The IES’s annual Photography Competition is always anticipated with excitement by the IES team, members and non-members alike, and this year was no exception.
For the 2025 competition, we received even more entries than last year: and as demonstrated by the excellent assortment of photos selected as the winning and highly commended entries, the submissions were as varied, eclectic and original as ever.
The winner
To determine the winning entry, shortlisted photos were ranked using a points system, and the top 10 photos were then re-scored to determine the winning image.
2025’s winning photograph by Nicola Turner, ‘Sleeping Northern Saw-Whet Owl’, enthralled the judges with its attention to detail, use of rich dark colour, and the subtly obscured face of its subject – perfectly capturing the owl’s enigmatic pose. Taken at a wildlife sanctuary in Hokkaido, Japan, Nicola explains: ‘Northern Saw-Whet Owls are tiny, nocturnal owls that rely on forests for shelter during the day. Their secretive nature and excellent camouflage make them easy to overlook, and it was a privilege to be able to capture the peacefulness of this sleeping owl.’
Highly commended
Ben Yeates took this photo, titled 'Cableguy', during a lightning storm during his descent from the Seceda Ridgeline in the Dolomites, Italy. On capturing this striking photo that contrasts bright sudden lightning strikes with a deep indigo sky, Ben writes: "the lightning gives the sky an ominous darkness that comes with such a force of nature. I used torchlight to illuminate the cable cars of the Col Raiser lift to give a foreground feature."
Aida Khalil captured this beautiful shot, titled 'The Dancing Squid', during a night dive in the Philippines in 2023, where the squid, attracted by the torchlight, approached the photographer to investigate. As Aida writes, "Squids are more active at night and get attracted by lights. This squid and two others that were swimming with it were very curious and attracted to my diving torch."
Another stunning underwater shot taken across the other side of the world on Chesil Beach, 'A Portal to a Universe' by Seb Hibbs depicts darkness of another kind: A moon jellyfish (Aurelia aurita) is slowly consumed by a Snakelocks anemone (Anemonia viridis). This remarkable photo showcases spectacular light and colour among the darkness: a truly original take on this year's theme.
Finally, Simon Williams's photo of a tawny owl in flight, approaching a perch, is titled 'A Night Hunter', and is one of the more haunting images chosen by the judges as a Highly Commended photo this year. The use of darkness and light in this photo is more subtle, with the darkness in certain strategic points (the owl's eyes in particular) make this image a memorable one.
The IES thanks all of this year's entrants for some inspiring and striking photos: as ever, the judges enjoyed the enormous variety and range in the engagement with this year's competition theme. A selection of the judges' favourite photos this year, alongside the winning and Highly Commended images, will be published in the September edition of environmental SCIENTIST.
