13 perfect panoramic images from the 2025 Epson International Pano awards

Get the daily Popular Science newsletter💡 Advances, discoveries and DIY advice sent every day of the week. The winners of the Epson International Pano Awards 2025 have been announced, showcasing photographs of our big, big, beautiful world in ultra-wide glory. Italian Alex Wides (Alessandro Cantarelli) won the Open Photographer of the Year award and the Nature/Landscape category for his artistic landscapes (seen above and below). Among this year's 3,423 entries, there were more photographs of the Northern Lights than usual, coinciding with the maximum 11-year solar cycle. “Last Fireworks” is the first category and the big winner of the open competition. Describing the final fireworks display, Wides said: "As the sun set, the sky literally exploded. Layer after layer of clouds lit up, painting the desert in fire and gold. Using my Sony A7 IV with a fisheye lens on a tripod, I captured a full multi-exposure sequence at f/8 and ISO 100, carefully rotating around the nodal point to create a seamless 360° panorama." Image: Alex Wides (Alessandro Cantarelli) / The 16th Epson International Pano Awards. “The Pano Awards entries are always exceptional and this year the creativity has truly reached a new level,” Epson Australia Managing Director Craig Heckenberg said in a press release. "It's great to see so many wider and ultra-wide panoramic photos this year, a format close to our hearts, as they can be truly and accurately represented by Epson's large format photo printers. Pano Awards entrants are a source of inspiration for photographers of all skill levels. At Epson, we pride ourselves on embodying innovation and creativity, which is why we continue to support and sponsor these unique awards." Additional category winners and other impressive panoramic images can be found below. (Click to enlarge images in full screen.) Kevin Nyun won Amateur Photographer of the Year for three entries, including “The Altiplano Landscape Taken in Bolivia.” Image: Kevin Nyun / The 16th Epson International Pano Awards. “Hverarönd Aurora” won first place in the VR/360 photography category. German Christoph Simon took this image of the Northern Lights above the Hverarönd geothermal area in Iceland. Image: Christoph Simon / The 16th Epson International Pano Awards. Spaniard Daniel Viñé Garcia won the Epson Digital Art Prize with “Tides of Tradition” taken in Hoi An, Vietnam. Commenting on her image, Viñé says: "In this coastal village in Vietnam, survival is woven into silence. These women, working in the morning shadows and in the salt-laden air, are the invisible guardians of subsistence. The nets they repair are not simple tools, but lifelines connecting the sea and the community." Image: Daniel Viñé Garcia/16th Epson International Pano Awards. Vitaly Golovatyuk received the award for best aerial panorama for this photo of Hong Kong entitled “Not A Tiny HK Island”. Image: Vitaly Golovatyuk /The 16th Epson International Pano Awards. In “Various Flowers,” patterns captured by polarized light after hydrolysis and crystallization. Image: Yuan Ji / 16th Epson International Pano Awards. A small lizard with a large lion in the Serengeti in Tanzania in "The Lion Whisperer". Image: Marina Cano/16th Epson International Pano Awards. Chris Byrne won the Curator's Award for this peaceful image of Mount Rainier in Washington state titled "Elysium." Image: Chris Byrne/16th Epson International Pano Awards A Tongan humpback whale swims near an island in "The Whales Welcome". Image: Matthew Smith/16th Epson International Pano Awards. In “Shining in the Silence,” fireflies shine in Taiwan. Image: Shirley Wung/16th Epson International Pano Awards. The sun rises over Lofoten, Norway, alongside a colorful rainbow in "Lofoten Sunrise." Image: Stefan Liebermann/16th Epson International Pano Awards. “Forest of Yellow” presents a close-up of pollination in action in Idaho. Image: Brian Clopp / The 16th Epson International Pano Awards. The “Jackpot” was won in Rago National Park, Norway. Alex says: "After finishing the tours on Senja Island, I walked to the filming location hoping for a good weather window. When I opened the tent on the last try, I hit the jackpot. The sky exploded in a spectacular half hour of Northern Lights. It was a perfect reward after years of waiting." Image: Alex Wides (Alessandro Cantarelli) / The 16th Epson International Pano Awards. Holiday Gift Guide 2025 Don't settle for a gift card this year. Our list of editor-approved gifts fits every personality and budget.