The CEWE Photo Award has just revealed the ten category winners in its bi-annual photography competition. Chosen from over 656,000 entries from 153 countries, the contest has broken its own record for being the world's biggest photographic competition.
Each of the ten category winners win a €5,000 ($5,830) photo equipment voucher and a €2,500 ($2,900) to spend from CEWE's own range of photofinishing products.
The ten will now fight it out for the overall title - which will be announced on September 25, 2025 - with the chance to win a grand prize of a €10,000 trip, plus €5,000 in equipment and €2,500 in CEWE photo products.
This is the sixth time that the free-to-enter competition that is open to both professional and amateur photographers has been run. For every entry, CEWE donates ten cents to a charity project in East Africa.
The 10 winning images
Travel & Culture
Lazise Early Morning by Günter Kleber(Germany)
Günter captured this calm and quiet early morning shot of Lake Garda in Italy with the Sony A7R III and FE 12-24mm f/4 G lens. The image was shot at 0.5 sec, f/10, and ISO 64.
Cooking & Food
Traditional Drink by Maizal Chaniago,
The photographer says the image was shot in his own home, and he drank the drink afterwards!
Shot with a Nikon Z7 II with a Z 24-70mm f/4. 1/500sec at f/10, ISO800.
Landscapes
Into the Cave by Filip Hrebenda, Slovakia
He explains on IG, "First photo from a recent expedition to a remote desert in Saudi Arabia. (...) The photo was taken on the first day of the trip during a windy sunset. There were no clouds in the sky, so I decided to climb to the middle of the opposite hill and find a small cave to make the scene more interesting. Additionally, during sunset, the wind beautifully lifted the sand from the dunes beneath the peaks, adding a unique atmosphere to the photo."
Shot with a Sony A7R Mark V with FE 12-24mm f/2.8 GM. 1/30sec at f/8, ISO100.
Architecture
P-opular & I-gnored by Yevhen Kostiuk, Ukraine
This picture was taken in the Adriatic Sea off the coast of Croatia. Shot using a DJI Mini 3 Pro drone.
Sports & Action
Between the Lines by Eric Tkindt(Belgium)
Eric nailed the perfect moment in this dynamic sports shot, using a Nikon Z9 with a VR 70-200mm f/2.8 G lens. To freeze the athlete's motion with precision, he shot at 1/2500 sec, f/3.2, ISO 4000. It was shot at the World Gymnastics Championship, where the photographer was working as a volunteer.
Nature & Wildlife
Jungle Rule by Xiaoping Lin, China
In Xiaoping's striking image, nature's raw reality takes center stage. As he reflects on Instagram: "The small fish becomes a chess piece in the game of natural laws, reflecting the most authentic survival philosophy of the natural world at the critical point of life and death."
Shot with a Sony A1 with a FE 600mm f/4. 1/3200sec at f/4, ISO160.
Close up & Macro
Danlock by Hasan Baglar, Cyprus
Street Photography
The Beautiful Game by Mike Taylor, UK
Using a Leica Q (Typ 116) with flash, Mike captured this image at 28mm, 1/60sec – perfectly freezing a charged moment during the thrilling 2018 World Cup clash between France and Argentina. The photograph pulses with the raw energy and tension that gripped the room, reflecting the emotional highs and lows of an unforgettable match.
Animals
Gato Na Janela by Gerson Antonio Toigo, Brazil
This image was shot on an iPhone XR smartphone. 1/1700sec at f/1.8, ISO25.
People
United Colours by Yadi Setiadi, Indonesia
Yadi captured this magical interplay of light and water, using a Nikon D610 DSLR with a 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6 lens. Taken during a photography workshop, the moment was frozen at 1/640sec, f/7.1, and ISO160 – perfectly balancing sharpness and atmosphere of this beautiful waterfall scene.
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