The results of the final round of our prestigious International Amateur Photographer of the Year 2025 competition are in! Rahimat Onize Shaibu wins the top place in the Open category with the photograph ‘The Sun Within’, an eye-catching. Meanwhile, Oscar Black came first place in the Young APOY competition. Here are the top 10 images uploaded to Photocrowd from Round Ten, Open, with comments by the AP team and our guest judge…
Last year, we decided to have a round that was completely open. Whether entrants wanted to enter still-lifes or salt prints, create abstracts or fine art, shoot cars, cats, landscapes, people or architecture, there were no restrictions on subject matter here. It was such a success, we repeated it this year. The entries were as varied and creative as we had hoped they would be, and as it had the potential to be a tricky category to judge, given the wide-ranging nature of the styles and subjects, we called upon two guest judges to help us. We hope you enjoyed entering and checking the results of this year’s APOY as much as we did! Readers will note that three photographers have more than one image in the top ten. In all these cases, as is usual, only their highest-placed image scores points towards their total.
International Amateur Photographer of the Year 2025, Open winner
The Sun Within by Rahimat Onize Shaibu, UK, 100pts
Canon EOS R6 Mark II, 24–70mm at 52mm, 1/180sec at f/4, ISO ISO 200
A gorgeous, eye-catching and original portrait that steps outside the usual conventions of the genre. That the model’s back is to the camera makes it no less powerful. In fact, it reinforces the idea that he is on the point of stepping into the light – the orange orb that forms the backdrop. The balance of colours and tones has been realised impeccably, with the bunch of three sunflowers introducing just the right amount of depth and texture. Without them, the image would have been somewhat flat. Rahimat has demonstrated a sophisticated treatment of the concept, and has brought an excellent idea to life in an original yet accessible way – right through to the image’s title, The Sun Within, which tells the viewer all they need to know. Excellent work and a worthy winner.
2. Movement by Shai Kedar, Israel, 90pts
Sony A6600, 16-55mm at 16mm, 1/2500sec at f/4.5, ISO 100
Guest judge Ben Brain says: ‘This is a bold and confident photograph. I love the low-angle view, which establishes an intimate connection with the event as it unfolds. The scene feels almost anarchic in its energy. It’s the kind of photograph that relies on the decisive moment, in the way disparate elements have been caught in a strange, fleeting, and artful configuration. The girl clings to the pole, the doll dangles upside down like some surreal puppet, the cropped figure strides through the frame, all occupying a perfect alignment in space and time. None of it feels arranged. Everything appears as happenstance, yet the composition holds together well. The conversion to black & white was a cunning choice. A photograph that gets better with each viewing.’
3. Blood of the Cattle by Bircan Harper, UK, 80pts
Nikon Z 9, 135mm, 1/250sec at f/6.3, ISO 12,800
With the 80 points she earns for this environmental portrait, Bircan has won APOY 2025 – congratulations! Her image, taken among the Suri tribe in Ethiopia’s Omo Vallery is a stunning observation of a ritual in which young men drink fresh cow’s blood, and the tight, close crop tells the story of the connection between boy and cattle powerfully. Including the cattle in the background helps to anchor the image, but doesn’t detract from the compelling moment.
4. Blessed Rain by Rahimat Onize Shaibu, UK, 0pts
Canon EOS R6 Mark II, 24–70mm at 48mm, 1/180sec at f/2.8, ISO 160
Even without looking at the name, readers may recognise that this image is by the same photographer as the category winner, which demonstrates that Rahimat has a very notable style. This is to be commended. The concept of the image, once again, has been extremely well realised, and post-production is superb, with carefully balanced low-key tones and excellent separation between the colours.
5. Gliding Through Serenity by Azim Khan Ronnie, France, 60pts
DJI Mavic 3 Pro, 24mm, 1/80sec at f/5.6, ISO 100
With one of his signature drone images, Azim Khan Ronnie bags himself second spot overall in this year’s competition. The judges loved the minimalist treatment here, with the rowing team tiny in the centre of the frame, surrounded only by soft turquoise water and cloud. He’s shown excellent timing by waiting until the boat appears under a break in the mist, so it’s as sharp as it can be. It’s an image that oozes confidence – Azim knows he doesn’t need to reveal any more or any less from the scene.
6. Floating Fruit Market by Azim Khan Ronnie, France, Bangladesh 0pts
DJI Mavic 3 Pro, 24mm, 1/80sec at f/5.6, ISO 100
In a complete reverse of his fifth-placed image, above, this time Azim has filled the frame with his subject, and with it the viewer gets an insight into a vibrant, bustling world of business and trade. It would have been very easy to compose randomly, but Azim has taken care to capture the boats as they fan outwards from the bottom of the frame, creating an aesthetically pleasing image as well as a fascinating one.
7. Held in Reflection by Bircan Harper, UK, 0pts
Nikon Z 9, 85mm, 1/2500sec at f/2, ISO 200
Another superb portrait from Bircan, her second image in this round. By focusing on the mirror she has given us a picture within a picture, and the suspended head is almost surreal in nature. Shooting at f/2 shows an understanding of technique, because if the youngster themselves had been any sharper, the resulting image would have been rather too literal. Bircan has also placed herself so that the child’s face, and the white and mustard-coloured face paint really leaps out of the frame.
8. Rhossili Bay foal by Sara Williams, UK, 40pts
Sony Cyber-shot RX10 Mark IV, 8.8-220mm at 24mm equiv, 1/4000sec at f/2.4, ISO 100
A fabulous, characterful pony portrait from Sara, who also won the Animal Kingdom category with an image from the same series. She has captured the foal’s inquisitiveness so well, with the slight tilt of its head and the wind sweeping its whiskers enhancing the entertainment value. Framing with the fence posts top and bottom is a great device to use, and here it gives an almost cinematic effect. Finally, on a technical level, the photograph is super-sharp where it needs to be, and falls away to just the right level of softness in the blue-sky, sandy-beach background. We hope Sara continues to study these Rhossili Bay ponies and creates a long-term project from them.
9. Mind the Roses by Andrew Alexander, UK, 35pts
Pentax 67, 135mm, Kodak Tri-X, 1/500sec
A great documentary shot in the classic style – it was even taken on film! It depicts the Royal Shrovetide football match, which takes place in Ashbourne, Derbyshire. At first we spot the ball above the crowd, at the bottom of the frame, and the man on top of the garage who is doing… what? Perhaps he’s rescued the ball from the top of the porch? Perhaps he’s about to launch himself into the crowd below? But what completes the story is the woman at her window at the top of the frame, directly above the ball, photographing or filming the event for posterity. The short telephoto lens helps to compress the image slightly, emphasising the crowded nature of the scene.
10. Yellow Wave by Ulrike Unterbruner, Austria, 30pts
Sony A7R Mark IV, 35mm, 1/500sec at f/8, ISO 100
Guest judge Maria Falconer says: ‘You could be forgiven if this image didn’t immediately catch your eye. The subject matter is not, in itself, extraordinary, unlike other photographic genres such as wildlife, sports, or documentary, where the content is often inherently dynamic or dramatic. But stop and take a moment to look again, slowly and with patience, and you’ll see the power of photography unfold in front of your eyes. What’s clearly demonstrated in this fascinating image is camera vision. By transforming an ordinary piece of plastic into a captivating and compelling seascape, Ulrike reimagines the ocean in a unique and fantastical way.
Photographs like this are not an easy hit; metaphorical imagery requires the viewer to do some work too, to suspend disbelief, use their imagination and meet the photographer halfway in a mutual creative exchange. It takes a brave image maker with a distinctive eye to engage with this unconventional photographic style.’
International Young Amateur Photographer of the Year 2025, Open winner
Silent Reflection by Oscar Black, UK, 100pts
Sony A7 Mark III, 28-200mm at 39mm, 1/125sec at f/11, ISO 50
A beautifully executed low-key portrait by Oscar. He’s shown excellent control of the lighting, ensuring it models the woman’s features and introduces detail to her hair, but nowhere are the highlights blown or the shadows ugly. There’s also just enough detail on her neck to ensure she doesn’t look like a disembodied head. The black & white treatment gives it the appearance of a Hollywood golden era portrait, and the fact that her eyes are shut conveys a sensitivity and meditative quality. Very well done.
Camera club competition
Each round, we shine a spotlight on a selection of excellent entries from the many camera clubs that enter APOY
The Diamond Jubilee Sundial by Tracey Small, Launceston Camera Club
Fujifilm X-T4, 18-135mm at 18mm, 30sec at f/16, ISO 160
This photograph has a wonderfully mysterious quality, and almost looks like a still from a science fiction film. The stunning cloud formations add depth and intrigue.
Maid of Steel by Paul Farina, Plymouth Camera Club
Technical info not supplied
Paul has given us a stunning depiction of the Angel of the North sculpture, photographing it head on against a completely plain backdrop, and keeping just one figure to give a sense of scale.
Whispers of a New Day by Mike Morley, Harrogate Photographic Society
Nikon Z 8, 180-600mm at 430mm, 1/1000sec at f/6, ISO 2000
A truly gorgeous silhouette of deer in the early morning mist. Even though some of them overlap, there’s enough separation to ensure the dark areas don’t block up.
Strawberry milkshake splash by Jane Jones, Stafford Photographic Society
Google Pixel 9, 49mm equiv, 1/1050sec at f/1.7, ISO 952
An excellent action-still life combo. The splashes have been captured with skill and the strawberry is just visible enough. The colour combination of the backdrop is pleasing, too.
Maze by Linda Wride, Oxford Photographic Society
Nikon Z 7II, 24-120mm at 44mm, 1/125sec at f/20, ISO 720
A superb abstract image that plays with our sense of perception. Although we can’t be sure what we’re looking at, the spirals and composition make strong visual sense.
The 2025 leaderboards after round ten, Open
We have our final leaderboard of the year, and our ongoing tussle at the top has been resolved – with Bircan Harper from Cornwall taking top spot, thanks to her outstanding travel portrait from Ethopia. Azim Khan Ronnie comes a very strong second, his signature drone shots catching the judges’ attention in this round and others. It’s been a high-scoring year, as in previous years scores of 280 and 250 would have won you the big prize.
In Young APOY, for the second time in the competition’s history, we have a tie at the top, with Ben Hancock-Smith and Matteo Botta sharing the spoils with an impressive 355 points each.
As for the camera clubs, Plymouth Camera Club have won for the second year in a row, putting in some fantastic entries. Congratulations to all!
Winning kit from Camera Centre UK
What gear did our top ten photographers use?
Taking first place, Rahimat Onize Shaibu used a Canon EOS R6 Mark II. This full-frame mirrorless model features rapid continuous shooting, highly effective subject detection AF, impressive image quality in JPEG and raw, and an excellent viewfinder. The AP review stated, ‘A superb all-rounder that handles well, and its updates and modern features perform incredibly well to make for a very powerful camera indeed.’ It can be found at Camera Centre UK for £1,899.
In third and seventh places, Bircan Harper used a Nikon Z 135mm f1.8 S Plena FX lens, which features 11 rounded diaphragm blades, 82cm minimum focus distance and weighs 995g. It includes 16 elements in 14 groups. When reviewed in AP it was described as ‘a superb lens that is capable of creating exceptional imagery’. It can be purchased at Camera Centre UK for £2,599.
Taking tenth spot, Ulrike Unterbruner used a Sony FE 35mm f1.4 G Master for her abstract close-up. This lens is constructed of 14 elements in ten groups, the barrel is dust- and moisture-resistant, and a fluorine coating on the front element helps shed raindrops. In its five-star review in AP, it was described as ‘one of the finest lenses we’ve ever tested’. This outstanding lens is available from Camera Centre UK for £1,429.
To see the full range, visit www.cameracentreuk.com
