Scarred whale eye among 16 powerful images from Black and White Photo Awards 2025

See the most incredible black and white nature photos of the year as the finalists and winners are revealed.

James Cutmore

Published: August 21, 2025 at 12:46 pm

The winners of the 2025 Black and White Photo Awards have been announced, with top spot in the Fauna and Flora category going to Willem Kruger for his image 'leopard jump mono'.

Captured in South Africa’s Londolozi Reserve, the amazing shot shows the tense moment a male leopard must leap away after mating to avoid the female’s claws.

Founded in 2022, the Black and White Photo Awards have become a leading international competition devoted to monochrome photography.

Here are some of our favourites from this year's competition.

Black and White Photo Awards 2024 winners, including extraordinary image of lion daydreaming inside a bloody carcass

Black and White Photo Awards 2025 – Fauna and Flora category finalists

Raghuvamsh Chavali – The dance of gravity

Hummingbird drinking at flower. — A hummingbird drinks from a flower. Photo by Raghuvamsh Chavali/BW Photo Awards

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Remuna Beca – Oceanic eyes

Shark swims towards the camera. — An edangered oceanic whitetip shark. Photo by Remuna Beca/BW Photo Awards

Javier Ruperez – Prosopocoilus serricornis

Close up of a stag beetle's mouth. — A male stag beetle. Photo by Javier Ruperez/BW Photo Awards

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Christopher Baker – Stripes

Close-up of zebra's eye. — A close-up of a zebra's eye. Photo by Christopher Baker/BW Photo Awards

Claire Waring – King of the beasts

Male lion looking to the right. — A male lion intent on mating with a female (not pictured). Photo by Claire Waring/BW Photo Awards

Jonathan Allen – Deep window

Humpback whale's eye close up. — A close-up image of the eye of a humpback whale. Photo by Jonathan Allen/BW Photo Awards

The ultimate guide to the humpback whale

Thomas de Franzoni – It all starts with a lullaby

Group of Flamingos in the water. — A group of flamingoes reflected in the water. Photo by Thomas de Franzoni/BW Photo Awards

Nur Tucker – Arctic fox

Artic fx partially lit at night. — An arctic fox photographed in Vardo, Norway. Photo by Nur Tucker/BW Photo Awards

Claire Waring – Out in the cold

A deer with visible breath. — A young male roe deer ventures forth on a cold, rainy night. Photo by Claire Waring/BW Photo Awards

Kaushiik Subramaniam – Patterns in the deep

A ray swimming underwater. — An ocellated eagle ray photographed in the waters of the Maldives. Photo by Kaushiik Subramaniam/BW Photo Awards

Paolo Ameli – Elephant family

Group of elephants walking in line. — A group of elephants walking in line. Photo by Paolo Ameli/BW Photo Awards

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Black and White Photo Awards 2025 – Fauna and Flora category winners

Masaru Takagi – Ring-tailed lemur – Bronze mention

Ring-tailed lemur looks at the camera. — A striking portrait of a ring-tailed lemur. Photo by Masaru Takagi/BW Photo Awards

The ring-tailed lemur guide

Javier Ruperez – Wolf spider – Silver mention

Close up of spider's eyes. — An extreme close-up at 2x magnification, capturing the intensity of a wolf spider. Photo by Javier Ruperez/BW Photo Awards

Robin Scholte – Big hug – Golden mention

Two elephants with tusks and trunks intertwined. — Two young male elephants wrestle in play. Photo by Robin Scholte/BW Photo Awards

Rajarshi Banerji – Iconic elephant at iconic mountain – Second place

Elephant with tusks sprays water out of trunk. — An elephant known as Craig drinks at a water hole in the shadow of Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa. Photo by Rajarshi Banerji/BW Photo Awards

Willem Kruger – Leopard jump mono – Overall winner

Leopard jumping over other leopard. — A male leopard jumps away after mating with a female to avoid her claws. Photographed on the Londolozi Reserve, South Africa. Photo by Willem Kruger/BW Photo Awards

Top image: Deep window. Credit: Jonathan Allen, BW Photo Awards

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Group visual editor for BBC Wildlife, BBC Countryfile and BBC Science Focus

James Cutmore is the Group Visual Editor from BBC Wildlife, BBC Countryfile and BBC Science Focus Magazine. He has worked as a picture editor for over two decades, telling compelling science and nature stories through the use of striking imagery.