I do not envy the judges of the Natural Landscape Photography Awards. Now in its fifth year, it's attracting some outrageously talented lenspeople, and I'm having a hard time even narrowing down which of the six shortlisted photographers of the year for 2025 I like best.
The poor souls on this year's panel had to go through more than 11,000 images sent in by 1,134 photographers from around the world, and narrow that down to 130 prize-winning entries. They're lucky I wasn't part of their hours-long final Zoom selection session, because I cannot be reasoned with on video calls – especially when it comes to picking favorites.
Tasmanian landscape photographer Joy Kachina captures textures and shapes in stunning artistic compositions, and her work has earned her the title of Photographer of the year and a US$5,000 cash prize.
Heck, even the runners up for this title have outstanding work to be equally proud of – from Vancouver, Canada-based Matt Jackisch's icescapes (our hero image at the top) to Magnus Reneflot's dreamlike drone shots (below).
Photograph of the year goes to Margrit Schwarz, who captured an otherworldly perspective of rock formations. "This image is a synthesis of my emotions and experiences during a twelve-day river trip deep inside the Grand Canyon," Schwarz noted. "What moved me most were the hidden abstract forms shaped by stone, water, and time – details that spoke with as much power and mystery as the immense landscapes above."
What's interesting about this competition is there are uniquely specific criteria for its various categories, including Grand Landscape ('These images almost always include a sky and a foreground, have multiple subjects, and are generally captured at a wider angle'), and In Your Backyard ('Images captured within 25 miles of home').
I've included some of my favorites from the entire competition across its categories in our gallery. Head over to the Natural Landscape Photography Awards site to see all the winners and runners-up, and pre-order a hardback book with the top entries at $70.
You can also feast your eyes on our other recent nature photo galleries from 2025, including Wildlife Photographer of the Year, the Audubon Photography Awards, and the World Nature Photography Awards.
