Stunning image of an Icelandic volcano's eruption takes top spot in landscape photography contest
In the recent 2025 International Amateur Photographer of the Year (IAPY) competition, photographers from around the world showcased their talents, capturing stunning images that ranged from breathtaking landscapes to intriguing close-ups. Here are some of the standout entries and their creators.
Rachel Riley, a photographer from the UK, placed tenth with her image 'Curlew and Castle', which features a curlew and a castle, captured using a Sigma 150-600mm F5-6.3 C Contemporary DG OS HSM lens.
John Seager, another UK-based photographer, placed fourth with his image 'Baobab Road'. This drone-shot photograph emphasizes the scale of the trees against that of two figures. Seager's 'Cast adrift' received 70 points in the competition.
Mark Hetherington, from the Derby City Photographic Club, impressed with his ultra-wide focal length and five-second shutter speed image 'All roads lead to Rum'.
Hary Hammad, a young photographer from Pakistan, won the International Young Amateur Photographer of the Year 2025 Close-Up & Details competition with the image 'The orange landscape'. This drone shot features autumnal trees and an orange sky, with a low-lying cloud that bisects the top part of the frame.
Tim Burgess, who placed fifth, used a Sony A7R IV camera for his image 'Alpine pasture, Alpe di Siusi', which transported the viewer to an Alpine pasture in Italy's Dolomites.
Bircan Harper's image 'Perfect storm' is a landscape-wildlife hybrid featuring a cheetah.
In the 2025 IAPY leaderboards, Matteo Strassera from Italy moved into joint second place after winning the Landscapes round with the image 'New day, new land'. This sunrise scene of fissures opening up during the eruption at Litli-Hrutur in Iceland was captured using the DJI Mavic 3 with a 24mm-equivalent lens, 1/50sec exposure, f/8 aperture, and ISO 100.
Quintin Lake, the guest judge, highly praised 'Cast adrift'. Mike Morley from Harrogate Photographic Society submitted a breathtaking image of Hverfjall volcanic crater in Iceland, captured using a DJI Mini 3 Pro.
Lynn Pascoe from Truro Camera Club entered a thoughtful black & white conversion of clouds and mountains, captured using a Sony A1. Wendy Mountford from Plymouth Camera Club submitted a Lowry-esque scene titled 'The start of the holiday', captured using a Fujifilm X-T3.
Ryszard Lomnicki from Ireland came in second place with the image 'Pine Island, Connemara'. This photograph, captured using a Sony A7R Mark III, 12-24mm lens, 120sec exposure, f/11 aperture, ISO 100, Haida Red-Diamond ND3.0 and GND0.9 filters, showcases the beauty of autumnal trees and an orange sky.
Colin Griffiths' image 'Sassi di Matera' placed third in the competition, captured using a Nikon D800, 70-200mm lens, and ISO 100.
In the Young APOY category, Hary Hammad, who was not in the top ten last month, now leads. Matteo Strassera, who won the Landscapes round, moved into joint second place.