Panoramic Views Of The World: The Best Shots From The 2025 Epson International Pano Awards (50 Pics)
The breathtaking winners of the 2025 Epson International Pano Awards have just been announced — and they’re a feast for the eyes. Now in its 16th year, the competition celebrates the art of panoramic photography, showcasing some of the world’s most stunning landscapes, cityscapes, and creative visions captured in ultra-wide format. From fiery sunsets over deserts to the magical glow of the Northern Lights, this year’s entries push the boundaries of what’s possible with a camera and an artistic eye.
Italian photographer Alex Wides (Alessandro Cantarelli) won Open Photographer of the Year for his stunning panoramas Last Fireworks, Jackpot, and Mann. His work shows incredible skill and patience, giving viewers a chance to experience these landscapes in all their beauty.
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Italian photographer Alex Wides (Alessandro Cantarelli), who also works under the moniker AlexWides Panoramas, has spent over a decade redefining how we see the world through ultra-wide lenses. His signature style merges multiple perspectives into one seamless, immersive view, often created under extreme conditions. “As the sun went down, the sky literally exploded,” Wides said of his winning image Last Fireworks, a 360° panorama captured in the Algerian desert. “Layer after layer of clouds lit up, painting the desert with fire and gold.” From the blazing dunes of Algeria to the moonlit snows of the Dolomites, his work captures not just landscapes, but the feeling of being completely inside them.
Open Nature/Landscape: "Entstehung" By Lukas Moesch, Switzerland
Iceland
Open Nature/Landscape: "Smoking Skull" By Daniel Viñé Garcia, Spain
Fagradalsfjall Volcano, Iceland
Runner-up Vitaly Golovatyuk, known professionally as Panvelvet, earned first place in the Built Environment category for an abstract aerial panorama of Hong Kong. Shot manually from a drone over Victoria Peak, the image was composed of 48 separate frames stitched together and inverted, transforming the skyline into an almost otherworldly landscape. “It started as a technical experiment,” Golovatyuk explained, “but when I inverted the composite, it turned into something new — a surreal reflection of the city’s rhythm.”
Open Nature/Landscape: "Last Fireworks" By Alex Wides (Alessandro Cantarelli), Italy
Algeria
First-place category winner and Open competition overall winner
Open Nature/Landscape: "Descend" By Daniel Vaughan, Australia
Cenote Maravilla, Mexico
From Singapore, William Chua claimed Southeast Asia Open Photographer of the Year for his dramatic wildlife panorama of the great wildebeest migration in Kenya. A longtime Fujifilm ambassador, Chua has spent over two decades photographing wildlife and culture across Africa. “I’ve witnessed the migration countless times and it never ceases to amaze me,” he said. “For this image, what caught my attention was a lone wildebeest turning back amidst the frenzy. In that instant, I knew that was the shot I wanted.”
Open Built Environment/Architecture: "Svolvær By Night" By Yuan Li, China
Svolvær, Lofoten, Norway
The Amateur Photographer of the Year title went to Kevin Nyun from the United States, whose series The Altiplano Landscape, Frozen, and Remnants showcase the adventurous spirit behind his work. Nyun, who only began photographing in 2021, has already traveled across continents to chase light and weather. “Each surreal moment to me is like an escape from reality,” he said. His Bolivian highland panoramas, stitched from over 20 drone images, blend snow, desert, and altitude into vast, dreamlike scenes.
Open Nature/Landscape: "Quiver Tree Under The Red Flame Of Orion" By Egor Goryachev, Germany
Quiver Tree Forest, Namibia
Open Southeast Asia: "Golden Season In Trung Khanh" By Phuc Minh Le, Vietnam
Trung Khanh, Cao Bang, Vietnam
This year’s Pano Awards reaffirm just how boundless the panoramic format can be. From moonlit peaks and desert firestorms to abstract cityscapes and cinematic wildlife encounters, the 2025 winners have transformed vast spaces into intimate experiences. As curator David Evans put it, “Each year, the boundaries of panoramic photography are pushed further, and 2025 has proven no exception.” With entries spanning continents and perspectives, this year’s collection stands as a breathtaking reminder that even in an age of constant imagery, there are still new ways to see the world.
Open Southeast Asia: "At The Bar" By Ranjan Ramchandani, Singapore
Tanzania
Amateur Built Environment/Architecture: "Cinderella's Castle" By Judith Kuhn, Germany
Neuschwanstein castle, Schwangau, Ostallgäu, Bavaria, Germany
Open Built Environment/Architecture: "Northern Lights Over Reine Fishing Village" By Wei Lian, United States
Norway
Open Nature/Landscape: "The Whales Welcome" By Matthew Smith, Australia
The Kingdom of Tonga
Open Nature/Landscape: "First Step" By Alex Wides (Alessandro Cantarelli), Italy
Dolomites, Italy
Amateur Nature/Landscape: "Drooling" By Xuejun Long, China
Kenya
Amateur Nature/Landscape: "St Michel And The Hole" By Juan Pablo Dentone, Spain
Mount Saint Michel, France
Open Built Environment/Architecture: "Rainbow Bay" By Siyuan Cao, USA
San Francisco Bay Area
Open Built Environment/Architecture: "Morning Chapel" By Ngar Shun Victor Wong, Hong Kong
Slovenia
Amateur Nature/Landscape: "The Wave" By Luis Cajete, Spain
Arizona, USA
Second-place category winner
Amateur Nature/Landscape: "Alien Throne" By Julio Castro Pardo, Spain
Valley of Dreams, New Mexico, USA
Third-place category winner
Open Built Environment/Architecture And Open Southeast Asia: "Silk Of The Sea" By Cao Thi Ngoc Diem, Vietnam
Phu Yen, Vietnam
Open Built Environment/Architecture: "Ambisnaena" By Peter Li, Great Britain
Musei Vaticani, Vatican City
Second-place category winner
Open Built Environment/Architecture: "Skyscraper" By Ngar Shun Victor Wong, Hong Kong
Shanghai, China
Open Built Environment/Architecture: "Seattle In Fog" By David Swindler, Us
Seattle, USA
Open Nature/Landscape: "Sacred Nature" By Marina Cano, Spain
Lake Nakuru, Kenya
Second-place category winner
Open Nature/Landscape: "Cathedral Of Shadows" By Daniel Viñé Garcia, Spain
Hanksville, Utah, United States
Open Southeast Asia: "Wildebeest Migration In Kenya" By William Chua
Kenya
Southeast Asia Open Photographer of the Year
Open Southeast Asia: "Cultivating Bougainvillea In Preparation For Tet Holiday" By Phuc Minh Le, Vietnam
Vietnam
Amateur Built Environment/Architecture: "Great Wall" By Agnes Anna Sadowski, Germany
China
Second-place category winner
Open Built Environment/Architecture: "Foggy City" By Ngar Shun Victor Wong, Hong Kong
Shanghai, China
Open Built Environment/Architecture: "Vertical City, Silent Peak" By Shuchuan Liu, China
Tokyo, Japan
Open Built Environment/Architecture And Open Southeast Asia: "Salt Harvesting" By Tuan Nguyen Tan, Vietnam
Bac Lieu, Vietnam
Open Built Environment/Architecture: "Firework Over Victoria Harbor" By Kwong Lung Philip Wong, Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Open Built Environment/Architecture: "Neuschwanstein Castle" By Xuejun Bian, USA
Fussen, Germany
Open Nature/Landscape: "Jackpot" By Alex Wides (Alessandro Cantarelli), Italy
Rago National Park, Norway
Third-place category winner
Open Nature/Landscape: "Neolucanus Maximus" By Ji Yuan, China
Amateur Nature/Landscape: "Gannets Fight" By Arun Mohanraj, Great Britain
Shetland, Scotland
Amateur Built Environment/Architecture: "City And Sea Of Clouds" By Benny Chan, Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Open Built Environment/Architecture: "Morning Glory" By Ngar Shun Victor Wong, Hong Kong
Shanghai, China
Open Nature/Landscape: "Goodbye Scandinavia" By Alex Wides (Alessandro Cantarelli), Italy
Sweden
Open Built Environment/Architecture: "Twilight Mist And Silver Peaks" By Yihsun Chou, Taiwan
Switzerland
Open Nature/Landscape: "Double Milky Way Arch Over Matterhorn " By Angel Fux (Angelica Fuchs), Switzerland
Gornergrat, Zermatt
Open Nature/Landscape: "Mann" By Alex Wides (Alessandro Cantarelli), Italy
Dolomites, Italy
Open Nature/Landscape: "Devil's Teeth" By Alex Wides (Alessandro Cantarelli), Italy
Senja, Norway
Open Nature/Landscape: "Raining Tears" By Alex Wides (Alessandro Cantarelli), Italy
Lofoten, Norway
Open Nature/Landscape: "Laguna Hedionda" By Ignacio Palacios, Australia
Laguna Hedionda, Bolivian Altiplano
Open Nature/Landscape: "Milky Way Double Arch In Gornergrat" By Nicolas Giroud, Switzerland
Zermatt, Switzerland
Open Nature/Landscape: "Gold Dust" By Rolf Gemperle, Switzerland
Puna de Atacama, Argentina
Amateur Nature/Landscape: "The Altiplano Landscape" By Kevin Nyun, United States
Altiplano, Bolivia
First place category winner and overall Amateur winner
Amateur Nature/Landscape: "Pyramid Dunes" By Chengming Liu, United States
Death Valley National Park, USA
Amateur Built Environment/Architecture: "The Museum" By Julio Castro Pardo, Spain
Louvre, Paris, France
Open Built Environment/Architecture: "Not A Tiny Hong Kong Island" By Vitaly Golovatyuk, China
Hong Kong Island
First-place category winner and overall Open runner-up
Open Built Environment/Architecture: "Ancestral Whispers" By Daniel Viñé Garcia, Spain
Hanoi, Vietnam
Open Nature/Landscape: Vvarious Flowers" By Ji Yuan, China
Patterns captured by polarized light after hydrolysis and crystallization.
Open Built Environment/Architecture And Southeast Asia: "Mystical Central Vietnam" By Alex Cao, Vietnam
Quang Ngai, Vietnam
Amateur Nature/Landscape: "American Dream" By Matteo Rovatti, Italy
Arches National Park, Utah, USA
Amateur Built Environment/Architecture: "Architectural Playground" By Florian Kriechbaumer, United Arab Emirates
Baku, Azerbaijan
Third-place category winner
Amateur Built Environment/Architecture: "Castles In The Sky" By Florian Kriechbaumer, United Arab Emirates
Dubai, UAE
Amateur Built Environment/Architecture: "Merciless Ashes" By Carlos Solinis Camalich, Spain
Volcano Tajogaite, El Paso, La Palma, Canary Islands, Spain
Open Built Environment/Architecture: "Double Spiral" By Antonio Luis Martinez Cano, Spain
Vatican Museum
Open Built Environment/Architecture: "Water Reflection After Evening Rain" By Shao Lun Huang, Taiwan
Taipei, Taiwan
Amateur Built Environment/Architecture: "City In The Clouds" By Florian Kriechbaumer, United Arab Emirates
Dubai, UAE
Amateur Built Environment/Architecture: "Tallest Storm" By Florian Kriechbaumer, United Arab Emirates
Dubai, UAE
Amateur Built Environment/Architecture: "Above The Fray" By Kate Beale, United States
San Francisco, California
Amateur Built Environment/Architecture: "Blue Ortegal" By Luis Cajete, Spain
Cantabric Coast
Amateur Built Environment/Architecture: "Love Locks" By Christopher Baker, USA
Cologne, Germany
Open Built Environment/Architecture: "Teleport Tower" By Yoshihiko Wada, Japan
Tokyo, Japan
Open Built Environment/Architecture: "Tides Of Tradition" By Daniel Viñé Garcia, Spain
Hoi An, Vietnam
Third-place category winner
Open Built Environment/Architecture: "Through The Whispering " By Shirley Wung, Taiwan
Japan
Open Built Environment/Architecture: "Fog Invasion" By Siyuan Cao, USA
San Francisco Bay Area
Amateur Built Environment/Architecture: "Through The Palette" By Pedro Nogales, Spain
Madrid, Spain
First-place category winner and overall Amateur runner-up
Amateur Built Environment/Architecture: "Black Hole" By Danny Au, Hong Kong
Tokyo International Forum
Amateur Built Environment/Architecture: "The Moonrise" By Florian Kriechbaumer, United Arab Emirates
Munich, Germany
Amateur Built Environment/Architecture: "City Light And Shadow" By Didi Hsu, Taiwan
Taipei
