2024-2025 Winning Photos

Thank you to everyone who participated in the 20th Annual World of Photos Contest! Below are the winning photos, which were announced in April 2025.

The Lynn Conley People's Choice Award

a volcanic mountain seen through an archway over a cobblestone street
Under the Arch: Stories Between Volcanoes and Cobblestones by Dania Vanessa Verbena (Antigua, Guatemala)

Urban Scenes

a suspended cable car travels down a steep mountainside
Third Place: A Morning over Rio Harbor by Tanner Chapman (Rio, Brazil)
a coral-colored wall with flowers cascading over the top
Second Place: Wall of Flowers by Professor Laura Loth (Dakar, Senegal)
a narrow canal between old buildings
First Place: Canal by Eleanor Knight (Venice, Italy)

People

phtographs of men inside a domed building
Third Place: Victims of the Sigurimi (Albanian Secret Police) by Stacey Pennington (Tirana, Albania)
an older woman with pigeons in a plaza
Second Place: Venice and the Birds by Eleanor Knight (Venice, Italy)
a person fishing on a foggy morning
First Place: Fisherman on Smoggy Morning by Luke Antesberger (Hanoi, Vietnam)

Natural World

a large container ship and a stormy sky
Third Place: Storm by James Van Cleve (Costa Rica)
a lone imge on a hilltop with clouds below
Second Place: Cerro Manquehue by Maya Khalife-Hamden (Vitacura, Chile)
an elephant reaches toward the camera with its trunk
First Place: Mother and Daughter by Leah Uslan (Chang Rai, Thailand)

Narrative Photography

a man in white robes carrying a cross
Third Place: Semana Santa by James Van Cleve (Seville, Spain)

At the beginning of Semana Santa, or Holy Week, citizens of Sevilla take part in parades throughout the city, donning masks and robes. While in the US, these outfits might be taken as a resemblance of the Ku Klux Klan, but in Spain, this is the traditional parade outfit and long predates the KKK. Children eagerly wait on the edge of the street as candy is thrown from the parade floats, and this boy caught me snapping his photo as everyone waits for the parade to begin.

a man herds donkeys down a brick road next to the sea
Second Place: Donkey Sancturay by Prof. Arshia Madni (Lamu Island, Kenya)

During a trip to Kenya, we learned about this beautiful island off the coast of Mombasa. I was struck by the beauty and simplicity of Lamu island. It was like stepping back in time. Due to the narrow and windy roads on this 21-mile island all residents must walk, bike or travel via donkey. It was mesmerized by the donkeys being such central presence with even a donkey sanctuary placed in the middle of island.   I appreciated the simpler life of the inhabitants of this island, their kindness and generosity.  Welcoming us with open arms as we explored their home. Offering us rides on their precious resource, the donkey. "

an orange cat licks its paw
First Place: Jiji by Robin Sullivan (Taipei, Taiwan)

On my first day at my study abroad program in Taiwan, I encountered a one-eyed orange cat outside of the Chinese Learning Center at Soochow University. He was skittish at first but warmed up to me very quickly and allowed me to pet him. I asked around, and I learned his name was Jiji, named after the cat from Kiki's Delivery Service. The students and staff working at the Chinese Learning Center set out food and water for him every day and considered him to be their mascot. I watched many students stop to pet him as they came to visit the Center, and I, too, gave him lots of attention each time I saw him. It was great to have the familiar comfort of a friendly campus cat, even when I was thousands of miles away from Rhodes.