’s Cannon Beach.

Erich Podbielski's gear and settings

• Canon EOS 90D
• Tamron SP 150-600mm F/5-6.3 Di VC USD
• 1/2500sec | f/5 | ISO 320
• Species: Brown Pelican 
• Location: Cannon Beach, Oregon, United States 

Talking to the competition organizers, Podbielski explained that he was visiting the beach, famed for its iconic pyramid-esque Haystack Rock, a year after honeymooning there with his wife, when “squadron after squadron” of brown pelicans flew low across the water.

“Mesmerized,” Brown continued roughly a mile farther along the shore, discovering the birds frolicking against the picturesque backdrop of Haystack Rock. “I positioned myself so I could capture one flock and got eye-level with the pelicans,” he explained.

“I was physically shaking after the experience: an iconic coastal species at an iconic coastal landmark, reminding us that people and birds can share the shore,” he added.

As an honorable mention in the “Birds Without Borders” category, the judges’ commented that Podbielski’s image “beautifully” showcased the movements of migratory species over long distances and connected habitats.

The judges added that the "soft fog, muted colors, and iconic landscape" created an atmospheric scene, while the lone flying bird and the bustling flock below added dynamism.

The Audubon Photography Awards celebrate outstanding bird photography and videography while highlighting the diversity, beauty, and conservation challenges facing birds.

Organized by the National Audubon Society, the event features multiple categories, with separate competitions for photographers in the US and Canada and in Chile and Colombia.

Jacqueline Burke was the Grand Winner in this year’s edition of the competition with her image of a roseate spoonbill at an alligator farm zoological park in Florida, US.

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VSCO has announced the first 25 images of The Fifty, an initiative to display 50 images from 50 different professional photographers on billboards or large-format out-of-home placements in their home state.

In these times of unprecedented uncertainty for photographers, the photography and social media platform wants to highlight the creativity and dedication from artists all over the country.

“We wanted to use the largest canvas we could find to put photographers front and center,” said Eric Wittman, VSCO CEO, adding that photographers in every corner of the country, not just the main creative hubs, “deserve to be recognized.”

Earlier this year, VSCO began an open call for emerging and well-established professional photographers to submit their work, with the judges on the lookout for “impactful” frames.

Over 13,500 submissions and a breadth of genres later, the judges have now chosen the first batch of 25 shots, which they've said “stop you in your tracks.”

These include Colorado-based Constance Jaeggi O'Connor’s documentary shot of Escaramuza — a female-led equestrian performance rooted in Mexican-American identity.

And then there’s Utah-based Axel Molina’s cinematic frame of a motocross rider, as well as Idaho-based Weston McGhee’s powerful monochrome dance scene.

Judges were also seeking “distinct points of view,” with an image of the Statue of Liberty, from New York’s Joana Meurkens, gaining particular praise.

“As a native New Yorker, it’s easy to get tired of photos of the Statue of Liberty, but Joana Meurkens made it feel new,” said VSCO's Lead Curator, Jon Feinstein. “The photograph is distinctly her own,” he added.

VSCO said that the first billboards went live yesterday, 28 September, and will continue to be rolled out over the coming weeks, starting in Washington (Seattle), Illinois (Chicago), Georgia (Atlanta), and New York (NYC), with all billboards live for up to a month.

The company added that the second batch of 25 images will be unveiled in early November. You can see all 25 of the first batch of The Fifty on the official event webpage.

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Many astrophotographers capture images of the Northern Lights (aurora borealis), but snapping the awe-inspiring frames of the solar activity dancing in our atmosphere requires not only skill, but timing too.

For Bulgarian astrophotographer Radoslav Sviretsov, during a trip to Iceland this January, the timing was spot on. And now, the image he captured has been awarded first place in the “Aurorae” category of the ZWO Astronomy Photographer of the Year Award.

Sviretsov was on the hunt for the Northern Lights during what he told the photography competition organizers was a “particularly strong” geomagnetic storm.

Radoslav Sviretsov gear and settings

• Canon EOS R
• Tamron SP 15-30mm f/2.8 Di VC USD G2
• 15mm | f/2.8 | ISO 3200 | 2.5 seconds
• Location: Fúlipollur, Krýsuvíkurvegur, Hafnarfjordur, Iceland, 20 January 2026 

He came across a traditional Icelandic church between the small coastal town of Keflavík and the capital city, Reykjavík, far from light pollution. The dark sky intensified the already strong solar activity, enabling Sviretsov to snap the Northern Lights in a way, he said, they’re “rarely seen”.

"In moments like this, I feel nothing but gratitude for being in the right place at the right time,” he added.

Phil Halper's gear and settings

• Sony A7S III
• 15 mm | f/2 | ISO 3200 | 2.5 seconds
• Location: Kjósarhreppur, Capital Region, Iceland, 12 November 2025 

British astrophotographer, Phil Halper, clinched second with his frame “Aurora Between Two Continents.”

He told the competition organizers how, in November last year, he traveled to Iceland with just one day’s notice to snap a “multitude” of powerful CMEs – or coronal mass ejections (large eruptions of plasma from the Sun’s surface) – which had sent aurorae “rippling far beyond” their usual reach.

“On the Edge of Glory” was the final commended image in the “Aurorae” category, and it came from US photographer MaryBeth Kiczenski.

MaryBeth Kiczenski's gear ad settings

• Sony A7 IV
• Sony FE 24-70mm f/2.8 GM
• 24 mm | f/4 | ISO 2500 | 2.5 seconds
• Location: Skibotn, Troms, Norway, 6 November 2025 

Taken in Norway late last year, Kiczenski explained how moonlight and clouds are often “overlooked” when aurora chasing, but that, in the Arctic, they can provide an unmatched “dreamlike quality”.

The ZWO Astronomy Photographer of the Year is the world’s largest astrophotography competition, hosted by the Royal Observatory Greenwich, London.

This year’s overall winner was Ali Alobaidly (Kuwait) for his depiction of the rarely photographed Shark Nebula, snagging him £10,000 (approximately 13,000 / AU$19,000) along with the competition accolade. Category winners took home £1,500 (approximately $2,000 / AU$2,800).

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The Ocean Photographer of the Year not only recognized stunning ocean imagery, but also complex conservation issues playing out within our planet’s waters.

And at this year’s edition of the event, Mexican diver, tour operator, and underwater photographer, Daniel Taylor, highlighted the challenging relationships between conservation groups and local shark fishermen in Baja California, Mexico, with two powerful images.

In the first of Taylor’s frames commended in the “Conservation (Impact)” category, we see a silky shark, which he told the competition organizers was circling “helplessly” while snagged on an illegal longline.

And in the second, we see the deadly fate of these prized sharks, as a pair lie side by side on the beach, the bodily wounds from their fateful last struggle visible.

Daniel Taylor's gear and settings

• Canon EOS R
• Canon RF 15-35mm f/2.8
• NA-R Nauticam underwater housing
• ISO 800 | f/10 | 1/500 sec

According to the Convention on Migratory Species, a United Nations initiative, in some areas, silky shark populations have declined by up to 90% due to overfishing.

In response, last year, the Mexican Government banned commercial longline vessels from capturing, retaining, storing, or landing silky sharks in the Gulf of Mexico, the Caribbean Sea, and broader Atlantic waters managed under international treaties.

However, the Pacific side of the country, where Baja California lies, follows a seasonal shark fishing ban from May 01 to July 31, introduced by the government in 2012, to enable fishing, albeit more sustainably.

Taylor explained that he shot both photos in the hours after the ban lifted but that longlines – very long main lines with hundreds or thousands of baited hooks attached – remain illegal because they cause severe overfishing and accidental bycatch.

Daniel Taylor's gear and settings

• Canon EOS 70D
• ISO 100 | f/ 10 | 1/320 Sec

But Taylor said that he didn’t take these shots to “condemn” the fishermen, rather, he wanted to confront the ongoing “complex relationship” where threatened wildlife and human livelihoods intersect.

What's more, the diver and photographer hopes that the images will further highlight the “urgent” need to provide local fishermen with more sustainable income alternatives.

The Ocean Photographer of the Year is an annual competition run by London-based Oceanographic Magazine and co-presented with Blancpain to celebrates the sea and highlight marine conservation.

Selected from over 15,000 entries, the 2026 competition featured multiple core categories and key winners, which you can see here.

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At just 14 years old, wildlife photographer Camilo Sanabria Grajales became Audubon Photography Awards' first youth prize winner from South America, Camilo Sanabria Grajales. Now, his image showcasing a Ruby-topaz Hummingbird has received an Honorable Mention in the 2026 competition. The highlighted image is a colorful split-second capture, shot at 1/2500 sec. "I searched for the Ruby-topaz Hummingbird for years," says Camilo.

Camilo explains to Audubon magazine that there were several attempts at photographing the species, including one where he had to deal with an allergic reaction, as well as trips to Uva National Park in Colombia where he had no luck seeing the bird. "But then it came, my big day. I was invited to a site that was full of flowers in Buga and was in for a surprise: more than ten hummingbirds, both male and female."

Since the birds were fluttering around Camilo so quickly, it was a challenge to capture their beauty in sharp focus. He says, "Then one approached me. I focused on it just in time. As it was about to dart away, I got this unique photo that captures its sun-drenched colors."

Honorable Mention: Youth

Contest: Chile and Colombia
Species: Ruby-topaz Hummingbird
Location: Guadalajara de Buga, Valle del Cauca, Colombia
Gear: Canon EOS Rebel T7 (2000D) + Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM | C
Exposure: 1/2500 sec, f/6.3, ISO 3200

Judge’s Take (Jaír F. Coll)
"The photographer captures the dynamic flight of this hummingbird and integrates it into a harmonious dreamlike setting where the flower’s orange hues play off those of the bird.

"The bird’s subtle expression, as if absorbed in its surroundings, conveys a sense of peace, immersing the viewer in a natural trance where time seems to stand still."

The Audubon Photography Awards
The Audubon Photography Awards is a competition celebrating photographers who use their skills to highlight the beauty, challenges and threats facing birds across Chile, Colombia, Canada and the United States. You can explore all 2026 winning images here.

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