Top 20 Images from September 2025

In September alone, 103,730 new visuals landed on Unsplash. From the phases of the moon to a person dancing with fire, Unsplash contributors reminded us what happens when you set creativity free. Dive into 20 of the month’s most unforgettable submissions.

“This shot came from patiently watching a gibbon climb to the very top of a tree. The light and clear sky framed it perfectly. For me, the image reflects curiosity, freedom, and the playful resilience of wildlife.” — Valentin Ilas 🇩🇰

“A long exposure shot of a star trail in the night sky.” — Eric Stoynov 🇨🇦

“Two forces that should repel—fire and water—found harmony at blue hour. A friend danced with fire poi knee-deep in a lake; I framed the silhouette so the flames sculpted the calm. Born not to impress but to capture an energy: the quiet meeting the powerful.” — Simon Kessler 🇫🇷

“I’ve been flying my drone off the cliffs of the Jurassic Coast in Devon, with not much activity or inspiration happening. As I landed, I noticed a tractor in a field behind me, so I took off and flew above it. I managed to get there just as it was turning the soil on a thin strip in the middle of the field, by pure luck catching the space and the symmetry as a result.” — Dean Penn 🇬🇧

“One of the colder September morning days, right after fresh night snowfall. The Kerlingarfjoll area is geothermal, meaning steam is emanating everywhere. Luckily, due to the frost, the ground was not too muddy. In the picture are two random individuals who also hiked in the area, but if you look carefully, you can also see a third one. Since there was not too much snow, you still get some of the colours on the mountains that are present during summer, although entangled in the steam. There was no inspiration, purely luck being at the spot at the right time, as most of my pictures are :)” — Jonatan Pie 🇮🇸

“The Diamond is a University building in Sheffield that I've shot many times before. It's actually not very symmetrical, which often leaves the image a little unbalanced. This time around, I borrowed half of the technique from my Kaleidoscopic series and only used half of the image. This was then copied, pasted, reflected horizontally, and moved to the other side, creating a perfectly symmetrical image.” — Mike Hindle 🇬🇧

“Climate change is something I deeply care about, as it’s affecting all of us in ways we often don’t realize. With the recent monsoon calamity in Pakistan still fresh in mind, it felt important to reflect on how these shifts in weather and water are reshaping our world. Through this image, I wanted to highlight the quiet but powerful impact climate change is having on the landscapes around us, like a reminder of how fragile and connected everything truly is.” — Paris Bilal 🇵🇰

“This illustration shows people sharing food, symbolizing friendship and unity beyond gender and race. The intertwined arms highlight connection, while the bright cheerful colors reflect joy, warmth, and the beauty of diversity in human relationships” — Saftya Dizyara 🇮🇩

“A side view of a sleek, white sports car, likely a Porsche 911, with its full form highlighted against a warm, golden-brown background. The lighting emphasizes the car's curves and reflections, creating a clean, high-end product photography aesthetic.” — Forlll De Rad

“After three trips to Redwood National Park chasing fog, I finally found the perfect morning. The mist hung at the right height, transforming the forest into a magical scene of sunbeams and silence. Alone on the trail, I captured this self-portrait in a corridor of light.” — Zetong Li 🇺🇸

“On a journey to Hawaiʻi’s Big Island, I found myself photographing the 32nd eruption of Kīlauea of 2025, the restless shield volcano inside Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. A rare, fiery spectacle unfolded. It was a raw reminder of Earth’s living, shifting power." — Jonathan Ikemura 🇺🇸

“Argentinian football at its core—passion, tension, and moments frozen from the stands. A glimpse into the River vs Deportivo Riestra match, where every frame pulses with the crowd’s energy.” — Ruben Mavarez 🇦🇷

“Graffiti is a form of visual expression often underestimated. Using public space as its medium, it can be seen as vandalism when done without permission. Yet, graffiti is also a gift to urban life. Turning cities into open canvases for dialogue, creating landmarks, attracting tourists, and shaping cultural identity for those without access to formal art spaces.” — Graphicook Studio 🇮🇩

“The Helping Hand Nebula, a complex of interstellar dust clouds in the Cassiopeia constellation, some 700 - 3000 light years from Earth. The photo is comprised of over 20 hours of individual 7-minute exposures taken through an 81mm refractor telescope and a specialized astrophotography CMOS digital camera. The "Hand" is almost 150 light-years in diameter.  To put that in perspective, it is 4 light-years between our sun and the nearest star, Proxima Centauri.  For me, the image captures some sense of just how small we really are in our little corner of the universe and some of the mystery of what lies beyond our own world.” — Scott Lord 🇺🇸

“Creating the image was fairly easy. I love a good silhouette, and it was a combination of the right place, right time on my backpacking trip. I didn’t expect it to get so much attention, but that’s what I love so much about it. It’s really refreshing to see a photo I thought wasn’t special be proven wrong by so many people. This shows that I have a long way to go in understanding what people like, and it’s really valuable feedback to me. It tells me that I can be much better.” — Michael McKay 🇨🇦

“This photo was taken outside the large glass windows of the Pudong Art Museum in Shanghai. The person in the photo stands against the backdrop of a massive digital screen, creating the feeling that a cyberpunk game world has come to life in reality.” — Squids Z 🇨🇳

“Beneath the eclipse, high above the Tochal mountains, I stitched each fleeting phase into a whole. What I found was not just an image but a feeling, the night sky had no edges, no separation, only the quiet reminder that we already exist among the stars." — Farid Karimi 🇮🇷

”Shot at sunset in the Greater Khingan (Daxing’anling) region in autumn, when the plains turned entirely gold and a winding river fused with the sinking sun. The frame is only a trace—the real scene was overwhelming. As a city-born observer, I felt briefly part of nature.” — Will Xiang 🇨🇳

“Tokyo is a street photography paradise. That is a fact. Wander the streets as much as you want, but then rise above them. Up there lies a hidden world, where the city’s rhythm collides beautifully with the light.” — Georgi Kalaydzhiev 🇧🇬

“I captured this photo at Point Reyes National Seashore during the final moments of golden hour. After nearly leaving empty-handed, an elk suddenly appeared between me and the setting sun — transforming the scene into a fleeting, unforgettable encounter.” — Yurii Santonii 🇺🇸🇺🇦

See you when we take a look back on November! 👋 (Psst, want to make the next round-up? Include a description with your submission.)