The Best Photos of 2025: February’s Most Compelling Images
Every month, photojournalists around the world freeze moments that would otherwise vanish — grief, celebration, competition, and defiance all compressed into a single frame. This curated selection of the best photos of 2025 covers the second week of February, drawing on the work of renowned wire agencies and independent photographers who were on the ground when history unfolded.
From a fiery folk performance in Shanghai to a tense highway protest in Tel Aviv, these eighteen images offer a vivid cross-section of life on our planet in early 2025. Each photograph tells its own story; together they form an indispensable visual record of the month.
Culture, Technology and Public Art
London’s Outernet: Art Meets Ultra HD
On 11 February 2025, a visitor raised her phone to capture one of the towering Ultra HD displays inside Outernet’s free public galleries in London. Photographer Kirsty Wigglesworth of AP documented the moment, which speaks to the growing intersection of immersive technology and everyday cultural access.
Saint Haralampi Day in Bulgaria
A deeply rooted Orthodox tradition played out on 10 February in Blagoevgrad, eastern Bulgaria. Worshippers at the Church of the Blessed Virgin lit candles mounted on honey jars arranged in a cross-shaped platform to mark the feast day of Saint Haralampi, the patron saint of beekeepers. AFP photographer Nikolay Doychinov captured the warm glow of devotion.
Protest and Political Tension
Tel Aviv: Demonstrators Block Highway 1
Relatives of Israeli hostages brought traffic to a standstill on Highway 1 between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv on 11 February 2025, reacting to the suspension of the Israeli-Hamas hostage swap agreement. In a striking frame captured by Mostafa Alkharouf for Anadolu via Getty Images, one protester leapt from a bridge above the crowd-filled highway, demanding that the government honour the deal and advance to phase two of negotiations.
Brussels: Workers Strike for Public Services
On 13 February 2025, Belgian workers and trade union members staged a national strike in Brussels to demand stronger public services. Reuters photographer Stephanie Lecocq documented the moment riot police raised their batons against demonstrators, underscoring the intensity of labour unrest across Europe.
Munich Car Attack
Also on 13 February, police responded to an alarming incident in Munich, Germany, where a car drove into a crowd, injuring several people. Wolfgang Rattay’s Reuters image shows officers working at the scene, a sobering reminder of the ongoing threat of vehicle-as-weapon attacks in public spaces.
Sport and Competition
Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, New York
The 149th Annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show brought elite competition to Madison Square Garden across 10–11 February 2025. On the first day, Aslan, a dapper Pomeranian, competed in the Toy Group under the lens of Reuters photographer Eduardo Munoz.
The headline moment came on 11 February when Katie Bernardin and Monty, a Giant Schnauzer, claimed the coveted Best in Show title. AP photographer Julia Demaree Nikhinson captured their jubilant celebration — a fitting image of the bond between handler and dog at the sport’s highest level.
Mixed Pair Skating in Harbin, China
Uzbekistan’s Ekaterina Geynish and Dmitriy Chigirev took to the ice for the Mixed Pair Skating Free Skating event in Harbin, China, on 12 February 2025. Issei Kato of Reuters preserved the elegance and athleticism of their routine in a single frame.
NRL Indigenous All Stars in Sydney
At CommBank Stadium in Sydney on 14 February 2025, Kirra Dibb of the Indigenous Women’s All Stars led her teammates in a Unity Dance during the NRL Indigenous All Stars Captains Run. Brendon Thorne’s Getty Images photograph is a powerful tribute to Indigenous identity and sporting pride.
Festivals, Celebrations and Spiritual Moments
Yanshui Beehive Fireworks Festival, Taiwan
Participants clad head-to-toe in protective gear braved a storm of exploding firecrackers during the Yanshui Beehive Fireworks Festival in Tainan, Taiwan, on 11 February 2025. The festival formed part of the wider Lantern Festival celebrations, and Reuters photographer Ann Wang delivered an image that is equal parts thrilling and surreal.
Lantern Festival Molten Iron Show, Shanghai
On 12 February 2025, a folk artist at Shanghai Happy Valley amusement park hurled molten iron into the air, producing a cascade of glittering sparks during Lantern Festival festivities — the traditional close of Lunar New Year. Go Nakamura’s Reuters photograph makes the moment look almost supernatural.
Maha Kumbh, Prayagraj, India
Helicopter crews showered flower petals over the vast gathering of pilgrims at the Sangam — the sacred confluence of the Ganges, the Yamuna, and the mythical Saraswati — on Maghi Purnima, the full-moon day, during the Maha Kumbh festival on 12 February 2025. AP photographer Rajesh Kumar Singh captured the aerial spectacle above one of the world’s largest religious gatherings.
Shab-e-Barat in Kashmir
On the outskirts of Srinagar in Indian-administered Kashmir, a young Kashmiri Shiite Muslim girl lit candles on the graves of her relatives during Shab-e-Barat on 13 February 2025, offering prayers for the souls of the departed. Dar Yasin’s AP photograph is among the most quietly moving images in this collection.
Entertainment and the Arts
Anya Taylor-Joy at The Gorge Premiere
British-Argentine actress Anya Taylor-Joy stepped onto the red carpet in Los Angeles on 12 February 2025 for the premiere of The Gorge. Reuters photographer Mario Anzuoni was on hand to document the moment for a film that had already generated significant pre-release buzz.
Shakira Launches World Tour in Rio de Janeiro
Colombian pop icon Shakira opened the worldwide launch of her Las Mujeres ya no Lloran tour at the Nilton Santos Stadium in Rio de Janeiro on 11 February 2025. AFP photographer Pablo Porciuncula documented the electrifying performance before a packed stadium crowd.
Tilda Swinton Receives Honorary Golden Bear at Berlinale
The 75th Berlin International Film Festival opened on 13 February 2025 with a landmark tribute: British actress Tilda Swinton was presented with the honorary Golden Bear for lifetime achievement. AP photographer Markus Schreiber captured Swinton holding the prestigious award aloft — a defining image of cinema’s enduring power to honour artistic legacy.
Human Endeavour and Everyday Stories
Coffee Drying in South Sudan
Near the town of Nzara in South Sudan, a worker carefully turned excelsa coffee beans to dry under the open sky on 15 February 2025. Brian Inganga’s AP photograph draws attention to the quiet, labour-intensive processes that underpin global commodity chains — and to the agricultural resilience of one of the world’s youngest nations.
Toronto Pearson Airport Crash Cleanup
The wreckage of a Delta Air Lines-operated Bombardier CRJ900 regional jet was lifted onto a truck at Toronto Pearson International Airport in Mississauga, Ontario, on 19 February 2025, as cleanup operations got underway following a runway crash. Cole Burston’s Reuters image is a sobering document of the aftermath. For more striking visual journalism, browse our Best Photos of 2024 – Part 178 collection.
Conclusion
February 2025 proved to be an extraordinarily eventful month, and these eighteen photographs — shot across five continents by some of the world’s most accomplished photojournalists — reflect its full breadth. From intimate spiritual moments to grand public spectacles, the best photos of 2025 remind us that documentary photography remains one of humanity’s most important tools for bearing witness. If you enjoy curated photo journalism, you may also want to explore our coverage of last week’s top images from the United States.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who took the Best in Show photograph at the 149th Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show?
AP photographer Julia Demaree Nikhinson captured Katie Bernardin and her Giant Schnauzer, Monty, celebrating their Best in Show victory at the 149th Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show in New York on 11 February 2025.
What is the Yanshui Beehive Fireworks Festival and when did it take place in 2025?
The Yanshui Beehive Fireworks Festival is a traditional Taiwanese event held in Tainan as part of the Lantern Festival celebrations. In 2025 it took place on 11 February. Participants wear full protective clothing as massive clusters of fireworks — resembling a beehive — are ignited, creating a dramatic barrage of firecrackers.
Why did Tilda Swinton receive the honorary Golden Bear at the Berlinale in 2025?
Tilda Swinton was awarded the honorary Golden Bear at the opening of the 75th Berlin International Film Festival on 13 February 2025 in recognition of her lifetime contribution to cinema. The honorary Golden Bear is one of the festival’s most prestigious distinctions, granted to artists whose body of work has made an exceptional impact on the art of film.
