The Natural Landscape Photography Awards Shuns AI and Composites

Sep 23, 2025

Matt Growcoot

Sunlight streams through dense, moss-covered trees in a lush forest. Ferns and rocks with green moss cover the ground, and golden light creates a magical, serene atmosphere among the twisted tree trunks. — David Shaw

While some photo competitions allow for liberal image manipulation and even artificial intelligence, there is none of that in the Natural Landscape Photography Awards which has just announced its winners.

The rules are clear: there can be no generative AI, no compositing of different photographs, and RAW files are checked by judges to ensure authenticity. The competition is designed to promote photographers looking to work within the constraints of the natural landscape and traditional bounds of photography.

Both film and digital shooters are allowed to enter. The winner takes home $5,000 while category winners and runners-up are also awarded. This year’s contest received over 11,000 entries from more than 1,100 photographers in 64 countries.

Joy Kachina took home the top accolade of Photographer of the Year for her portfolio that documents the enchanting nature of Tasmania, Australia.

A misty forest scene with tall, straight tree trunks featuring peeling bark, surrounded by dense undergrowth and soft light filtering through the fog. — Joy Kachina

A mountain partially covered by clouds is reflected in a calm lake surrounded by green trees and white, leafless branches in the foreground, with sunlight illuminating the peak. — Joy Kachina

A snow-covered landscape with two trees. One tree in the foreground is bent by the wind, while a leafless tree stands in the hazy, snowy background. Snowfall and mist create a cold, wintry atmosphere. — Joy Kachina

Black and white photo of twisted, gnarled tree trunks with striped bark patterns in a dense, foggy forest. The trees create dramatic lines and shapes, giving the scene a mysterious, surreal atmosphere. — Joy Kachina

Abstract close-up of tree bark featuring swirling textures and vibrant shades of orange, brown, yellow, and white, creating a painterly and organic pattern resembling flowing brushstrokes. — Joy Kachina

Dense, misty forest with twisted, gnarled trees, green shrubs, rocky terrain, and a large grass tree with long, spiky leaves in the foreground. The scene looks lush and wild, with a mysterious atmosphere. — Joy Kachina

Photograph of the Year went to Margrit Schwarz for her image taken during a 12-day raft trip on the Colorado River. She captured ancient layers of stone, “shaped by time and water into abstract forms.”

Swirling, smooth sandstone rock formations frame a circular hole through which pale blue-green water is visible below, creating an abstract, organic pattern with flowing lines and curves. — Margrit Schwarz

Grand Landscape Category

Large, blue icebergs and swirling snow patterns cover a frozen landscape, with rugged mountains rising in the background beneath a cloudy gray sky. — Winner. Luis Vilarino

Sunset over rugged mountain peaks with dramatic clouds, rocky terrain, lush green bushes, and a spiky plant in the foreground. Sun rays shine through the mountains, illuminating the landscape. — Runner Up. Samuel Markham.

Snow-covered cliffs surround a bay with a sandy shore. Snowfall blurs the sky and the distant hills, creating a cold, windswept, and dramatic winter landscape in black and white. — Third place. Gunar Streu

Large rocky boulders and cliffs sit among vibrant orange shrubs on a grassy hillside, with mist and sunlight illuminating distant mountains under a partly cloudy sky. — Highly Commended. Benjamin Maze

Aerial view of misty mountain ranges at dawn, with layers of dark ridges and soft light illuminating valleys and distant peaks under a pastel orange and blue sky. — Highly Commended. Joshua Cripps

Abstract Landscapes Category

Ilan Shacham won the abstract category with his photo of the Dead Sea, a lake with about 10 times more saline than the ocean. The ‘pearls’ in the images are hardened balls of salt as ridges of salt run randomly through the picture.

Aerial view of wavy salt formations with scattered round salt crystals on a textured, light brown surface, illuminated by warm sunlight. — Winner. Ilan Shacham

Aerial view of cracked, irregular pieces of ice on a dark, frozen surface, with various shades of white, gray, and black creating abstract patterns across the scene. — Runner Up. Alex Pansier

Abstract overhead view of water with rippling patterns reflecting vivid blue and orange light, creating an intricate, web-like texture across the surface. — Third place. Lukas Furlan

A textured surface painted to resemble a landscape, with a yellow circle like a sun or moon set against a red sky and dark, rough terrain at the bottom, creating an abstract sunset or sunrise effect. — Highly Commended. Lukas Furlan

A misty waterfall with soft, flowing water illuminated by a small, vivid rainbow in the center, surrounded by a dreamy, ethereal glow. — Highly Commended. Scott Oller

Intimate Landscapes Category

Sunlight streams through dense, moss-covered trees in an enchanting forest. Ferns and moss-covered rocks cover the forest floor, while shafts of light create a magical, serene atmosphere among the twisted branches. — Winner. David Shaw

A snow-covered landscape with a bare tree in the foreground, a small animal nearby, and another frosted tree in the distance, all surrounded by smooth, white snow. — Runner Up. Vojtech Schmidt

Sunlight shines on green lily pads floating on dark water, with mist or fog creating a soft, atmospheric effect on the left side of the image. — Third Place. Jude Dizon

A leafless tree branch lies in the still, misty water of a lake, surrounded by reflected twigs and overhanging branches, creating a calm and serene black-and-white scene. — Highly Commended. Roger Kristiansen

A large tree covered in heavy snow and frost stands in a dense, wintry forest. Surrounding branches and ground are also blanketed in snow, creating a misty, cold, and serene atmosphere. — Highly Commended. Yuya Wakamatsu

Project of the Year Category

Project of the year went to Hanneke Van Camp for her frozen landscapes of Sápmi, the cultural region traditionally inhabited by the Sámi people.

“It has become my part-time home,” says Van Camp. “A place of incredible beauty but also of fragility, facing threats from climate change and exploitation. Through this project, I hope to share its unique diversity and invite others to reconnect with nature and the values it carries.”