Van Gogh Photo Award 2025

Ontdek de Vincent van Gogh Photo Award, waar creativiteit geen grenzen kent. Laat je inspireren door Vincents ‘out of the box’ aanpak. Ga met ons mee op een reis door de lens, waarbij elke klik niet alleen een moment vastlegt, maar ook een verhaal dat wacht om verteld te worden.In de fotografiewereld gaat het thema 'en route' niet alleen over het vinden van een pad; het gaat erom dat je de essentie van je visie ontdekt. Je thema is je leidraad en leidt je door het uitgestrekte landschap van mogelijkheden, terwijl de route het avontuurlijke pad is dat je verkiest te verkennen.

Winner of the 5th edition of the Vincent van Gogh Photo Award

Photographer: Willem Kuijpers
Title: I Misteri|
Subject: Bearers at the end of I Misteri, the 24-hour Holy Week procession in Trapani.

With his moving photograph of five bearers, Willem Kuijpers manages to make the unspeakable tangible. Five individuals, bent under the weight of a casket, carry not only a body but also the immeasurable grief of a community. The image breathes the essence of the final journey: intense, intimate, steeped in emotion and symbolism.

The photograph captures a moment that is both universal and deeply personal. Its impact is profound: we see mourning, farewell, and the awareness of mortality, but also the deep bond of people who together shape this last journey. This unique context adds layers of meaning and expressive power to the image.

The jury appreciates how Kuijpers, with a single image, succeeds in sparking curiosity and evoking emotions through a poetic visual narrative.

2nd Prize – Vincent van Gogh Photo Award

The second prize has been awarded to Saurabh Narang for a particularly intriguing photograph that tells an impressive story. The image shows Ramnath Sharma, an elderly man from India who, every year during the migratory season from October to March, feeds thousands of seagulls at the Yamuna Ghat in Delhi.

In Hindu tradition, feeding birds is considered an act of kindness and a way to earn good karma — spiritual blessings follow such generous deeds. Visitors and devotees come to the ghat to perform these rituals, often in the serene atmosphere of sunrise, when the cries of the seagulls and the soft morning light create a magical moment.

This tradition has been captured by the photographer in a spectacular, moving, and respectful way. The result is a powerful image that is both culturally significant and visually captivating.

3rd Prize – Vincent van Gogh Photo Award

Photographer: Alireza Pourkhan
Title: falling but never give up

The third prize this year goes to Alireza Pourkhan. With his photograph, he convincingly shows that giving up is not an option. The image depicts the head of a camel that has fallen during a camel race, yet manages to recover amid a tangle of legs. This powerful shot conveys an inspiring message: falling but never give up.

Unfortunately, due to the distance, photographer Alireza Pourkhan was not able to attend in person.

Winner of the 4th edition of the Vincent van Gogh Student Award

Photographer: Iris van Gool
Title: When time stands still

The photograph by Iris van Gool immediately raises questions. The image is mysterious and evocative: out of focus, yet with a strong expressive power. We see a woman brushing her hands through the wheat, a gesture that leaves room for interpretation and meaning. It is precisely the suggestion, the vagueness, and the poetic movement that make this work so intriguing.

The jury appreciates how the photo does not reveal everything, but instead invites the viewer to pause, to search, and to add their own meaning. The work shows that photography is not always about sharpness or documentation, but about feeling, story, and symbolism.

Iris herself expresses it as follows:"We live in a world that never stops, where everything keeps moving. As if standing still is not an option, we keep running — searching for something, fleeing from something, or simply swept along by the flow of life. Time blurs, movement replaces silence, and everything rushes past us. We race through life, always on the move. But are we still able to find peace and quiet? Or have we forgotten how to stand still, to listen, and simply to be?"

2nd Prize – Vincent van Gogh Student Award

Photographer: Joy Cremers
Title: The light of the monastery

A remarkable achievement for Joy: no fewer than two of her photographs were nominated during the exhibition. These images are part of the series A day in the life of the sisters, which she photographed at the Sacred Heart Monastery. A remarkable setting, which for many remains shrouded in mystery and sparks curiosity about what happens behind these monastery walls. Joy managed to capture this life and the chosen path of the sisters in a beautiful and sensitive way.

Although something went wrong during the final exhibition and jury process — the photographs were intended to be printed in color but were mistakenly displayed and judged in black-and-white — this did not negatively affect the jury’s assessment. They decided to honor Joy this year with the second prize of the Vincent van Gogh Student Award.

3rd Prize – Vincent van Gogh Student Award

Photographer: Maria Baptista
Title: Burnt grance

The jury is pleased to award the third prize of the fourth edition of the Vincent van Gogh Student Award to the work of Maria Baptista.

Her photograph shows a young woman, carefree and full of energy, leaping through the landscape with a bouquet of flowers. The chosen moment and the subtle anonymity of the subject give the image a distinctive and creative character. The balance between sky and landscape reinforces the strength of the photo: tangible and recognizable, yet beautifully abstract.