The results of the ninth round of our prestigious International Amateur Photographer of the Year 2025 competition are in! Wendy Davies wins the top place in the Urban Life category with the photograph ‘Where did you get that hat?’, a well-timed and composed street shot. Meanwhile, Duy Khac, came first place in the Young APOY competition. Here are the top 10 images uploaded to Photocrowd from Round Nine, Urban Life, with comments by the AP team and our guest judge…
Urban life comes in every possible colour, sight, sound and texture, and it’s no wonder so many photographers throughout the decades have been compelled to capture it. From the quirky to the classic, almost every human experience can be found on the street, and it’s there to be captured by the keen-eyed among us, who have developed the ability to observe, anticipate and react to the action – often with split-second precision. It’s not just about people, though – it’s also about their interaction with their surroundings, or simply the surroundings themselves. Architecture and urban photography will always make a very strong pairing. This month’s top ten images demonstrate that carrying your camera with you at all times pays dividends.
International Amateur Photographer of the Year 2025, Urban Life winner
Where did you get that hat? by Wendy Davies, UK, 100pts
Fujifilm X-T5, 18-50mm at 18mm, 1/500sec at f/11, ISO 6400
Wendy’s excellent shot has instant appeal. The story is immediately clear, and her timing and compositional skills are spot on. This is the kind of image that unfolds only to someone who has their camera and settings at the ready at all times, and Wendy has made the most of the three rows of hats, placing the male figure, whose hat completes the scene, to fill what would otherwise be an empty space. A few inches to the right or left and all balance would be lost. The image has a definite Doisneau-esque feel about it, and even the tiny detail of the label on the man’s T-shirt poking out adds to the overall charm.
2. Traveller’s Despair by Charles Ashton, UK, 90pts
Nikon Z8, 50mm, 1/125sec at f/1.8, ISO 1250
If any image sums up urban life in 1/125sec, it’s this one. Charles has captured a moment that many of us can relate to – a bus ride in the dark, alone and lost in thought. Is he heading home after a tough day at work, or is he on his way to a night shift? Perhaps something is going on in his personal life to make him frown. We’ll never know, but Charles’s picture has the ability to write a dozen or more stories. Despite the man being small in the frame, cropping to a tight square somehow creates a sense of claustrophobia and tension, a mood that is only enhanced by the red frame of the bus and the window within it. It might be a simple-looking shot, but it has a subtle complexity, too.
3. Seagull Looking Over a Window by Rory Smith, UK, 80pts
Samsung SM-G996B, 13mm, 1/163sec at f/2.2, ISO 50
This cheeky seagull was a regular visitor to this hospital in Wales, and we imagine it did a good job of cheering up the patients. The judges loved how oblivious it was to Rory’s phone camera, and the wide angle, looking down on the bird from above, only serves to emphasise the comical nature of the scene. Framing is strong, and Rory has made the most of the straight lines of the window sill to anchor the composition, and it’s one of those rare situations where not going down to eye level has been more effective. A well-captured, comical moment.
4. The Girl in the Crowd by Phil Tomlinson, UK, 70pts
Canon EOS 90D, 17-55mm at 55mm, 1/400sec at f/2.8, ISO 100
With so much going on and so many people, it can be tricky to pick out details when photographing at a demonstration, but Phil has done a great job of homing in on a quiet moment among the hordes. Crouching down to the girl’s eye level is crucial to the success of the image, and the judges appreciated how he captured her rapt expression. Hers is the only face we see in the frame, which means there are no extraneous distractions – it’s just about her and the moment she is experiencing.
5. Passengers, Havana by Bircan Harper, UK, 60pts
Ilford Delta 400
Guest judge Denise Maxwell says: ‘Can you be conflicted about an image, and love it at the same time? ‘Firstly, for the things I love about this image: I love the black & white, as it has a way of stripping an image to its core. The multiple framing is perfect to give enough context of the masked characters behind the glass as well as lead your eye to the main character of the frame. I love the fact that the subject is looking directly down the barrel; was this created or a chance capture? Overall, it’s a great image.
‘One of the things I am conflicted about with images like this is the Western gaze. I see a lot of images like this of brown and black children from poorer countries, but would we be as comfortable with posting images like this of unknown children from the Western world? I don’t have all the answers, but I am conflicted.’
6. Living in Concrete by Paolo Magnone, Italy, 50pts
Canon EOS 450D, 39mm, 1/125sec at f/8, ISO 200
This shot is just a small detail of Chandigarh, a city in India that was developed by Swiss French architect Le Corbusier. Paolo made the most of the repeating pattern of the straight lines and boxes within the frame, ensuring the diagonals move dynamically from right to left and out of sight. The triangles at the top and bottom of the left of the frame are important anchoring points, too, as they keep everything tight. Then, crucially, we have the figure in red, placed on the intersection of the thirds, to give interest and context. Without her, the image would be lacking that certain something.
7. Urban Reflections by Erika Howard, UK, 45pts
Not supplied
Erika has shown amazing patience in waiting for everything to come together at precisely the right moment, and has been rewarded with a superb shot. We see four individual frames within frames and are offered a tiny glimpse into the lives of those she has captured as they go about their business.
8. Dog Day Afternoon by Phil Tomlinson, UK, 0pts
Canon EOS 90D, 24-70mm at 70mm, 1/800sec at f/3.2, ISO 100
Who can resist photographing one cute dog, let alone two? Phil has maneouvred himself to make sure the dog’s head fills the wing mirror and has allowed enough space for us to see the wider context of the queue of traffic. What makes the image is the shadowy silhouette of the dachshund bottom left, which adds another layer to the story and helps fill what would otherwise have been empty space. Shooting with a wide aperture is a large part of the image’s success, too, ensuring our eye goes straight to the main character in the shot.
9. Mind Your Own Business by Shai Kedar, Israel, 35pts
Sony A6600, 16-55mm at 32mm, 1/1000sec at f/8, ISO 320
People walking past posters is a common theme in street photography, so it takes a good one to capture the judges’ attention – and this is a great example. Shai has played with light, shade, scale and perspective, from the model’s eyes looming out of the top right of the frame to the triangular shadow that the silhouetted man on his phone is appearing to step out of. So much good street photography is about capturing a split-second slice of life that disappears as quickly as it appears, and that is what the photographer has achieved here.
10. What’ll It Be? by Mike Byers, UK, 30pts
Nikon D750, 70-200mm at 70mm, 1/800sec at f/2.8, ISO 100
A scene that could only have been captured in the UK, this is a picture that will be familiar – and evoke a sense of nostalgia – to many of us. There’s a nice sense of interaction between the customer and the van owner, and the somewhat run-down housing in the background adds context.
International Young Amateur Photographer of the Year 2025, Urban Life winner
Untitled by Duy Khac, Vietnam, 100pts
Not supplied
The judges loved the flurry of chaos in this entertaining image. Are the dogs fighting or playing? And has the one on the left had enough? The gritty grain of the black & white elevates this shot out of the ordinary, and as with so many other successful photographs of this type, it’s the getting down to eye level that makes it a success.
Camera Club competition
Each round, we shine a spotlight on a selection of excellent entries from the many camera clubs that enter APOY
The Redundant Dalek by Leszek Chrzastowski, Coalville and District Camera Club
Technical information not supplied
Witty, well seen, and a touch surreal – this image raises a multitude of questions that will probably never be answered, and that’s what makes it so good.
Just About Hanging On by Mike Woodman, Richmond and Twickenham Photographic Society
Nikon D800E, 85mm, 1/200sec at f/7.1, ISO 100
A curious take on urban life that stands out for its originality. The climber’s slip dress and the tattoos add to the overall effect.
Autumn Bristol by Bryan Sutton, Wallingford Photographic Club
Fujifilm X-T5, 16mm, 1/125sec at f/5.6, ISO 4000
The colour in this frame is very engaging – from the purple wall, to the golden leaves and the young man’s red hair.
Lonely at Central Station by Steve Banner, Stafford Photographic Society
Technical information not supplied
What an intriguing shot. So many separate lives in one place, and what is the solitary bride doing there?
Behind the Curve by Kevin Leah, Truro Camera Club
Canon EOS 5D Mark III, 24-70mm at 70mm, 1/10sec at f/2.8, ISO 2000
An excellent composition that makes the most of the foreground curve. The blue tone adds atmosphere.
The 2025 leaderboards after round nine, Urban Life
As we head towards the final round of APOY 2025, things are hotting up at the top of the leaderboard. Depending on their scores in round ten, any one of the top four entrants could end up snatching the overall prize. Who will it be? We’ll find out in a few weeks’ time! We’re in a similar position with Young APOY, thanks to the consistency of the entries from several photographers. It takes a lot to commit to entries across ten rounds, and all of our entrants – in both the main competition and Young APOY – deserve to be commended for their commitment to the competitions. The same goes for our camera clubs, whose images and dedication continue to inspire.
Winning kit from Camera Centre UK
What gear did our top ten photographers use?
In first place, Wendy Davies used a Fujifilm X-T5 for her street shot. Described as a ‘40MP mirrorless sensation’ in AP, this camera features a 40.2MP APS-C X-Trans CMOS 5 HR sensor, ISO 125-12,800, 15fps shooting and 5-axis in-body image stabilisation. AP’s five-star review concluded, ‘Ultimately, nothing else on the market can quite match the all-round package that the Fujifilm X-T5 offers enthusiast photographers at the price.’ This model can be bought at Camera Centre UK for £1,579.
Fitted to Wendy’s camera was a Sigma 18-50mm F2.8 DC DN Contemporary, which has a 27-75mm equivalent zoom range, constant f/2.8 maximum aperture and 12.1cm minimum focus (at 18mm). It is constructed of 13 elements in 11 groups and has an aperture diaphragm with 7 curved blades. Its review said it is ‘one of the most attractive standard zooms available for APS-C mirrorless cameras’. The lens is available at Camera Centre UK for £474.
In second place, Charles Ashton shot his image using a Nikkor Z 50mm f/1.2 S. This outstanding lens is constructed of 17 elements in 15 groups, with 9 diaphragm blades, and has a wide f/1.2 aperture that makes it ideal for shooting in low light – as Charles has here. It is dust- and weather-sealed, too. You can purchase this lens at Camera Centre UK for £2,199.
To see the full range, visit www.cameracentreuk.com
