Matt McClain (USA), 1st Place Winner. “Window to the Past”
Intern, Megan Day, 20, works in Margaret Hunter’s Millnery Shop at Colonial Williamsburg on Tuesday July 15, 2025, in Williamsburg, VA. This image was part of a story looking at the life of founding father, Thomas Jefferson. He was a resident of Williamsburg in different periods of his life. Jefferson was the principal writer of the Declaration of Independence. As the 250th anniversary of the United States approaches, his legacy still echoes throughout the places he once lived.
The All About Photo Awards has recently announced the winning images of its 11th competition themed The Mind’s Eye. Hand-selected by juror and legendary photographer Steve McCurry, the lauded photos showcase the breadth, beauty, and complexity that shape our world today. McCurry picked a total of 45 winning images that represent photographers in 15 countries and across four continents. In their own ways, each contemporary photo offers a peek into diverse cultures around the world. Taken together, they show how we’re all connected, despite distance and circumstance.
The contest awarded five top photographs and 40 merit awards. Of them, Matt McClain won First Place for his image titled Window to the Past. The alluring composition features a foreground of a misted, foggy window in Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia. We gaze at a quiet scene of a woman, dressed in traditional attire, as she sits at a table. The window in the composition also reflects the background behind the photographer, creating a complex look forward and backward.
“This image was part of a story looking at the life of founding father, Thomas Jefferson,” McClain explains. “He was a resident of Williamsburg in different periods of his life. Jefferson was the principal writer of the Declaration of Independence. As the 250th anniversary of the United States approaches, his legacy still echoes throughout the places he once lived.”
Scroll down to see a selection of winning images and learn the stories behind them. Then head over to the website to see even more.
The All About Photo Awards has recently announced the winning images of its 11th competition.
Brooke Shaden (USA), 2nd Place Winner. “Obscura”
“Obscura” looks at the nature of social sharing through the lens of a self-portrait artist, questioning the ways we alter, obscure, and share ourselves so willingly in today's culture. I have been a self-portrait artist for seventeen years, curating my “sense of self” and “public persona” very intentionally. But what about those who share themselves without understanding of how their personhood and future could be effected by those actions?
The winning images were hand-selected by juror and legendary photographer Steve McCurry.
France Leclerc (USA/Canada), 3rd Place Winner. “Celestial Ladies”
From a previous trip to West Africa, I was familiar with the Celestial Church, the white attire, and the hat women devotees wear when they attend church service. On a random walk near the Benin/Togo border, I noticed these women resting and chatting, presumably after attending a service, sitting in front of a gray wall where white circles had been painted. I was amazed by the juxtaposition of the hats and the circles.
The lauded photos showcase the breadth, beauty, and complexity that shape our world today.
Javier Arcenillas (Spain), 4th Place Winner. “Tunisia”
Train sleeping in Cartago. The photograph is part of a larger photographic project that took me to Tunisia. The image belongs to what we call street photography. It's a spontaneous picture of a woman sleeping peacefully in a train car traveling from Carthage to the Tunisian capital. There's no intention behind it other than to capture a beautiful moment stolen from time.
Beamie Young (USA), 5th Place Winner. “Bringing Home the Birds”
On a trip to Cuba I visited Casablanca, a ward of Havana. I saw two boys maybe brothers walking home carrying caged birds. The cages, likely handmade from wood or wicker, hold small songbirds commonly kept in Cuban households.
Keeping wild birds in cages is a long-standing and widespread tradition in Cuba, dating back to Spanish colonial times. These birds are typically kept for their singing and are often seen on balconies, porches, and in urban neighborhoods like Havana. The practice remains a common part of everyday life, valued for the sense of beauty and familiarity it brings to the home.
Andrew Newey (United Kingdom), Merit Award. “The Honey Hunters of Nepal”
High in the Himalayan foothills of central Nepal Gurung honey hunters gather twice a year, risking their lives to harvest the honey from the world’s largest honeybee. For hundreds of years, the skills required to practise this ancient and sacred tradition have been passed down through the generations, but now both the number of bees and traditional honey hunters are in rapid decline as a result of increased commercial interests and climate change.
Nepal’s fast growing tourism industry has started attracting tourists wanting to experience honey hunting in the foothills of Himalayas. This influx of tourists trekking the world famous Annapurna circuit has also stimulated interest among trekking agencies in organising ‘staged’ honey hunting events. The Himalayan cliff bee is essential for the pollination of high altitude plants and their rapidly decreasing population puts these ecosystems in jeopardy, threatening the food base for the entire region.
Marie Kent (France), Merit Award. “Mending Nets”
As I explored along the Thu Bon River in Hoi An, it was the vibrant blue of the fishing net that stayed with me long after witnessing this scene. A local woman was patiently mending a huge net by hand, and beyond the striking colour, it was a tradition living through her meticulous craft. In a rapidly changing world, her hand gesture captured in this photograph serves as a link to the generations of fishers who have come before her.
Jiri Kostal (Czech Republic), Merit Award. “Under the sky”
Riding on a magical night. In reality, I'm lying on a frozen pond with my bike, trying to look like I can ride on my back wheel. Drone view.
Tommi Viitala (Finland), Merit Award. “When The Angels Cry”
As a street photographer, I love extreme weather. Although people often play the main roles in street photography, the surrounding nature plays a very important part in creating the atmosphere for the photos. This photo was taken through the wet and foggy glass in Mannerheimintie, Helsinki, Finland.
Hervé Boutrouille (France), Merit Award. “Wheels”
My goal in photography is to tell the story of people's lives in an urban environment as graphic and minimalist as possible, by relying on modern architecture. During a city photo trip in Berlin, I was in awe of this amazing building with the big circle window of a library. I was waiting to see an interesting story born in front of this architecture, where some pedestrians, runners … were passing. The small wheels of this bike near the big wheel of the library caught my attention.
Jiri Kostal (Czech Republic), Merit Award. “Drawing by driving”
Bored driver and empty parking lot. Drone view.
Robert Lie (Indonesia), Merit Award. “She and The Popes”
A nun is walking around the wall with full of Popes mural painting in Lourdes. We can see Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedictus inside the mural giving blessing. The picture shows look like that nun has been blessing by the Popes himself.
Marco Di Marco (Italy), Merit Award. “Earth’s Veins”
A short text describing the background or story behind the image: Fresh lava spread in branching channels during the opening phase of an eruption at Sundhnúkagígar in the Svartsengi volcanic system on Iceland’s Reykjanes Peninsula. At peak onset, the eruption discharged lava at an estimated rate of about 1,500 cubic meters per second, feeding the glowing rivers of molten rock visible in the foreground. I made this image during the onset of the eruption, when lava output was exceptionally high and the landscape was changing minute by minute. What drew me to the scene was the contrast between violence and structure: molten rock spreading with immense force, yet briefly organizing itself into bright, branching channels before cooling and merging into a wider flow field. I wanted to show the power of the opening phase while also revealing the intricate surface patterns created in those first moments.
Khaichuin Sim (Malaysia), Merit Award. “Touched by light”
The clouds were moving swiftly across the Dolomites, painting the valley in shifting light and shadow. I waited patiently for the moment when the sun would break through and touch the lonely Church of San Giovanni in Ranui, leaving its surroundings in darkness. When that beam of light finally arrived, it transformed the quiet chapel into a glowing sanctuary beneath the towering peaks, a fleeting reminder that nature’s most magical moments reveal themselves only to those who wait.
Khaichuin Sim (Malaysia), Merit Award. “Dancing with giants”
In the vast blue of the open ocean, a free diver shares a quiet moment with a group of curious Sperm Whales. Moving gracefully through the water, the diver appears almost to dance as the giants glide past, their immense forms contrasting with the delicate human silhouette above them. Encounters like this reveal the calm intelligence and curiosity of these ocean giants, reminding us how small we are within their world and how privileged we are to witness it.
