All About Photo Awards celebrates the power of global visual storytelling. The annual prize, now in its eleventh year, demonstrates how photography continues to evolve as a universal language – capable of documenting reality, questioning it and transforming it. This edition’s theme is The Mind’s Eye, with 45 winning works across 15 countries and four continents. The shortlist selected by Steve McCurry, an American photojournalist and member of Magnum Photo Agency. His iconic image, Afghan Girl, of a young woman with piercing green eyes, is famous around the world and has appeared on the cover of National Geographic several times. McCurry brings this wealth of experience to the curation of All About Photo, selecting pieces that form a vivid snapshot of contemporary photography, one that moves fluidly between documentary, conceptual and poetic approaches. Today, we spotlight five standout images.
The Honey Hunters of Nepal
Andrew Newey
High in the Himalayan foothills of central Nepal, Gurung honey hunters gather twice a year, risking their lives to harvest the honey from the world’s largest honeybee. For hundreds of years, the skills required to practice this ancient and sacred tradition have been passed down through the generations, but now both the number of bees and traditional honey hunters are in rapid decline as a result of increased commercial interests and climate change. Nepal’s fast growing tourism industry has started attracting tourists wanting to experience honey hunting in the foothills of the Himalayas, stimulating interest among in “staged” honey hunting events. This cliff bee is essential for the pollination of high-altitude plants and their rapidly decreasing population put these ecosystems in jeopardy, threatening the food base for the entire region.
Reaching for Heaven
Archie Cludven
This image is an ode to the quiet moments and simple pleasures of life. The artist caught the image spontaneously, after spotting fishermen travelling back from their catch, whilst driving along the national highway. He rolled down the window and snapped a shot of a single boat bathed in the sunset. He writes: “We go through our days of solitude, yet now and then there are flickers of sudden light. In life, there will be family, and friends; there will be joy, and betrayal. There will be fervor, and there will be decline. Within this immeasurable world, no one is truly alone – yet each soul stands apart in its unique and distinctive way. We hold onto the little, tiny bit of time, to wait for the stars like a fisherman waits by the lakeside, watching the sun being devoured by darkness, inch by inch, till eventually we find our sparks.”
Mending Nets
Marie Kent
Hoi An is a vibrant and colourful city in Vietnam, renowned for its lantern-lit streets and waterways. For photographer Marie Kent, it was not the intricate lights that caught her attention, but the local fishing community. She says: “As I explored along the Thu Bon River in Hoi An, it was the vibrant blue of the fishing net that stayed with me long after witnessing this scene. A local woman was patiently mending a huge net by hand, and beyond the striking colour, it was a tradition living through her meticulous craft. In a rapidly changing world, her hand gesture captured in this photograph serves as a link to the generations of fishers who have come before her.” The result is a striking and vivid portrait of the care and time that goes into preserving cultural traditions and crafts, maintaining them for the next generation.
Sunset at the Temple of Heaven
Chris Yan
The Temple of Heaven, located in Beijing, is China’s largest imperial sacrificial complex. The 15th-century UNESCO World Heritage site was built in 1420 for Ming/Qing emperors to pray for bountiful harvests. Today, it still preserves its ancient imperial architecture, with fine cut buildings set in gardens and surrounded by historic pine woods. Photographer Chris Yan captures the moment when the setting sun shines on these builds, with yellow walls and red doors exuding a unique charm. The golden lion-head door knockers are illuminated by the sunlight, ancient and majestic. A girl passes by, the backlight creating a silhouette. Yan says: “This moment perfectly embodies the traditional Chinese aesthetics in my heart.”
Gavin Libotte
Henri Cartier-Bresson coined perhaps the most famous line in photography: “the decisive moment.” The sentiment reflects the faction of a second where the essence of a great picture is revealed. It’s up to the artist to capture it. It has inspired and guided artists for decades since, shaping the trajectory of street photography and photojournalism around the world. This idea is clear in the work of Gavin Libotte. His award-winning image was a spontaneous moment, as he describes: “I was shooting at Barangaroo in the Sydney CBD. I noticed a woman with a fan creating a wonderful shadow on her face. I quickly ran towards her and took the shot. The lighting was just right creating a traditional story in a modern urban setting.”
Learn more about All About Photo Award 2026: all-about-photo.com
Words: Emma Jacob
Image Credits:
1. Earth Veins, Marco Di Marco.
2. The Honey Hunters of Nepal, Andrew Newey.
3. Reaching for Heaven, Archie Cludven.
4. Mending Nets, Marie Kent.
5. Sunset at the Temple of Heaven, Chris Yan.
6. Chinoiserie, Gavin Libotte.
