With entries from 64 countries, the 2025 Exposure One Awards: Photographer of the Year Contest is the most diverse edition to date – showcasing the universal appeal of black-and-white photography.
According to a statement released by the organizers: “The work of this year’s honorees affirms its lasting relevance, offering images that are both timeless and uncompromising in their vision. From mind-bending architectural photographs rendering our world as we’ve never seen it before, to powerful documentation of political demonstrations, to the raw drama of sport – these images are extraordinary. By joining the distinguished lineage of past winners, the 2025 award recipients further elevate the craft and continue to redefine what it means to create at the highest level in black and white.”
Scroll down to explore the list of this year’s award-winning monochrome images.
#4 After The Snow By Philippe Ricordel
Group of trees covered by the snow fallen during the night storm at the top of a hill where the sky meet the snowy ground.
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13points
#8 No Safety Net By Brian Morgan
Never - in my seven years spent with the Travelling Circus - did I consider shooting in anything other than Black and White. How else to capture the egalitarian nature of Circus, the aesthetic and grotesque, the achingly beautiful, happy and heartbreakingly sad manifestations of Circus life.
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11points
#9 Where The Wild Things Are By David Zlotky
I made these photographs with my 4x5 view camera on sheet film. They represent the beauty and mystery to be found in the quiet places of Colorado and Wisconsin. When I photograph these natural cathedrals, I feel as if I've heard whispered secrets that I can only share through the lens of my camera.
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11points
#12 Lux By Arturo Gómez Sierra
Light descends in perfect symmetry, converging on a silent cross.
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10points
#13 Inverted Realities By Alexandra Thannhäuser
At its heart, it speaks to the quiet strength that comes from shifting perspectives—questioning your direction, embracing change, and steadily aligning your path with your hopes rather than your fears.
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10points
#14 Vulture Perched On A Log During The Rain By Fabrício Peixoto Da Silva Mello
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10points
#15 Loneliness By Francisco Saraiva
This image was originally taken with 4x5" color film, and then converted to B&W. This turtle is still my pet today and is now 8 years old. Each rock was hand painted black on a black background, so when viewed in color, it barely changes at all, except for the color of this little animal.
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10points
#16 The Forgotten History By Lee Ching Kai
The historical windows were captured in the 120-year-old Concubine Lane in Malaysia. The concept of cracked, burnt windows conveys the message that the historical values of famous places are wearing off as modernization occurs, and how good it is if we can remember those beautiful values, isn’t it?
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10points
#17 Ling By Adam Amouri
Precision in every curve. The light sculpts her neck and glossy hair, where elegance meets art in a single frame.
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9points
#18 Boy At Water Sprinkler By Scarlett Freund
On a sultry day in Budapest, a young boy cools off by jutting his head under a public sprinkler.
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9points
