What happens when you remove color? Marvel at the magic of monochrome photography with these world-class black & white winners

Black and white photography has long been celebrated for its ability to cut through distraction – revealing raw emotion, striking composition, and the very essence of visual storytelling. Now, the Exposure One Awards 2025 has unveiled its latest winners, highlighting just how powerful this monochrome medium continues to be.

This year's edition was the most internationally diverse to date, with photographers from 64 countries submitting work. Spanning both professional and non-professional categories, the winners were selected across more than 10 genre-based categories – from architectural abstractions to candid street scenes and engaged photojournalism.

The Exposure One Awards 2025 were judged by a respected panel of experts from institutions including the Leica Gallery, Aperture, SFMoMA, Photo Basel, and more. Their collective eye honed in on images that push creative boundaries while staying rooted in storytelling excellence. If you want to discover more winners, visit the Exposure One Awards website.

International Photographer of the Year

A stark black and white image of a cross illuminated by a circular skylight, casting dramatic shadows and radiating light upwards — *Lux*: Light descends in perfect symmetry, converging on a silent cross (Image credit: Arturo Gómez Sierra / Exposure One Awards)

Lux by Arturo Gómez Sierra
Overall Contest Winner: International Photographer of the Year
Category: Architecture – Professional – Photographer of the Year

This striking series demonstrates just how effectively monochrome contrast can direct the viewer's eye. With high contrast and carefully controlled exposure – arguably the hardest part of working in black and white – this piece manages to be both bold and balanced.

Discover of the year

A close-up of a smooth, pale skin surface, showcasing gentle curves and shadows, set against a soft gray background — *Timeless Lines* explores the abstract beauty and quiet strength of the human form (Image credit: Dulcie May / Exposure One Awards)

Timeless Lines by Dulcie May
Overall Contest Winner: International Discovery of the Year
Category: Minimalism – Non-professional – Silver

Through minimalism in both tone and form, the work shows how restraint in composition can lead to a more powerful visual experience. Captured in stark monochrome, the light and shadow transform the contours of the body into a landscape. Vulnerable and powerful, the image in all its simplicity and complexity, holds a kind of eternal presence.

Photographer of the Year: Wildlife

A furry monkey sits by the water, surrounded by floating snowflakes and soft blurred backgrounds, captured in black and white — (Image credit: Stafford Robinson / Exposure One Awards)

the philosopher by Stafford Robinson
Category: Wildlife – Professional – Photographer of the Year

"It is such an honour to win Photographer of the Year in an exclusive group of professional photographers from 64 countries."

Photographer of the Year: Aerial

Aerial view of a dense urban area, contrasting narrow, winding streets with a wide, landscaped road lined with trees — (Image credit: Paulo Dos Santos Sousa / Exposure One Awards)

Bulevardi by Paulo Dos Santos Sousa
Category: Aerial – Professional – Photographer of the Year

From above, the wide, structured Bulevardi i Ri, in Tirana, slices through the city like a sharp line of progress, contrasting vividly with the narrow, winding roads of the older neighborhoods it intersects.

Discovery of the Year: Wildlife

A powerful rhino trudges through a grassy field, surrounded by birds in flight against a dramatic black-and-white sky — (Image credit: Alessandro Marena / Exposure One Awards)

The Rhino and the Flock of Birds by Alessandro Marena
Category: Wildlife – Non-Professional – Discovery of the Year

"Africa's diverse landscapes and fascinating creatures have become a central focus of my work, capturing the timeless beauty of the natural world through the lens of black and white photography. "

Discovery of the Year: Architecture

A modern skyscraper rises between traditional roof eaves, showcasing the contrast of architectural styles in a city skyline — (Image credit: Haochen He / Exposure One Awards)

Framed Time by Haochen He
Category: Architecture – Non-Professional – Discovery of the Year

Old eaves cradle a rising tower in Chongqing – past and present aligned in silent symmetry.

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Kim is a photographer, editor and writer with work published internationally. She holds a Master's degree in Photography and Media and was formerly Technique Editor at Digital Photographer, focusing on the art and science of photography. Blending technical expertise with visual insight, Kim explores photography's time-honored yet ever-evolving role in culture. Through her features, tutorials, and gear reviews, she aims to encourage readers to explore the medium more deeply and embrace its full creative potential.

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