Landscape photography in 2025 has taken me across some of the most beautiful and remote places in Europe. From the snowy forests of Finnish Lapland to the lava fields of Lanzarote, the dramatic peaks of Norway’s Lofoten Islands, and the peaceful Alps in Switzerland, each location offered unique light, moods, and memories. In this article, I share my favorite landscape photography moments of 2025 : ten images that reflect my journey, the emotions behind the shots, and the joy of exploring nature through my lens.
In Lapland, the northern lights were unforgettable to witness, but what struck me most was an extraordinary moonset glowing above the frozen horizon, a rare and magical moment. Lanzarote offered the complete opposite: a volcanic island with dry, minimal vegetation, sharp lines and unique light that turned the land into graphic compositions. Later in the year, autumn in the Lofoten blessed me with colorful mountains, dramatic skies and, once again, northern lights dancing above the fjords, pure happiness for a landscape photographer.
In Switzerland, I spent June exploring regions I had never photographed before: Appenzell, Sankt-Gallen and Glarus. Alongside these discoveries, I returned to some of my favorite subjects, from alpine lakes at sunset to powerful waterfalls and magical ice caves. Each visit revealed something new, reminding me why I love to come back to the same landscapes year after year.
Here are my 10 favorite landscape photographs of 2025. They are the images that moved me the most, whether because of the story behind them, the light, or the emotions they carry.
Sunset Light at the Dragon Eye, Lofoten Islands, Norway
In September 2025, I spent a week exploring the Lofoten Islands in Norway. One of my favorite images from that trip is this photo of the famous “Dragon Eye” rock pool, taken on my very first evening in the archipelago.
The sky was completely clear, and I saw it as the perfect opportunity to visit this iconic location. To my surprise, only one other photographer was there, and the moon was rising right in front of us, an unexpected bonus.
I arrived about an hour before sunset, but the most beautiful light happened just minutes before the sun actually disappeared. The final rays created a glowing red outline around the edges of the rocks, drawing natural leading lines that helped shape my composition.
Even though this spot is well known, I found it absolutely worth visiting. It is a technically demanding scene. I had to place my tripod very low to the ground and used focus stacking with 29 images to achieve sharpness throughout the frame. The result is one of my most memorable photographs of the year.
Purple Sunrise and Autumn Fog at Jaunpass, Switzerland
One of my photography goals for 2025 was to discover new places in Switzerland, shoot more sunrises, and step out of my comfort zone. That autumn, I decided to wake up early and head to Jaunpass for sunrise. I had a composition in mind: a small mountain house with a view over the Gastlosen mountain range.
I have always loved the colors and light of autumn, so when the weather forecast looked promising for this kind of soft, colorful morning, I committed to the idea. Located in the Simmental region of the Canton of Bern, this spot is about an hour and fifteen minutes from home. I got up before dawn and started the drive, but as I left, it was raining, and I seriously questioned my decision. Still, I told myself I was already awake, so I might as well go.
I am often nervous when I am alone outdoors in the dark, but I kept going. Just two minutes before reaching the top of the pass, the sky cleared and I saw stars shining above. Once I arrived, I noticed a soft veil of fog drifting through the valley and immediately thought to myself, this is exactly what I had dreamed of.
That morning rewarded me with a quiet, peaceful scene in gentle purple tones. It became one of my favorite sunrises of the year and reminded me that pushing through uncertainty often leads to magical moments.
Swiss Waterfall Photography: Self-Portrait at Tine de Conflens
The Tine de Conflens waterfall, one of my favorite spots in French-speaking Switzerland, is always a magical place to return to. I visit it around five or six times a year, usually to capture its beauty with long exposures. In spring 2025, after days of heavy rainfall, I knew the cascade would be powerful and surrounded by vibrant greenery. I returned with a vision in mind: a new self-portrait in my red dress, contrasting with the lush landscape.
What I could not have planned was the light. With the immense flow of water, mist filled the air and was suddenly illuminated by the sun behind me, creating an ethereal glow. The first day, my images did not match what I had imagined, so I came back the following day. To my surprise, the conditions were even more spectacular, offering me one of my most emotional photographs of the year.
Moonset at Riisitunturi National Park, Finnish Lapland
Lapland in winter is truly magical, and in March 2025 I had the chance to explore it during a road trip with a friend. One of the highlights was hiking at sunrise in Riisitunturi National Park, surrounded by snow-covered pine trees and a glowing purple sky. What I had not expected was to witness the moon setting between the trees at sunrise, a breathtaking and rare sight. A light fog moved slowly in the background, adding even more atmosphere to the scene.
I had come to Riisitunturi hoping for a beautiful sunrise, but I left with something far beyond my expectations: an unplanned and unforgettable moment that reminded me why, in landscape photography, nature often surprises us in the most magical ways.
Blue Hour at the La Geria Vineyards, Lanzarote
In spring 2025, I traveled to Lanzarote for a holiday with my boyfriend, choosing this volcanic island as a contrast to our later trip to Norway. One of my goals was to experiment with my style and capture more blue hour landscape photographs.
The unique vineyards of La Geria immediately caught my attention. Each vine is protected by a half-circular stone wall, creating striking graphic patterns across the black volcanic soil. I spent an afternoon exploring the area, searching for the perfect composition with a clean wall, a healthy green plant, and a volcano in the background. As the light faded into soft blue tones, I captured this image, a minimalist and atmospheric shot that reflects exactly the vision I had in mind.
Panorama at Berglistüber Waterfall, Canton Glarus, Switzerland
The Berglistüber waterfall had been on my photography list for quite some time, even though it is a three-and-a-half-hour drive from my home. To finally capture it, my boyfriend and I booked a weekend in the region. What makes this waterfall special is the fact that you can actually walk behind it, a little like Kvernufoss in Iceland.
We were lucky, as the water flow was strong but still safe enough to go behind the falls. I had envisioned a panoramic shot, with my friend standing behind the curtain of water. To compose the scene, I positioned myself inside the cave to include the turquoise pool at the base of the waterfall. Creating this panorama took nearly two hours, combining light bracketing with long exposure to balance the bright sunlight of a perfectly clear day. The final result turned out exactly as I had imagined, making the effort completely worthwhile.
Sunset at Parque Natural de Los Volcanes, Lanzarote
When planning my photography trip to Lanzarote, I dreamed of capturing the volcanoes at golden hour. Originally, I had another hike in mind, but upon arrival we discovered that access was no longer allowed. Instead, we chose to walk the trail around Volcán El Cuervo in the Parque Natural de Los Volcanes. During the three-hour hike before sunset, I scouted several photo spots, and eventually returned to one location that offered a perfect composition: volcanoes in the background, dark lava fields in the middle, and soft volcanic sand hills in the foreground.
Since walking off the marked trails is forbidden to protect the fragile environment, I had to work within those limits and find the right angle. The sky was partly cloudy, and I waited patiently, hoping for sunrays to pierce through at golden hour. The wait felt endless, but finally the light broke through, illuminating the landscape. To achieve a balanced exposure across the scene, I used light bracketing, which allowed me to capture all the details of this unforgettable volcanic sunset.
Surprise Sunset at Unstad Beach, Lofoten Islands
This sunset photo was completely unplanned. That day, the light had been flat all afternoon and nothing suggested a colorful sky at the end of the day. Still, I was determined to make the most of every moment during my trip to the Lofoten Islands. Since we were staying nearby, I suggested to my boyfriend that we head to Unstad Beach. I thought that even if the light stayed dull, I could still shoot something nice during blue hour.
The first surprise came as soon as we arrived. There was almost no one on the beach, and yet we happened to meet a fellow Swiss traveler who follows me on Instagram. It felt like such a fun coincidence to meet like this, so far from home.
Later, I walked closer to the beach to find a composition. A small heart-shaped rock immediately caught my eye, so I set up my tripod and started playing with shutter speeds to capture the movement of the waves. Then, within just a minute or two, the sky suddenly lit up in red tones. That was the second surprise of the evening. The red light even reflected on the rock, making it glow gently in the foreground.
In the end, this image became one of my favorite memories from the trip. A completely improvised shot that reminded me of the importance of letting go, showing up, and trusting the magic of a place.
Minimalist Winter Pine on the Valtavaara Trail, Finnish Lapland
One of my favorite images of the year is this minimalist winter shot taken on the Valtavaara Winter Trail in Finland. On that moody day, my friend and I hiked through a completely white landscape under a cloudy sky. From the hilltop, the 360° view over the Ruka region was breathtaking.
Just a few meters from the summit stood a lone snow-covered pine tree. It was exactly the subject I had been looking for to create a minimalist composition with one of these iconic tykky trees, so typical of Lapland’s winter wonderland. To isolate it against the cloudy sky, I lay down in the snow and captured its pure silhouette, a simple yet powerful image that reflects the essence of Nordic minimalism.
Red Northern Lights Reflected on Lac de Bret, Switzerland
On the night of November 12, 2025, I captured my second major aurora from Switzerland. I had seen early forecasts the evening before, so I set my alarm for 1 a.m. to check the webcams across the Alps. At that point, the sky looked calm, so I went back to sleep. But at 3:30 a.m., I woke up again and saw bright red skies on all the webcams.
I quickly got dressed and drove to Lac de Bret, the spot I had in mind for this kind of photo. It is not far from home, and I had long thought it would be perfect to capture a reflection of the northern lights on the water. That night was the moment I had been waiting for.
The drive wasn’t easy, as several roads were closed for night work, but I eventually made it to the lake. The moment I arrived, I saw the red glow still active, and I knew I wasn’t too late.
I loved using the small hut on the lake as the anchor for my composition. The red aurora behind it created a surreal atmosphere, and it felt like the perfect scene. Just a few days before my birthday, it truly felt like a gift.
This is one of my favorite photographs of the year, not only because northern lights are such a rare phenomenon in Switzerland, but also because I managed to create a strong composition in a familiar landscape I had carefully chosen. That combination made the experience unforgettable.
10 Photos, 4 Countries, One Passion for Light
2025 was a year full of memorable moments and beautiful places: frozen forests in Finnish Lapland, volcanic landscapes in Lanzarote, remote beaches in the Lofoten Islands, and peaceful sunrises in the Swiss Alps. Each photo session challenged me in different ways, whether through planning, patience, or spontaneity.
Looking back, these ten images remind me why I love landscape photography so much: the connection to nature, the joy of chasing light, and the emotion behind each shot.
Whether you’re dreaming of photographing Norway, Switzerland, or the Canary Islands, I hope these images inspire you to explore, experiment, and follow your vision.
And most of all, enjoy the moment. Happy shooting!
Published on December 22, 2025 by Jennifer Esseiva
