Wildlife Photographer of the Year: “The Perfect Heist” by Baiju Patil
Wildlife photography is as much about timing and patience as it is about the animals themselves, and the 2025 Refocus Photographer of the Year Awards proved it.
This year’s winning images feel electric and immediate, capturing split‑second scenes that most people would never witness. Baiju Patil of India earned the Wildlife Photographer of the Year title for “The Perfect Heist,” a stunning shot from Bharatpur that he spent over 15 years returning to the same wetlands to achieve. Across the 25 selected photographs, viewers are pulled into intense, intimate moments—predators hunting, birds clashing mid‑air, and mammals fighting to survive. What sets this edition apart is its storytelling, revealing the delicate balance between wildlife and their environments through scenes that feel cinematic yet entirely real.
More: Refocus Photographer of the Year, Instagram
Silver: “Haven” by Preeti & Prashant Chacko
Bronze: “Pulse of the Plains” by Matt Dusig
Bronze: “Snow Leopard In Her Domain” by Gero Heine
Bronze: “Heart Attack” by Baiju Patil
People’s Vote Award: “Barney” by Michelle Valberg
“Ocean’s Eye” by Hadrien Foucher
“Cow and Calf” by Pepe Salcedo
“Nature’s Crossing” by Brian Clopp
“Sleeping Swan” by Bjørn Jansen
“Ghosts of the Arctic” by Randall Ball
“Food Fight” by Vince Maidens
“Where Peaks meet the Icy Edge” by Rachel Spencer
“Breach” by Jarrod Saw
“Mother Mary” by Fabian Meckl
“The Long Road Home” by Matt Dusig
“Wild Mustang Horses in a Conversation” by Lisa Campbell
“Reflections in the Night” by Marcello Galleano
“Mirror! Mirror!” by Vicki Santello
“Gold and Silver” by Fabian Meckl
“Peekaboo” by Joergen Rasmussen
“Seehund” by Brandon Rooney
“When The Sun Goes Down” by Bence Máté
“Sky shark” by Jonathan Allen
“Solitude In Snow” by Sandy Canuel