Aviation Week’s 2025 Photo Contest: The Winning Photographers

This year’s winners represent an assortment of first-time entrants and veteran Aviation Week Photo Contest entrants.

Best of the Best

Abel Tamayo is a photographer and student based in Southern California, with a passion for capturing the power, precision and pride of the U.S. military. His home airport is March Air Reserve Base, where he regularly photographs military aircraft in action, but his love for aviation takes Tamayo all across the state. “I love showcasing what most people dream of through the lens,” he says. His goal is to become a U.S. Air Force public affairs officer. From fast-moving aircraft at MCAS Miramar to the newest technology at Nellis AFB, he is always chasing the next incredible moment to share through his camera lens.

First Place, Defense

Michal Adamowski has been photographing aviation subjects for almost 16 years. He lives in Poland and travels the world to take photos. In recent years, he has been captivated by air-to-air photography. His work has been featured in publications worldwide.

Second Place, Defense

Yonatan Alhanaty combines his life-long passion for aviation and his love of photography to take great photos. His job as a ramp agent for El Al Israel Airlines puts him close to the action every day. “I enjoy capturing the excitement of aircraft in motion during my travels around the world, especially when I have the chance to photograph air shows and aviation events,” he says.

Third Place, Defense

Ricardo von Puttkammer is an award-winning photographer who has been recognized for his aviation, fine art and verite photography (@rvpnyc on Instagram). He is co-founder and co-editor-in-chief of Aviation Photojournal, an online magazine. A native of Sao Paulo, von Puttkammer resides in New York, keeping his lens keenly focused on the world around him.

First Place, Commercial

Doron Talmi has a degree in aeronautical engineering and has worked in the aerospace industry for many years at various companies. His work has been featured many times in Aviation Week Photo Contest issues and galleries. He also has won numerous photography prizes in genres including nature, landscapes and urban scenes.

Second Place, Commercial

Ryan Coe is a flight-test photographer and video producer for Boeing Test and Evaluation. He recently switched careers after working for 15 years as a photo­­journalist for local television news.

Third Place, Commercial

Marty Wolin is a freelance photographer who specializes in shooting aviation subjects and wildfires. He teaches photography and is a contributing photographer at AerialFire Magazine. Wolin has worked for Combat Camera at the former Norton AFB, California, and for Lockheed Martin as a photographer in Ontario and Palmdale, California. This is his fourth straight year as a winner in the Aviation Week Photo Contest, all in the Commercial Aviation category.

First Place, Space

James Knauf is a photographer in Southern California who retired from the U.S. Air Force as a colonel. He is also a former aerospace engineer who worked for 35 years in space programs. His fascination with technology and adventure, including space exploration, influences his interest in photography’s blend of technical precision and artistic expression. Two of his entries in the Photo Illustration category have been published in Aviation Week before, but this is his first year as a winner.

Second Place, Space

John Winkopp is a 30-year veteran of the U.S. Air Force and Air Force Reserve who flew helicopters in Hawaii supporting satellite film canister recoveries. He also is a retired American Airlines pilot. His photos were recognized as the Best of the Best in 2023 and an Editors’ Pick in 2024. He is a contributor to the YouTube channel “What About It!?” and provides photos to SpacePoint.org.

Third Place, Space

Richard P. Gallagher is a veteran rocket launch photographer and contributor to the YouTube channel "What About It." His work documents the awe-inspiring moments of rocket launches at Kennedy Space Center and Starbase in Texas. In each image, he seeks to convey the raw energy, anticipation and grandeur of space launches. He served in the U.S. National Guard for eight years, including two combat deployments and three hurricane activations. He won second place in the Photo Illustration category in 2024.

First Place, General

Ashley Askew enjoys documenting unusual or historic flights, like the one in her prize-winning photo this year. She placed third in the Photo Illustration category in 2023. Her grandfather’s shared love of aircraft first inspired her interest in photography. She credits the Commemorative Air Force and various other groups with providing access to capture unique photos. She works as a data analyst.

Second Place, General

Brian Jenkins is a Vermont-based photographer whose work blends documentary precision with cinematic composition. After two decades capturing music, sports and news events, he transitioned to aviation photography in 2020 and now serves as the full-time photographer for Beta Technologies. His work documents the evolution of electric aviation, from test flights and aircraft development to manufacturing, field operations and the people who make it happen.

Third Place, General

Erik Kuna is an award-winning  astrophotographer and aerospace and landscape photographer whose cameras have followed rockets, spacecraft and the night sky around the universe. A professional aerospace photojournalist and long-time contributor to the spaceflight community, he specializes in telling the story of aerospace—from the launchpad to the stars—through powerful, technically precise imagery. Kuna’s online courses are at KelbyOne.com. Photographers can learn about attending photo shoots with him at MilkyWayWorkshops.com

First Place, Photo Illustration

Sergio Maraschin worked as a documentation and engineering support photographer for 20 years on 74 different programs. His photos were selected as Editors’ Picks in 2022 and 2024. He also has been published in Time, Forbes, Fire Aviation and other publications. Two of his images were displayed at the Smithsonian Institution.

Second Place, Photo Illustration

Jason Cober is an aviation photographer and pilot from Johns Island, South Carolina. His passion is night photography and capturing star trails and Milky Way photos. Cober often seeks out dark sky locations to which he can fly and create images that combine aviation with night photography. He also enjoys shooting at air shows.

Third Place, Photo Illustration

Laurie Goossens has spent more than 30 years indulging her passion for aviation by photographing aircraft and other subjects. She volunteers as a photographer at the Experimental Aircraft Association’s AirVenture Oshkosh and Sun ’n Fun. She also engages in commercial photography using drones.