Top Photographers of 2025

Black woman in shoulderless dress looking down in blue lit room

Snowy trees and roofs of neighborhood houses at night with several lit up in Christmas lights

Portrait of smiling Black female Afropunk audience member dressed in blue yarn shirt

Tattooed Black man lying in white sheets with one eye looking at camera through fingers

Black woman in headscarf holding megaphone addressing line of police in front of protesting crowd

Bird’s eye view of various types of plated food on a simple off-white table

Black man in dense jungle in bright green suit and hat with pink shirt holding a snarling hyena with a metal chain

Circles of light in a triangle formation over top a deserted valley road at night

Yellow orange flower petal against pink and blue fabric background

Side view of four stacked bitten caramel chocolates

Smiling Asian mother, father and daughter eating steaming hot pot from table with large plates of meat, seafood, vegetables and noodles against a dark green wall

From bold, stunning portraits and dreamlike scenes to images that capture the beauty of nature, this list features outstanding photographers from around the world. Their collective work spans a range of styles, techniques, subject matter, and career paths. We created this list because images are powerful, representation matters, and championing the next generation of creative talent is critical.

This list was curated by Noun Project and our partners at Black Women Photographers, Canva, Skillshare, and VSCO.

The Honorees

Black woman in red dress and green headdress in yellow room

Adaeze Okaro

Adaeze is a self-taught photographer based in Abuja, Nigeria, whose work explores love, introspection, and identity. Through her lens, she honors Black beauty, melancholy, and human connection, crafting stories that linger beyond the image.

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Flocks of birds flying in front of the Taj Mahal in India with peach and blue hues are seen from boat in the Yamuna river

Arjun Yadav

Arjun is a Toronto-based photographer passionate about telling stories through photography. His work aims to capture the magic in life’s everyday moments and places. Whether through landscapes or aerial shots, he invites viewers to see the familiar world around them in a new light.

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Rapper Doechii performing on stage lit in red light and decorated with plants

Edwina Hay

Edwina specializes in live music, event photography, and portraits. As an avid music fan born and raised in Brooklyn, she has captured images of musicians performing on stage for two decades.

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Black female boxing outside in red head guard

Grace Ekpu

A self-taught documentary photographer and filmmaker born in Nigeria, Grace travels around the world capturing images that address pressing social issues in areas often misrepresented by traditional media. She is a member of African Women Photographers and a recipient of the Black Women Photographers 2024 grant.

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Joel Sartore

World-renowned photographer Joel Sartore started the National Geographic Photo Ark in an effort to document every species living in human care, inspire action through education, and help save wildlife by supporting on-the-ground conservation efforts.

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Black African man in Kufi hat and three boys dressed in matching green shirts on the back of a motorcycle

KC Nwakalor

Focused on humanizing social, economic, health, and environmental issues affecting Africans and the African Diaspora, KC’s images tell powerful stories of resilience and hope. His goal is to bring important issues to the forefront of conversations through his work.

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Three, three tiered cakes with floral decorations and petal confetti

Ming-Tang Evans

An international award-winning photographer based in London, Ming-Tang’s work spans food, drink, travel, portraiture, and interiors. Over the course of his career, he’s worked with a variety of clients and publications including Hilton, Laurent-Perrier, Conde Nast, and more.

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Black woman in bright colorful dress with red horse in front of purple cube in a field under a full moon night sky

Osborne Macharia

Based in Vancouver, Osborne is a Kenyan-Canadian photographic artist whose creative expression combines photography, motion, and world-building. Heavily influenced by his experience growing up in Kenya, he draws inspiration from his culture, surroundings, and faith to influence his artistic vision.

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Circle of light in winding canyon of red rocks

Reuben Wu

Reuben is a multidisciplinary artist who explores new ways of telling compelling stories about the world we inhabit. His pioneering work with aerial lighting and long-exposure photography has helped redefine contemporary landscape photography and belongs in the permanent collections of the Guggenheim Museum, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the MoMA.

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Purple and white orchid flowers splashed with water on blue background

Sandra Dans

Bright, beautiful colors and florals make Sandra’s work instantly recognizable. Her striking images immerse the viewer in an ethereal world where nature takes center stage. Alongside her commercial photography practice, Sandra works as an independent digital photo restorer.

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Top view of female hand reaching for frothy milk beverage topped with cinnamon stick and star anise

Tabitha Park

Tabitha is a lifestyle product and food photographer living in the Pacific Northwest. She does her own food styling and her images of recipes, cocktails, donuts, chocolate, and more showcase rich textures and colors.

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Woman in baggy blue jeans picking up pizza slice from picnic spread with tacos and skewers / Smiling Black man in red patterned shirt holding drink in green striped cup with green striped straw

Thảo Như

A food photographer based in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, Thao’s stunning images tell immersive visual stories. She dreams of bringing Vietnamese cuisine and culture to the world, sharing inspiring tales behind each dish.

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