The Mono Awards 2026 – Top 50, Places Category
From a humble escalator in the heart of underground Sydney to famous city landmarks, remote landscapes, striking aerials and more, these are the Top 50 mono images selected by our judges in this year’s Places category.
Related links
The Mono Awards 2026 – Top 50, People Category
The Mono Awards 2026 – Top 50, Animals Category
Australian Photography: The Mono Awards 2026 presented by Synology: The winners!
The Guardian: In black and white: the 2026 mono photography awards in pictures
Digital Camera World: It carried more emotional weight than I had realized...
Winner, Places category
‘De-Escalation’ by Andy Zakeli
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Andy Zakeli's winning image transforms an everyday scene at Sydney's Gadigal Station into a graphic and unexpected composition. The image was captured during a street photography excursion with his TAFE students, with Zakeli experimenting with different angles and introducing a touch of humour to the scene. |
Runner-up, Places category
‘Cathedral of Steel’ by Cushla Monk
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Cushla Monk captured Sydney Harbour Bridge emerging through fog after researching weather and sunrise conditions before making the early-morning trip to the harbour. She was drawn to the movement of the fog, changing sunlight and the patterns created by the bridge's steel girders. |
3rd, Places category
‘Echoes of the Silk Road’ by Bruce Westerman
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Bruce Westerman's Echoes of the Silk Road depicts the rugged peaks and barren slopes of the Nubra Valley in Ladakh as the final rays of sunlight illuminate Diskit Monastery and a caravan of Bactrian camels. |
4th, Places category
‘Urban Currents’ by Dragoljub Zamurovic
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Flowing architectural lines create a rhythm reminiscent of water currents. A solitary figure moving through the scene introduces scale and human presence, transforming a static structure into a dynamic urban landscape. |
5th, Places category
‘A Personal Meeting with Mt Fuji’ by Keiko Ellis
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The Mt Fuji Heritage Centre at Fujinomiya, Shizuoka, provides visitors with the experience of a personal encounter with Mt Fuji. On arrival at the rooftop terrace, visitors are provided with a powerful view of Mt Fuji, including a reflection on the floor, which helps to make them feel they are meeting Mt Fuji 'face to face'. |
6th, Places category
‘Ocean Sentinel’ by Eddy Delorie
7th, Places category
‘Avalanche’ by Lorenzo Passalacqua
8th, Places category
‘The Last Descent’ by Erin Jacob
9th, Places category
‘Mordor’ by Paul Briggs
10th, Places category
‘Contours’ by John Twiname
11th, Places category
‘The Ark PNB 118’ by Terence Ow
12th, Places category
‘Quay Quarter Tower’ by Leanne Morris
13th, Places category
‘Salt Lines’ by Rebecca Hassett
14th, Places category
‘Archway Islands’ by Carl Nehore
15th, Places category
‘The Tate’ by Terry O'Hagan
16th, Places category
‘Lake Shōji’ by Craig Ford
17th, Places category
‘Sunrise Over Hawks Nest’ by James Hayward
18th, Places category
‘Under your scars’ by Phil Flanagan
19th, Places category
‘Grounded Giants’ by Danielle Keane
20th, Places category
‘Hanging Solo’ by Eric Wong
21st, Places category
‘Thermal frosting’ by Diny Jones
22nd, Places category
‘Powerful Ceiling’ by Clement Chua
23rd, Places category
‘Hokkaido Cherry trees’ by Bob Pullein
24th, Places category
‘Tendril’ by Ben Alldridge
25th, Places category
‘Les Eclaireus Lighthouse’ by Ginnie Allwood
26th, Places category
‘Hidden Angle’ by Sophie Kogos
27th, Places category
‘Murra-El-Elevyn’ by Stefan Eberhard
28th, Places category
‘Kero Creek’ by Glen Parker
29th, Places category
‘The Son of Man Reimagined’ by Jana Sokolovskaja
30th, Places category
‘Can't see the forest for the trees’ by Lily Bernau
31st, Places category
‘Milford Sound’ by Bruce Atkinson
32nd, Places category
‘Shared Strength’ by Erin Jacob
33rd, Places category
‘Police Box’ by Scott Kristian Kelleher
34th, Places category
‘Glacier Valley’ by Faranak Salehy
35th, Places category
‘Abstraction’ by Gail Grey
36th, Places category
‘The Mirage of Fǎgǎraș, Romania’ by Jodi Webb
37th, Places category
‘Lifeline’ by Stefan Eberhard
38th, Places category
‘Molecular’ by Sophie Kogos
39th, Places category
‘In the cold’ by Vicki Cleghorn
40th, Places category
‘Rock, Sea, Scissors and Time’ by Bala Krishnan
41st, Places category
‘The Stirlings’ by Jodie Stallard
42nd, Places category
‘Crater’ by Niall Chang
43rd, Places category
‘Up or Down?’ by Peter Sherlock
44th, Places category
‘Stillness’ by Benjamin Knight
45th, Places category
‘Water Tower District 4’ by David Richards
46th, Places category
‘The Shack’ by Jackie Wilson
47th, Places category
‘Life on the beach’ by Anne Algar
48th, Places category
‘The Spine’ by Louise Hollands
49th, Places category
‘Blackpool Promenade I’ by Ralf Dreier
50th, Places category
‘Help!’ by Cam Blake
