From Cursed Peaks to Bali's Beaches: Capturing Our Planet in Transition Through a Lens
From a rhino at the end of a rainbow to the molten front line of a wildfire, the shortlist for Earth Photo 2025 is full of riveting environmental stories that demand to be told.
In its seventh year, the international photography and film contest initiated by the UK’s Royal Geographical Society,Forestry England, and visual arts consulting firm Parker Harris in 2018, attracted more than 1,500 entries from approximately 250 'lens artists'.
Forty photographers and filmmakers were chosen by a panel of specialists, who now face the challenging duty of selecting a victor from among the 203 compelling, lyrical, and frequently surprising narratives.
These tales not only underscore the critical concerns of climate change , including vanishing ecosystems, contaminated waterways, and displacement caused by climate change, while also acknowledging human innovation, resilience, and the strong bonds between individuals and their surroundings," stated the competition organizers.
Below are seven of our top picks, prior to choosing a winner for the The Earth Photo 2025 exhibition which will commence at the Royal Geographical Society from June 17th until August 20th.
7. ‘Pandamonium’ in China
Wearing a panda costume at the Hetaoping center in Wolong, Sichuan Province, is merely one of numerous actions Ami Vitase has taken to exemplify her principle of "being part of the narrative."
The National Geographic photographer, author, and movie producer has visited over 100 nations, documenting the narratives of people at the forefront of climate change and conflict, "individuals who choose not to allow disaster to shape their destinies."
At the Chinese panda centre, cubs are raised with minimal human contact, including rare hands-on checkups, in hopes of fostering skills for life in the wild.
In ‘A Hopeful Sign’, above, Vitale snapped a black rhino named Bruno, peacefully resting beneath a rainbow at Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Kenya.
6. Olive tree farming in the limelight
For over a decade, Spanish-born artist Berta De La Rosa has dedicated herself to a project called ‘Getsemaní’, which advocates for the protection of Mediterranean traditions through a focus on the olive tree.
"My objective for this lifetime endeavor, centered around environmental conservation, is to use the symbol of the olive tree—a universally recognized tree and one filled with hope—to advocate for all our trees," she explains.
And through this action, I aim to protect our environments and restore the respect owed to farm work.
5. The final inhabitants of the Cursed Mountains
Chiara Fabbro is an Italian documentary photographer residing in London, concentrating her work on themes of migration, displacement, and human connections.
In this series, she focuses her camera on what could be the last generation of shepherds residing in the isolated uplands of the Accursed Mountains, an impressive chain that stretches across the region. Albania , Kosovo, and Montenegro.
Their traditional way of life is threatened by climate-driven drought - forcing flocks to travel further - and a younger generation turning away from remote mountain life.
4. ‘Heataly’: Italy under climate change
A cross-country ski trail winds through a completely snow-free forest. Today, 90 per cent of Italy’s ski slopes rely on artificial snowmaking systems, consuming an estimated 96,840,000 cubic metres of water annually - the equivalent of a city of one million people.
That’s one aspect of the way global heating is manifesting in Italy, a subject Italian documentary photographer Filippo Ferraro explores through his ‘Heataly’ project.
3. River Lines within the Amazon
In an image captured by Colombian photographer and engineer Mateo Borrero, a Ticuna man appears small beside a 500-year-old Ceiba tree within the Peruvian Amazon rainforest.
At first glance, the picture appears to depict merely the insignificance of humans compared to a colossal natural formation. However, a horizontal shadow level with the person reveals a more profound narrative.
The tree features a watermark indicating the usual level of the river during the wet season, typically reaching its peak between April and May. Captured in May 2024, this photograph illustrates the high point from the previous year’s flooding. drought due to climate change.
2. A thermal view of Iceland’s shrinking woodlands
Iceland, which was previously covered by forests to the extent of 40 percent, now retains merely approximately 1.5 percent woodland coverage. Efforts towards restoration are crucial for the nation’s ambition to attain carbon neutrality by 2040; however, these initiatives encounter numerous obstacles—among them being the escalating needs of the tourism sector.
Photographer and director Jussi Hellsten notes that tourism in Iceland has surged dramatically over the last ten years, but emissions from travel are not included in national inventories as per the Kyoto Protocol, making it difficult for the nation to advance its climate initiatives.
“Since 2021, I have documented the intersection of tourism and reforestation in Iceland using digital infrared photography, a tool commonly employed to assess forest health,” he explains.
“The technique reveals hidden aspects of the landscape,” he says. And, as in this photo, also highlights the essential role of volunteers. Millions of tree seedlings are grown annually at nurseries like Kvistari, pictured here.
1. Discarded plastic appearing on Bali's shorelines
In January 2025, Bali's shores were overwhelmed by waves of plastic contamination. Annually, during the monsoon season, Indonesia's contaminated waterways release millions of tons of plastic debris into the seas, leading this refuse to accumulate across the nation's waterfronts.
Even though these plastic waves happen every year, 2025 has been termed "the worst year yet" by people living nearby.
The Beijing-based British photographer and filmmaker Sean Gallagher journeyed to Indonesia with the aim of documenting this developing situation. plastic crisis His series depicts Indonesian locals participating in communal initiatives to cleanse their nation's contaminated shores, waterways, and mangrove forests.
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