POTY 2025 - GENCF

GENCF POTY 2025

GENCF Photographer of the Year 2025

One Shot! One Story! One Photographer! One Winner!!!

Mr. Surendra Walke - "Safety Shelter"

Photographer Of The Year 2025 Winner - Surendra Walke

Nikon's Choice Award

Mr. Najish Ali Sayyad - "Speeding train and the rising death"

Nikon's Choice Award Winner - Najish Ali Sayyad

Zeiss Choice Award

Mr. Subhodeep Bhakta - "Eyes of the wild"

Zeiss Choice Award Winner - Subhodeep Bhakta

Srishti Excellence Awards

: Naturescapes:
Mr. Arghya Adhikary – “Mingled”

Srishti Excellence Award Winner for Naturescapes – Arghya Adhikary

: Floral Diversity:
Mr. Kapil Bhagwat – “Cosmic Dust in the Void”

Srishti Excellence Award Winner for Floral Diversity – Kapil Bhagwat

: Animal Behaviour:
Mr. Ashok Sikri – “Life in the Forest”

Srishti Excellence Award Winner for Animal Behavior – Ashok Sikri

: Animal in Habitats:
Mr. Vivek Sundaram – “Surface Tension”

Srishti Excellence Award Winner for Animal in Habitat – Vivek Sundaram

: Animal Portraits:
Mr. Satish H – “Macaque Family”

Srishti Excellence Award Winner for Animal Portraits – Satish H.

Category 1st Runner Up

: Naturescapes:
Mr. Sangram Goverdhane – “Camping near the Needlehole ”

Category 1st Runner Up for Naturescapes – Sangram Goverdhane

: Floral Diversity:
Mr. Srimanta Ray – “Time to Fly”

Category 1st Runner Up for Floral Diversity – Srimanta Ray

: Animal Behaviour:
Mr. Rajeeb Dey – “Instinct, strategy, and silent teamwork”

Category 1st Runner Up for Animal Behavior – Rajeeb Dey

: Animal Portraits:
Mr. Samrat Ghosh – “Desert Fox”

Category 1st Runner Up for Animal Portraits – Samrat Ghosh

: Animal in Habitats:
Mr. Madhu Ranjan – “King of the Jungle”

Category 1st Runner Up for Animal in Habitat – Madhu Ranjan

Category 2nd Runner Up

: Naturescapes:
Mr. Parag Nalavade – “OWN YOUR MORNING”

Category 2nd Runner Up for Naturescapes – Parag Nalavade

: Floral Diversity:
Mr. Dhananjay Thakur – “Interdependent”

Category 2nd Runner Up for Floral Diversity – Dhananjay Thakur

: Animal Behaviour:
Mr. Sudip Das – “Race In The Finishing Line”

Category 2nd Runner Up for Animal Behavior – Sudip Das

: Animal in Habitats:
Mr. Ratnajit Choudhary – “GOLDEN TIGER OF KAZIRANGA”

: Animal Portraits:
Mr. Vishal Goswami – “The Firefox of the Himalayas”

Category 2nd Runner Up for Animal Portraits – Vishal Goswami

Awards and Achievements:

The Awards presented were:

GENCF Photographer of the Year Award – Cash Prize of ₹1,00,000
Nikon's Choice Award – Nikon Z30 (16–50mm) Kit, worth ₹73,495
ZEISS Choice Award – ZEISS Terra ED 8×42 Binoculars, worth ₹42,999
Srishti Excellence Awards – Five Category Winners will each receive one of the following prizes:

GorillaPod 3K Video Pro – Worth ₹10,276
GorillaPod 3K Pro Kit – Worth ₹14,529
RangePod Smart – Worth ₹16,799
Compact Advanced Kit – Worth ₹12,981
GorillaPod 5K Video Pro – Worth ₹18,053

GENCF 1st Runner-Up Prize (for each category) – Manfrotto XPRO Monopod Aluminium 4-Section, worth ₹22,494
GENCF 2nd Runner-Up Prize (for each category) – Manfrotto MPMXPROA4US Aluminium XPRO Monopod+, worth ₹10,348

The Judges

Mr. Ripan Biswas

Four-time Winner of Wildlife Photographer of the Year organised by Natural History Museum, London.

Ripan Biswas is a renowned, globally acclaimed wildlife photographer, educator, and biodiversity expert from Cooch Behar, West Bengal, India. With a Master’s degree in Environmental Science and a profession in teaching, Ripan found his true calling in nature photography, which he began in 2008. Deeply inspired by the natural world since childhood, he specializes in macro photography but passionately explores all genres of wildlife. His work, widely published in leading platforms like Sanctuary Asia and BBC Wildlife Magazine, serves to raise awareness about conservation.

Mr. Ripan Biswas

Four-time Winner of Wildlife Photographer of the Year organised by Natural History Museum, London.

Ripan Biswas is a renowned, globally acclaimed wildlife photographer, educator, and biodiversity expert from Cooch Behar, West Bengal, India. With a Master’s degree in Environmental Science and a profession in teaching, Ripan found his true calling in nature photography, which he began in 2008. Deeply inspired by the natural world since childhood, he specializes in macro photography but passionately explores all genres of wildlife. His work, widely published in leading platforms like Sanctuary Asia and BBC Wildlife Magazine, serves to raise awareness about conservation.

Mr. Kallol Mukherjee

Judge - Nikon’s Choice Award

Kallol Mukherjee is an award-winning Indian wildlife photographer known for his striking visual storytelling and commitment to nature conservation. With a passion honed over more than a decade, his work spans the vibrant biodiversity of India and beyond.

His photographs have earned international acclaim, with features and recognitions from Nature inFocus, Nature Photographer of the Year, WildArt Photographer of the Year, and Fondation Prince Albert II Photo Award.

He was Highly Commended in NPOTY 2020 and has received honors from Nikon India, including workshop features and mentorship roles.

Kallol’s work has been showcased across global platforms such as Pixoto, Pinterest, and international wildlife fairs.

Dr. Jainy Maria Kuriakose

ZEISS Brand Ambassador

Dr. Jainy Maria Kuriakose is a celebrated Indian bird photographer and former academician, widely admired for her contributions to avian documentation and nature photography.

She holds a Ph.D. in Chemistry and previously worked at Infosys in Bangalore.

Her interest in birds began over a decade ago and evolved into a passionate journey. She has travelled extensively across India and to international destinations including Alaska, Borneo, Bhutan, and Kenya, capturing rare and beautiful birdlife.

She is deeply committed to ethical photography and often shares her knowledge through articles, interviews, and educational sessions. Dr. Kuriakose has documented over 1,100 bird species in India. Her work is regularly featured in Frontline, JLRE Explore, and Bird Alliance India.