There’s no denying the timeless magic of a monochrome photograph. By providing a more surreal and artistic style of image, black and white photography makes us pause and question what we’re looking at, allowing us to see the world in a different light. Here, we’ve compiled the winning entries and special mentions from this year’s Black and White Photo Awards, which range from flora and fauna to landscape and architecture. Read on to see the breathtaking shots...

A geometric, angular tunnel becomes a striking frame for two distant figures in this beautiful – and fittingly named – photograph. It won Hector Ballester Ballester the top prize in the architecture category. 

Proving that great architecture should engage the viewer from all angles, this worm’s-eye-view photo showcases a wave-like structure in the foreground beneath a looming skyscraper in the background. Captured by Antonio Figueras Barranco, it was awarded a golden mention in the architecture category.

Looking almost as though it belongs on another planet, this highly exposed image amplifies the already-surreal quality of this dome-shaped structure. It won Juan Jesús González Romero a silver mention in the architecture category.

Moving from light and airy to dark and moody, this dramatic shot makes use of contrast and shadow to showcase the intricate beauty of this building. The bronze-winning composition was created by Zhenwei Wang.

Love this? Follow us on Facebook for incredible photography, travel inspiration and more

A corkscrew staircase looks awe-inspiring in this shot by Lars Oliver Michaelis, which earned him a bronze mention in the architecture category. The photographer brings out the structure's intricate details and mesmerising patterns with high contrast and clever angling.

A sea of worshippers poised in front of prayer mats celebrating the Muslim festival of Eid is the captivating subject of this bird’s-eye photograph by Saurabh Sirohiya. The contrasting clothes form ripples through the crowd, and the image took home top prize in the street photography category. 

It takes a moment to figure out what’s going on in this photograph, which looks almost completely blank at first glance. Then your eye is drawn to the bottom of the scene, where a lone, seated figure appears to be staring at the ground. The composition was created by Jason Au and won him a golden mention in the street category.

A pitmaster whose face is covered by a buffalo skull – surely a darkly comic reference to the meat on the grill – is the focal point of this captivating photograph, which won Walter Sinigoi a silver mention in the street category.

We love the ingenious design of this seemingly candid image, which shows four figures strolling down the street framed by a giant arrow pointing the opposite direction. It scooped Michael Duckworth a silver mention in the street category.

The eye is immediately drawn to the street performer in this photo – a man hanging off a lamp post while seemingly kicking a football – before moving down to spot his smartphone-wielding fans. The image, which was captured by Hervé Boutrouille, took home a bronze mention in the street category.

Demonstrating just how vibrant black and white images can be, this artistic shot depicts a woman’s body covered in white linear patterns set against a contrasting but equally monochrome background. It was created by Kazutoshi Kawakami and won the portrait category. 

High-contrast monochrome photography shows this man’s face in incredible detail – the chips in his fingernails, the wrinkles on his hands and face, and his piercing one-eyed gaze. The thought-provoking shot, captured by Corine Bakker, received a golden mention in the portrait category.

Thanks to dramatic lighting and editing, these undersea creatures look almost like aliens travelling through space. But they’re actually mobulas, a species of ray that's closely related to sharks and sometimes known as the devil ray. Here, fauna and flora category winner Enric Adrian Gener captures them gliding beneath the surface of the Mediterranean Sea.

A magnificent herd of giraffes – posing so symmetrically it looks almost deliberate – is the focus of this compelling composition. Photographer Ricardo Tormo Massignani was awarded a golden mention in the fauna and flora category.

See the winning images from the Nature TTL Photographer of the Year 2022 competition

According to photographer Pavlos Evangelidis, who earned a fauna and flora category silver mention for this shot, the species depicted is a gorgonian fan coral which was snapped underwater near the Solomon Islands. The intricate black silhouette certainly looks striking against the white background.

Horses are often seen as majestic, noble and free, which is exactly what comes across in this arresting image. Showing an elegant-looking steed spotlighted by sunshine, the photograph won Alessandro Accordini a silver mention in the fauna and flora category. 

As anyone who’s been dolphin-watching can attest, these quick-moving creatures are extremely difficult to photograph. That makes this striking shot, which won a bronze mention for Enric Adrian Gener in the fauna and flora category, all the more impressive. 

Looking more like a scene from another planet than simple sand dunes, this beautiful photograph was the work of Vasilis Livanos and came out on top in the landscape category.

The Dolomites mountain range in northeast Italy takes on a different kind of drama as the backdrop of this gorgeous shot by Ales Krivec, which earned a golden mention in the landscape category. With long shadows and dark clouds adding to the moody atmosphere, the two lone cabins in the foreground look especially isolated. 

Monochrome photography perfectly illuminates the network of streams in this image, splaying a spider's-web of water across the frame. It was taken by Juan Lopez Ruiz, who claimed a silver mention in the landscape category. 

Discover the awe-inspiring images from the Drone Photo Awards 2022

There’s something incredibly mystical about the way the fine mist rises off the sand dunes in this photograph. Captured by Xu Dong, it notched a bronze mention in the landscape category. 

The Peak District’s Great Ridge – a popular walking route between Castleton and Mam Tor – is the subject of this windswept composition, which bagged Andy Gray a bronze mention in the landscape category.

This ethereal shot captures three dancers at a moment of dynamic movement, rendering them as mesmerising blurs against a dark background. Photographer Dusty Cooper, who won the special prize for creativity for the image, said: "My photography and love for dance collide and I think my passion for both shows in my work."

Camera supply company Haida collaborated with the judges to select a winner for this special category, opting for a startling shot by George Digalakis. Titled 'Echoing spaces', the work shows a cluster of grass emerging from a hazy, barely perceptible body of water, the reflection fragmented by the ripples.

This cheetah’s spots become more defined in black and white, while her cubs blur beguilingly into the thick grasses below, creating a powerful image of a mother standing guard over her young. It was taken by Belgian photographer Johan Willems, who took home the competition's grand prize.

Now check out these brilliant photos from the Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards