1ST PRIZE: LIAM MAN

This image is complex and stunning, with an element of mystery that transports us into an alternative world. The lighting adds a sense of discovery, like an alien visitor trying to make sense of a curious, unusual formation. A unique blend of light, color, and balance holds the viewer in awe, mesmerized… with questions left unanswered. – COREY ARNOLD

The photographer lets us know that Planet Earth is perfectly capable of putting on an exquisite spectacle, full of contrasts and surprises. Blizzard and sunset, soft hills and sharp rocks, blinding light and cold darkness all come together in this natural show. The framing reveals the elements slowly, inviting the viewer to pass mindfully from one to another, taking everything in and opening their hearts to the beauty of nature. – LIFE FRAMER

Photographer statement – Planet Earth: As a moonrise burns across the horizon, lights cut through the darkness, illuminating the Old Man of Storr in Scotland. Blizzards howled through the night, and a brief gap in the whiteout left minutes to execute the photograph. As the storm passed, ice crystals were left suspended in the air, through which the moonlight refracted to a fiery orange.

2ND PRIZE: MARK GRAY

I could stare at this curious image for hours trying to unlock the mystery of how this incredible color and texture was formed, and to what extent or detriment has this human intervention altered the landscape. Further examination into the details reveals a complex grid of posts and lines, a red road being breached by a white substance seeping in from above and two pools of colorful oozing fluid or is it mineralization? Curiosity is a powerful emotion, and this image masterfully lures us in. – COREY ARNOLD

This amazing aerial photo shows just how little we know about our planet. The symmetrical composition is mesmerizing, making the viewer look again and again, trying to figure out the details and the story behind the image. Impactful and memorable, the photograph stays with you like a mantra. It makes you curious and invokes wanderlust, urging you to explore the world, love it by all means, and do your best to minimize the scars humankind leaves behind. – LIFE FRAMER

Photographer statement – Primordial, from a collection of aerial photos of mines, braided rivers and salt lakes across Australia and New Zealand.

TORI SAVAGE

What a rare opportunity to see our planet from the depths of the ocean! This outstanding underwater shot captures the beautiful shades of blue, the game of light and shadow, and the true scale of our existence. Humanity is just a speck on Planet Earth, a fleeting moment in its timeline. The minimalist composition that positions the encounter with the universe right in the middle of the frame makes the shot artful and incredibly memorable. – LIFE FRAMER

Photographer statement – A freediver rises through the void, a shaft of light piercing the serene depths of Kilsby Sinkhole in South Australia.

EMILIANO CUADRADO

Finding the right spot, waiting for the perfect moment, sensing the story; that’s what photography is all about. This image is proof that nature is and will be behind everything we build, everything we are. The complementary tones of blue catch the eye, inviting the viewer into a paradisiac landscape. Lines, perfectly aligned, converge into the same intense focal point. Look beyond the horizon and embrace Planet Earth. – LIFE FRAMER

Photographer statement – Moalboal, Philippines.

MARJOLEIN MOENS

The photograph surprisingly reminds one of a drawing, a sketch of disparate items on a piece of paper belonging to an undecided painter. The eye goes from one visual cue to another as if in disbelief, trying to understand why they are there and how they come together in a candid landscape photograph. The photographer made all the right choices, from the discrete monochrome palette to framing. Following instinct rather than the rules paid off. – LIFE FRAMER

Photographer statement – Daily work for a farmer. Working with a view. Italy.

EVAN WILL

This backdrop landscape photograph features not only a stunningly beautiful subject but also exquisite light, a rich composition, and impressive depth. The color palette and complex overlay of transparencies, textures, and reflections denote technical skill. Everything comes together effortlessly, although, like nature’s processes, the photographic process may have taken a long time and lots of energy. But when done passionately, no effort is too much, and one can feel the photographer’s passion in every pixel of this photo. – LIFE FRAMER

Photographer statement – Crown of the Continental Divide – Morning light spills over the iconic silhouette of Mount Assiniboine–often called the “Matterhorn of the Rockies”–as it rises with quiet majesty above the turquoise stillness of Sunburst and Cerulean Lakes. Framed by golden larches and layered ridgelines, this remote view from the Nub in British Columbia’s backcountry captures a fleeting moment of alpine serenity. In this landscape sculpted by glaciers and time, the harmony between rock, forest, and reflection is nothing short of sacred.

LYNN SAVARESE

Water is a powerful natural element, the birthplace of our life, and a destructive force. However, it’s not an easy subject matter for photography. The photographer’s courage to take such a challenging element and use it as a means for conveying mood and emotion is to be commended. Not many people can look at water and see joy, rage, curiosity, excitement, fear, or any other abstract human concept. But just look at this image – just water filling the frame, almost no color or contrast – and allow yourself to feel all that it conveys. You’ll be amazed. – LIFE FRAMER

Photographer statement – As the supreme sculptor of our planet and the most enigmatic element in the universe–vital to all life while offering no nutrients; breaking all rules governing other liquids and solids; eternal in age while dissolving all other matter with time–water is endlessly beguiling to observe, while also engendering a wide range of emotion, from meditative bliss to deadly terror.

I tend to seek out water images that metaphorically convey my own feelings, while also offering transcendence into something else.  I love how water photography offers up endless possibilities for capturing “truth” and “reality,” while also leaving the image-maker with plenty of latitude for creative input and more complex and layered expression.

VINCENT MAHAMADALY

A candid nature shot that looks like a carefully curated fine art photograph is a rare encounter. The photographer thoughtfully allowed the subject to pose, to expose its best features naturally. It takes a deep connection with the environment to be able to step back and be grateful for the amazing show nature performs. – LIFE FRAMER

Photographer statement – Taken during a safari in Ngorongoro Crater and Tarangire National Park, Tanzania.

JENNIFER ESSEIVA

A surreal shot, a serenade to Planet Earth, this photograph leaves the viewer in awe. The dance of the Northern lights, the cold stillness of the waterfall, and the unusual focal point made by the yellow jacket come together perfectly. Nothing is left to chance; still, everything looks natural and inviting, a pleading to explore our surroundings, connect with nature, and love the unique journey we are given on this planet. – LIFE FRAMER

Photographer statement – This is Goðafoss waterfall, located in South Iceland, photographed in September 2024. I woke up early to capture the waterfall at blue hour, just before sunrise. My friend stood in front of the water wearing a yellow jacket to add a sense of scale. A few days later, in October, I took the northern lights shot during the peak of solar activity.

DAN KLAUSNER

Admire the art of minimalist photography. Admire the beauty of the tiniest details of our planet. The rim light of a sunset, the pointy edges of a mountain, a shadow, a soft sky, maybe a shooting star, or a similar effect of a plane. This calming photograph with its serene atmosphere and meditative state is meaningful both in terms of our planet’s generosity, but also in terms of the photographer’s thoughtfulness and love for everything that surrounds us. – LIFE FRAMER

Photographer statement – A sunset behind a mountain in chilean patagonia.

ANTONIO BENEDETTI

Planet Earth is always surprising, whether it chooses to show simplicity or endless complexity. A straightforward composition that puts in balance the forces that mold the face of the Earth, the photograph captures one of its many faces, the colors and contrasts that make us stand in awe, highlighting the photographer’s openness and willingness to find nature anywhere, even in the midst of human activity. – LIFE FRAMER

Photographer statement – In this collection of images, nature reveals itself in all its shifting beauty: solitary trees, still lakes, restless seas, timeless mountains. Yet, among these primordial landscapes, the presence of humankind emerges — subtle, at times barely whispered, other times marked like a scar or an embrace. Each photograph captures a fragment of a silent dialogue between what has always been and what we have built in our search for a place in the world. Cities rest among the hills, paths wind through forests, and human structures reflect into skies and waters. It is a visual journey through diversity — of forms, colors, and presences — and through the fragile balance between nature’s power and the traces we leave behind, often without even noticing.

UWE SCHELLSCHEIDT

Humankind has changed the face of the world and has inflicted irreparable damage. But we still have to acknowledge nature’s resilience, its capacity to recover, to heal, and to take back what was once its own. This dramatic shot of rusty human-made objects in a field that reclaims its rights is a good example in this regard. The stormy clouds and the hope that they will pass eventually add a temporal dimension, an expectation that only enriches the story. The photograph has depth and an appealing tridimensionality that immerses the viewer into its world. – LIFE FRAMER

Photographer statement – Texas, United States, 2025.

TED CHIN

You may say that being in the right place at the right time is luck, but it is actually a calling. Capturing this outstanding performance of nature takes planning, hard work, patience, and a profound connection with the elements. Only when one welcomes nature with love will it reveal its best poses. And only when photography becomes second nature can one create a perfectly balanced composition, get a strong focal point, and tell a story without being aware that they are doing all these things. – LIFE FRAMER

Photographer statement – I took this photo with my Nikon and 24-70mm lens, at Yosemite National Park in California during the famous firefall in winter. This happens where the sunset light hits right on top of the Horsetail Fall, the reflection in waterfall appears to glow orange or red during sunset. Right when I took the photo, a bird happen to be passing by and I captured it with my camera. I couldn’t believe my luck. I will always remember this day and how it took me 3 years and 3 tries to finally get to see this The “firefall” phenomenon in Yosemite National Park.

L. ABIGAIL CHUA

This surreal composition lures the viewer into a colorless world of concrete, only to reveal the gray, bleak sky as the final act. Everything falls into place easily. The photographer cleverly and playfully uses the sneakers as witnesses of the rainy sky, transforming them into a leading object and thus increasing the visual weight of the main focal point. It’s a masterclass in composition for storytelling. – LIFE FRAMER

Photographer statement – World at your Feet. Like ghosts in the pavement, amid puddled asphalt and scattered city markings, a pair of pink sneakers anchors the scene–a quiet witness to Manhattan’s towering architecture rippling through a reflection. The lens turns ordinary street textures into fleeting poetry, where the ground tells stories and the skyline answers like a fading memory.

IRINA HRISTESCU

There is a whimsicality about this photograph, a sense of wonder and excitement, and a lot of warmth coming from an otherwise freezing environment. It has a simple composition and a very appealing focal point, a background that’s impressive both in color and texture, and clear lines to guide the viewer’s eye. The image showcases nature’s playfulness and lovely simplicity, its ability to bring joy even when it seems inhospitable. If only one word could be used to describe this photograph, it would be harmony. – LIFE FRAMER

Photographer statement – An Arctic Bean.

RIVKA KATVAN

Planet Earth is captivating by day and night, in vast scenery and picturesque little details, in color and black and white. Just look at this picture of the moon shining over a rocky terrain, an artful game of highlights and shadows that keeps the viewer engaged and curious. It’s almost a spiritual experience or a mystical exploration where you allow yourself to believe in what seems impossible. Lyrical rather than descriptive, the photograph shows the medium’s capacity to convey metaphors and abstract meaning. – LIFE FRAMER

URS RENGGLI

Our interaction with Planet Earth is hardly contemplative. We use its resources, transforming the landscape and forcing it to adapt to our continuous innovations. The photograph manages to capture our interaction with the planet graciously, conveying a sense of cooperation. Well-balanced and harmonious, the composition invites the viewer to go from one element to another, almost smelling the salt and feeling the air temperature. The mountain of salt creates an impeccable focal point. – LIFE FRAMER

Photographer statement – Salthill.

TAKASHI NAKAGAWA

Sakura, the cherry blossom, is a popular subject matter for photographers, which makes finding new perspectives challenging. However, this pink and black composition shows the photographer’s creativity and ability to come up with something new, where many others have stepped on the same beaten path. At the same time, the low angle and black background flatter the cherry blossom, increasing its exuberance and fairytale look. The photograph is a fine art fantasy, a dream one doesn’t want to wake up from. – LIFE FRAMER

GIOVANNA GRAF

There is a sense of wonder that gets through this image, a symphony of shapes seasoned with different textures so melodic and rhythmical. The photograph seems a moving fluid in which a few very small contrasting shapes bounce around. The effect is incredible but very appealing, catching the viewer’s attention and making the picture memorable. – LIFE FRAMER

Photographer statement – A silent attempt to make the invisible visible–from my perspective, for a moment. I’m interested in the dialogue between light and shadow, form and color–and that one moment when it all comes together. This creates a connection between space, time, and the viewer. Even if the image remains, the moment is long gone.

DAVID BAXTER III

It’s wonderful to see someone finding healing in the force of a storm. Where many see only a destructive force, this photographer finds redemption, warmth, and peace. And when one looks closely at the photograph, they get the same feeling of an otherworldly embrace. The image features a direct composition style, an explosion of warm tones, a bright orange horizon, and a soft contrast, which together create this mysterious, spiritual experience. Well done! – LIFE FRAMER

Photographer statement – Texas Behemoth  from the series Weathering Life | Nature Unleased. This series holds special value to me as it was captured right after the loss of my father, the one who inspired me, and taught me to be a photographer. Feeling lost, hurt, and empty, I went out on a mission to heal, and the sky is the one place I find the most healing in, its where everything else fades away. What followed was the most insane June of weather photography I’ve ever witnessed. There was a spiritual connection with these storms that gave me the sense that my father was there looking down, giving me what I needed to heal. The photography I captured is the best of my career, and I know my father would of been dang proud.