National Geographic Pictures of the Year 2025

National Geographic has revealed the Pictures of the Year 2025, highlighting images by Nat Geo photographers that inspired and defined the past year. This year's showcase features 25 images that cover the full spectrum of National Geographic coverage. It consists of wildlife portraits and human narratives to sweeping composites of changing landscapes and scientific discoveries.

The top 25 images were selected from hundreds of thousands of images captured in the field this year across more than 20 countries. The collection includes groundbreaking moments, such as the first underwater photograph of a great white shark in Maine, the precise moment an egg transforms into a chick. It also contains images that show the largest religious gathering in the world, the last Indigenous people of Europe, the largest land migration documented by drone, a new benchmark record set for a nuclear tokamak reactor and more.

"PICTURES OF THE YEAR is a project that is always inspiring and thought-provoking," said Nathan Lump, editor-in-chief of National Geographic. "Each year, our photographers and editors sift through thousands of images, searching for those rare moments that stop us in our tracks. Individually, these photographs speak to beauty, fragility, and wonder. Taken together, I see a collective sense of urgency — a call to preserve what’s in danger of being lost, as well as a reminder of the poetic beauty to be found in carrying on, in daring to dream of a better future."

You can see the full selection at natgeo.com/photos and in the December 2025 issue of National Geographic, which includes behind-the-scenes anecdotes.

Great white

Photographer: Brian Skerry

Caption: Photographer Brian Skerry has been chronicling marine life for decades, but this is his first picture of a great white shark off the coast of Maine, where he encountered one from four feet away. Sightings of sharks like this 10-footer are increasing from Cape Cod to Nova Scotia, due in part to the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, which allowed seal populations to rebound.

Transformation

Photographer: Anand Varma

Caption: For years, photographer Anand Varma has attempted to document when an egg yolk can still be seen but a bird form has clearly emerged. He experimented by incubating embryos in artificial shells before finally capturing the transformation at 12 days old. Varma separately raised some embryos to chicks, which he donated to people in the community.

King Mwene Chivueka VI

Photographer: Jasper Doest

Caption: In the misty highlands of Angola, entry to one of southern Africa's least studied ecosystems is controlled by King Mwene Chivueka VI, leader of the Luchazi people. For generations, his community has venerated an elusive herd of elephants native to the area—which outside scientists have only recently begun tracking, with the king's permission.

Nuclear fusion

Photographer: Paolo Verzone

Caption: With an eye toward solving the global energy crisis, scientists are developing powerful nuclear fusion devices called stellarators. This model was created at a German lab where international researchers built a much larger one that generated an astonishing 54 million-degree-Fahrenheit reaction. For a record-breaking 43 seconds, it was the hottest entity in the entire solar system—including the sun's center.

Day to Night

Photographer: Stephen Wilkes

Caption: Over the course of one action-packed day, photographer Stephen Wilkes watched animals charge toward a meager water hole at the height of extreme drought in Botswana's Okavango Delta. Elephants flared their ears. The legs of antelope and zebras splayed in a mad dash. One hippo dipped its head to charge an elephant calf, while another opened its mighty mouth in an intimidating display. Wilkes applied his signature Day to Night technique, in which he takes as many as 1,500 pictures from one vantage point over the course of 18 to 36 hours, seamlessly layering the 50 or so best moments to create a final image.

Canon announced the EOS R6 III, its latest-generation enthusiast full frame camera, earlier this month, but to some, the news of what the company was doing with the previous generation was even more exciting. It's keeping the EOS R6 II in the lineup indefinitely – not just selling through remaining stock – but cutting the list price from $2499 to $2299.

For potential buyers, it raises the question of whether to go with the still extremely capable EOS R6 II or to spend the extra $500 to get the newer model with all its additional features and resolution. In this article, we'll go through the differences between the two models so you can decide which one is right for you or whether you should upgrade from one to the other.

Sensor

The EOS R6 III's sensor is a new, higher-resolution model.

The EOS R6 III uses a new 33MP FSI sensor, which provides around 16% more linear resolution than the 24MP model found in its predecessor. Despite having more pixels to read out, both cameras have very similar readout speeds, so you're not giving up rolling shutter performance in e-shutter mode to get that extra detail. It is worth noting, however, that both cameras drop into 12-bit mode when reading out from their electronic shutter, meaning the images will have less dynamic range and noisier deep shadows than if they were taken with the mechanical shutter. Importantly, this is something their competitors with faster readout speeds don't have to do.

The company is also promising slightly better stabilization, rated at 8.5EV versus 8EV for the EOS R6 II. However, the EOS R6 III's expanded ISO setting tops out at 102,400, a stop below its predecessor's maximum of 204,800 (not that we've found such high settings to produce particularly usable images).

Autofocus

At a glance, the two cameras' autofocus systems are very similar; they support human, animal and vehicle detection, and have an 'auto' setting that will make the camera highlight any detected subjects in the scene.

However, Canon says it's updated the algorithms for the EOS R6 III, re-using the ones from the higher-end EOS R5 II and R1. We'll have to do more testing to see how much of a difference that makes in the real world, but the company says the system should be even more reliable. While we found the EOS R6 II's system to be capable for most situations, we would occasionally run into issues with it, particularly while recording video.

Also new on the EOS R6 III is Canon's 'Register People Priority' feature, which lets you take a picture of someone, then tell the camera to prioritize them when running subject recognition. This could be useful for group events or sports, where you want to make sure the camera doesn't jump to other recognized faces when it should be sticking to, say, the bride at a wedding. The system supports up to 10 faces, and lets you rank them in order of priority.

The EOS R6 III also has a few new focus selection modes that will always have subject detection and tracking turned off, letting you switch between area modes without losing your subject recognition settings when you switch back. It also gains the ability to assign a preset focus distance to a custom button to a preset focus distance, letting you press it to instantly focus the lens on a specific point.

Connectivity and storage

The EOS R6 III has received a few updates to its ports and card slots. It now features a full-size HDMI connector, rather than the rather fragile micro one, and replaces one of its predecessor's dual UHS-II SD card slots with a CFexpress Type B one.

While both cameras support the UVC protocol, allowing them to be used as webcams without additional drivers or software, the EOS R6 II could only do so at 1080p, while the newer model can stream up to 4K60p to your computer. While this will likely be overkill for standard video calls, it could be a big upgrade for streamers.

Finally, the EOS R6 III's USB-C port now supports 10Gbps speeds, while the EOS R6 II's topped out at 5Gbps.

Burst rates and pre-capture

As with autofocus, both cameras are very similar on first blush; they support burst rates of up to 40fps in e-shutter mode, and around half a second of pre-burst capture. However, the EOS R6 II required a special workflow for the latter, making you switch into a 'Raw Burst' mode that didn't record JPEGs and required special processing before you could bring the files into standard programs like Lightroom or Capture One.

The EOS R6 III does away with Raw Burst mode.

The EOS R6 III does away with this, making the pre-capture option a standard menu option that doesn't come with any of those caveats. Like with its predecessor, though, you can only access it in the "H+" drive mode, meaning you can't have pre-capture when shooting at slower burst rates.

Software

While the two cameras' operating systems are very similar to one another, the EOS R6 III's menus have some big quality-of-life improvements. Setting a custom white balance, for example, no longer requires taking a still image of your desired middle gray and then going into the menus to select it; you can simply do it from the Q menu.

The EOS R6 III's video menu is much more friendly.

The video modes are also much easier to navigate. The EOS R6 II would give you a list of every possible combination of resolution, frame rate, and compression type. The EOS R6 III, however, lets you set those parameters independently.

Video

The EOS R6 II was no slouch when it came to video, but the III adds features like open gate, internal Raw and full-width 4K/120.

Video is where most people will probably notice the big differences between the EOS R6 III and its predecessor. While the EOS R6 II was no slouch – it offered full-width 4K/60 – Canon's latest model borrows a lot of inspiration from advancements that other companies have added to their enthusiast cameras, such as the adoption of an open-gate recording mode, internal Raw recording and waveform monitoring.

The new sensor's extra resolution also affords greater than 4K recording modes. While the EOS R6 II's 4K modes were oversampled from 6K capture, the EOS R6 III gains the ability to actually record in 7K in its DCI Raw and open-gate modes. It also gains a full-width 4K/120 mode, though it almost certainly makes use of sub-sampling or line skipping to achieve those speeds.

Other video improvements include the addition of a front-facing tally lamp to the EOS R6 III, C-Log 2 and the ability to bake in a custom LUT to your footage, so you don't have to spend time grading it in post. The shooting display has also been improved, letting you punch-in to check focus while recording, and retain your spirit levels, which disappear when you start rolling on the EOS R6 II.

Body and battery

The video record and M-Fn buttons on the EOS R6 III (left) now have secondary functions activated in playback mode. The mode dial also replaces the 'Hybrid Auto' setting that captures video alongside stills with a 'Slow and Fast' mode for recording over- or under-cranked video.

The two cameras have identical dimensions and feel essentially the same to hold, despite the EOS R6 III being slightly heavier on paper. The control layouts are largely unchanged*, though Canon's latest camera has a few new default functions assigned to buttons, such as the "Rate" control on the top left of the back plate; in the shooting mode, it now brings up the "Color" menu.

The EOS R6 III ships with Canon's latest LP-E6P battery. It can be used with the LP-E6NH used by its predecessor, though some features will be unavailable, such as network and smartphone connectivity. Despite both batteries having a rated 16Wh capacity, the R6 III is rated to get noticeably fewer shots per charge than its predecessor. We're told the camera's processor has been updated, despite having the same Digic X branding, which may account for some of that discrepancy.

* - Impossibly nerdy detail: the stills/video switch no longer has an embossed circle surrounding the center ridge. This didn't affect what it was like to use in the slightest.

Summary

Overall, the EOS R6 III represents a relatively sizable step up from its predecessor when it comes to shooting video, with the changes on the stills side being welcome, but more iterative. We find it hard to complain about extra resolution, but think most current EOS R6 II owners would have a hard time justifying the upgrade, unless they had serious video ambitions.

Canon EOS R6 II

The decision line for new buyers falls along similar lines. If you mostly shoot stills and don't need the top-tier of autofocus for shooting sports and action or slightly higher resolution, it'll likely make more sense to pick up the EOS R6 II and an extra lens, rather than an EOS R6 III. If you shoot a lot of video – especially for social media – or think you'll be pushing the camera to its absolute limits, it may be worth considering spending the extra on the EOS R6 III.

Canon EOS R6 III

We'd also recommend checking out our comparisons between the EOS R6 III and the higher-end EOS R5 II, as well as our article comparing it to competitors from other brands.

Image: DJI

Hot on the heels of launching an entry-level drone and smartphone gimbal, DJI has announced yet another new product: the Osmo Action 6. The company's latest action camera promises to up the ante with a larger, custom-designed square sensor and a feature that most other action cameras can't match.

The DJI Osmo Action 6 gains a variable aperture lens, which is a standout in this field. It also features a wider maximum aperture of F2.0 (compared to the typical F2.8), which should improve low-light performance. It can also be adjusted to F4.0 for a deeper depth of field, though DJI didn't specify what increments are available.

In Auto mode, the camera offers various aperture range options, allowing for some additional creative control without requiring manual adjustments. For example, the Starburst mode promises to turn lights into starbursts by using a smaller aperture.

The Osmo Action 6 is compatible with DJI's Macro Lens and FOV Boost Lens. Image: DJI

How much of a difference the F2.0 to F4.0 aperture range actually makes for achieving different looks remains to be seen, but it's interesting that the company is adding the option at all. Action cameras are typically only used for capturing broad views while recording action, but this inclusion shows that DJI is attempting to make the format more widely applicable, allowing creators to stick to one camera for more types of content.

The other notable change on the Osmo Action 6 is the sensor. DJI built the Osmo Action 6 around a custom square Type 1/1.1 (98mm²) sensor – a step up from the Osmo Action 5 Pro's 4:3 Type 1/1.3 (75mm²) sensor – with 2.4 μm "fusion large pixels." DJI hasn't clarified what exactly that means, but it wouldn't surprise us if it turns out the camera is binning pixels from a quad-bayer design in some of its modes. The larger sensor should also improve low-light performance, a traditionally weak area for action cameras and their small sensors. DJI says that the new sensor offers 13.5 stops of dynamic range.

Image: DJI

The square sensor format, which we recently saw in the selfie camera of Apple's latest iPhone, gives the camera more room for electronic image stabilization and unlocks the ability to adjust aspect ratio in post more easily. The Osmo Action 6 enables this through its new 4K Custom mode, which allows users to crop to various aspect ratios fit for different social media platforms. You can also use DJI's 10-bit D-Log M mode for even more flexibility in post.

In terms of video resolution, the Osmo Action 6 tops out at 4K 120fps in a 4:3 ratio. It's also capable of 4K 60 fps in 'SuperNight' mode, DJI's setting to maximize performance and quality in low-light situations. DJI also says the camera can "generate" 32x Super Slow Motion, just as the Osmo Action 5 Pro can. To do so, DJI says its software interpolates frames recorded at 1080p 240fps, essentially digitally generating extra frames to produce the equivalent of 960 fps when played back at 1080p 30fps.

The Osmo Action 6 is compatible with DJI's extensive list of accessories, including the ND filter set. Image: DJI

The Osmo Action 6 also offers the standard features typically found on DJI's action cameras, including its RockSteady stabilization modes and Horizon Balancing modes. It also supports six built-in film tones, a Portrait Mode that optimizes exposure on the subject for better skin tones and Subject Centering and Tracking to keep the subject in the center of the frame.

The new action camera offers an IP68 rating and is waterproof to 20 meters without a case and 60 meters with the waterproof case. An integrated pressure gauge also records dive data. DJI promises four hours of battery life and the ability to charge to 80% in 22 minutes. It offers 50GB of on-board storage.

The Osmo Action 6 is available beginning today for £329/€379. Once again, US customers are missing out, as the camera isn't officially available in the US.

Owners of cameras like the X-H2S will be getting a more flexible way to use the company's famed Film Simulations.

Fujifilm has made several of its well-regarded Film Simulation color modes available as standardized LUT (Look Up Table) files. While they were released as part of the release of the Eterna 55, the company's new cinema camera, they can also be applied to footage from many recent Fujifilm cameras that can shoot F-Log2.

Those cameras have long been able to apply film simulations to video at the time of recording, but doing so was a commitment; once they were baked in, they were part of the footage forever. (Which could be especially noticeable with the less subtle ones like the black and white Acros or super-saturated Velvia.) This meant you had to choose between getting the aesthetic or flexibility. With the LUTs, though, you can apply the Film Simulation looks to video shot using F-Log2 in post, letting you experiment with which one works best and giving you more latitude to tweak the looks if you choose.

The LUTs only work with footage shot in the newer F-Log2 profile, which is available on most of the cameras released since the introduction of the X-H2, even including lower-end models like the X-T30 III and X-M5.

Fujifilm has previously provided a LUT that grades F-Log2 to look like its video-focused Eterna film simulation. Until now it's been possible to shoot in the subtle 'cinematic' Eterna profile and then match-up footage shot in circumstances where Log shooting was necessary, now you can do the same thing for a much wider range of film simulations.

• Acros
• Astia
• Classic Chrome
• Classic Neg.
• Eterna Bleach Bypass
• Pro. Neg.
• Provia
• Reala Ace
• Velvia

The LUTs are also available for footage taken using the company's wider gamut F-Log2C mode, available on higher-end cameras.

Fujifilm isn't the only company that has brought LUTs to its consumer cameras thanks to work done by its cinema arm. Last year, Nikon released three LUTs designed to be comparable with ones created for its Red cinema cameras.

Stay tuned for some sample footage graded using the newly released LUTs. They're available for free on Fujifilm's website.