Top photographers revealed in prestigious competition
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Based in Cornwall, Bircan is currently studying for an MA in Fine Art online at Falmouth University. She has a workshop that can be a ceramics studio one day and a darkroom the next and is inspired by everything from life drawing and textiles to interior design and jewellery making – she is creative director of Blue Wing Gallery, a jewellery retailer. She has a definite restless streak, which is what drives her to travel the world to ‘explore the world’s diverse cultures and natural wonders’, with a particular focus on wildlife photography.
Achieving a total of 405 points, Bircan was placed in the top ten of seven rounds, and shortlisted in an eighth.
Alongside being crowned International Amateur Photographer of the Year 2025, Bircan takes home a £1,000 voucher to spend at Camera Centre UK and a £100 voucher for Bob Books.
International Amateur Photographer of the Year, Runner-up: Azim Khan Ronnie, Kingersheim, France
Born in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Azim Khan Ronnie now lives in France. He describes himself as having ‘an utter passion for photography’ and aims to ‘capture moments of life and give them significance by making them static in time’. Like Bircan, he travels extensively, with the aim of meeting new people, experimenting with photography, and capturing the world in all its beauty.
He achieved 350 points, won the People and Portraits and the Movement rounds, was placed in the top ten of two others and was shortlisted in a further five rounds.
Young International Amateur Photographer of the Year, Joint winner: Ben Hancock-Smith, Guildford, Surrey
For the second time since we launched Young APOY in 2021, we have joint winners! Ben Hancock-Smith, who has been placed in competitions such as the RSPCA Young Photographer Awards, impressed the judges with his wildlife images, and his creativity, which meant he was able to make them apply to many of the categories. He came first in Close-ups and Details, second in Night and Low Light, and Movement, and was either placed in the top ten or shortlisted in four other categories.
Young International Amateur Photographer of the Year, Joint winner: Matteo Botta, Lugano, Switzerland
Matteo has been a regular entrant to Young APOY, and came fourth in last year’s competition. His varied portfolio includes travel images, documentary and drone photography, both in black & white and colour. He came first in Round Eight, Movement, and was placed in the top ten a further five times, as well as being shortlisted in one other round.
Both Ben and Matteo are crowned Young International Amateur Photographer of the Year 2025. They will split the prize of a £500 voucher to spend at Camera Centre UK and a £100 voucher for Bob Books.
Camera Club of the Year: Plymouth Camera Club
For the second year in a row, Plymouth Camera Club has topped the leaderboard in our Camera Club of the Year section, accumulating 430 points in total across the competition, with 15 members entering regularly. The most notable thing about their success is that they only had one top-ten placing across the entire competition – every other point was won by images being shortlisted – which just goes to show the value of being consistent and committed to the competition. Congratulations!
The club will win a fabulous ViewSonic X2-4K projector worth £1,600, and the member who contributed the most points to their club’s points tally will win a ViewSonic ColorPro VP2786-4K monitor worth £1,000.
Information about International Amateur Photographer of the Year 2026 will be announced soon.
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