color portrait photo of young Chin resistant in Myanmar by Robin Tutenges

Visual Story Award Editors’ Picks of February 2025

Following the results of last month’s Visual Story Award—judged by former National Geographic Senior Editor, Elizabeth Krist—the editorial team is delighted to showcase a selection of competition entries that, while not making the final cut, are nonetheless well deserving of recognition.

A young Chin resistance fighter hides beneath tall bushes of white wildflowers as a Burmese military convoy passes by. In Amman, Jordan, two longtime friends—and their feathered companion—escape the afternoon heat with a game of backgammon. Tonga’s only recorded pure white humpback whale glides gracefully through the South Pacific waters, her mother glued to her side.

These striking images underscore the enduring power of photographic storytelling, capturing some of the complex stories that shape our world today.

Published March 17, 2025 - Congratulations to all selected artists: Xavier Ayme, Jeroen Nieuwhuis, Chan Kim, Jono Allen, Laurin Strele, Myriam Aadli, Savadmon Avalachamveettil, Robin Tutenges, Woo Jung Choi, Eleonora Costi,

Call for entries

fashion fine art studio portrait of woman by Ivana Sunjic
© Ivana Sunjic
2025 Portrait AWARD

Win $2700 Cash Awards & International Exposure

Can you tell a story with a single glance? – in May, we invite all photographers to share portraits that narrate compelling tales, whether captured in the controlled environment of a studio, the vibrant chaos of the street, or the rich landscapes of travel.

  • Win $2700 in Cash Prizes
  • International Exhibition
  • +870k Instagram Feature
  • Free Online Portfolio

More Articles

Privacy Overview
The Independent Photographer

This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website or helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.

Strictly Necessary Cookies

Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings.

3rd Party Cookies

This website uses Google Analytics to collect anonymous information such as the number of visitors to the site, and the most popular pages.

Keeping this cookie enabled helps us to improve our website.