2025-2026 Winning Photos

Thank you to everyone who participated in the 21st Annual World of Photos Contest! Below are the winning photos. 

"In late December 2024, my family and I, as part of a European Christmas trip, went to visit a large ancient fortress on the German border near France—Hochburg. We heard about it from the kind residents of the nearby town, Emmendingen, where we spent the night. The fortress is located on a hill, which was quite difficult for us to find because of the opaque winter fog. After we finally found the hill and started climbing, we found ourselves in a frost-covered apple orchard. The civilization was afar, and the Medieval wilderness surrounded us. 

In the fog, under the sun, we suddenly saw a dark silhouette. It was moving towards us. As it approached, it became more legible—we distinguished a magnificent horse and rider. We talked to them, and it turned out that they are the orchard’s owner who embrace farmcraft sustainability."

Domestic chores got you down?  In the trendy Exarcheia neighborhood of Athens, known for its street art and anarchist vibes, just making a successful run to the grocery store can count as a superhuman feat.  This mural sits just outside the store's entrance and elevates our daily struggles to a higher plane.

I was on the way to Suvarnabhumi airport in Bangkok when I asked the Grab driver to change the destination to a temple (a wat). I expected her to drop me off at the temple, luggage and all, and I would explore for a few minutes then find another taxi to the airport. Instead, my driver turned off the meter, parked the car and walked me through the temple herself. She didn’t speak English and Google Translate wasn’t our friend but we shared a roadside snack, filmed a Tik Tok video for her channel and lit some incense together before heading back to the airport. A true moment of Thai hospitality!