Top 20 images on Unsplash from February 2025

What a month February has been! This month the Unsplash community uploaded a whopping 93,168 images. Here are 20 of the most eye-catching submissions added to the library this past month.

"First, you need to choose the perfect destination. This time, it was the Dolomites in South Tyrol, Italy. Next, you must decide on the right season—winter, when the cold air allows for crisp, sharp images. You also need to wait for clear weather (a lot of luck is included in this part).  A lot of preparation goes into analyzing the terrain and the sun's direction to ensure that, at just the right moment, the peaks you want to capture are perfectly illuminated. You also need to find the ideal vantage point—windless, at the right altitude so the peaks appear at a similar level, and with proper exposure to avoid any unwanted obstacles in the frame.  Then comes the waiting—patiently—for that perfect moment. And, of course, the technical aspects matter too: the right lenses, a sturdy tripod, and other essential gear. Put it all together, and you get a shot like this.  

I have a deep passion for landscapes, particularly the breathtaking views of mountains at sunrise, sunset, and beneath a star-filled night sky. Whenever possible, I travel to capture these enchanting moments, spending countless hours immersed in thought with my camera in hand." — Marek Piwnick 🇵🇱

"A tree in the middle of a sea of clouds. It is an iconic 'Pinus Radiata Var Binata' tree, an endemic species of the Guadalupe Island Biosphere Reserve, BC, Mx. The small forest at their feet are their descendants re-emerging after the species was brought to the brink of extinction by an invasion of domestic goats introduced to the island around the 1800s by whalers who visited the area to hunt and rest." — Camilo Contreras 🇲🇽

"A friend invited me to a local photo community meeting, and on a rainy, cold Thursday, we set out on a hike to a tunnel from the Middle Ages. The atmosphere was mesmerizing and eerie, making it a perfect spot for creative photography. I also captured another image on the way to the tunnel that conveys the mood of the journey here. This particular shot was the first one I took at the tunnel. The group used steel wool to create the fiery effect, which gave the scene an almost mystical quality. I kept my edits minimal—some dodge and burn, slight color corrections, and I removed the person in the center of the fire ring to enhance the illusion of a portal leading to another dimension." — Oliver Guhr 🇩🇪

"I took a ferry ride into downtown Seattle to catch some rainy twilight street photos, which is my favorite environment to shoot in. I love the calmness and colors that the rain brings into the city. One of the roads straight off the ferry was this one where I walked 1 mile to get into the middle of this cross bridge. I knew it was just dark enough for me to get a bit of motion blur from the car headlights so I set my camera on the railing (I didn’t bring a tripod) and kept it as still as possible to capture the image. I probably grabbed 15 different photos while on this bridge so I had a variety to choose from. I ended up choosing this one because of the way the cars lined up in the road." — Josh Hild🇺🇸

"I was fortunate to capture this shot. Although the actual space at the scene wasn’t big, I managed to capture the entire scene. I enjoy taking photos with a frontal composition." —  Zhuojun Yu 🇨🇳

"In the first week of the New Year, we went on a family trip to the Lapland area above the Arctic Circle. In this area, there was nothing but snow and trees, and the temperature dropped to -40 degrees at night. The only road connecting us to other villages or the airport was a dark ribbon through the winter forest. The frosty silence, the crisp, cold air and the solitude of the place made the moment unforgettable!" — Felix Rottmann 🇩🇪

"I was thinking of making a unique scene. The topic was about an immersive museum. I was specific about choosing this blue color because it gives a science-fiction vibe. Another reason was to make it look futuristic. My overall motive was to create a scene that is a mix of minimal and sci-fi. The whole scene is created in Blender, even the image shown on the screen." — Jigar Panchal 🇮🇳

"This is one of a series of images I have taken on the Atlantic Island of Madeira which has dramatic volcanic peaks, amazing cloudscapes and equally amazing night-scapes. Many of these images are available on Unsplash in my Madeira Collection. As with all these images, I was aiming to showcase the natural beauty of this unique location to share with everyone.  I use many techniques to capture a unique perspective of popular locations, including long exposure, image stacking and time blending.

This particular image was created from a series of images taken a few weeks ago on a cold night high in the mountains and above the clouds.  Time blending these images reveals the star trails in the sky and the patterns in the clouds below.  To achieve this effect, I take a continuous sequence of at least 100 images of 15 seconds each.  These RAW images were taken with a Sony A1 camera with a 12 to 24mm lens.  This very wide-angle lens gives a unique perspective and enhances the drama of the landscape.   These images were edited in DxO PhotoLab 8 and then time blended in a package such as Startrails.  The final image is produced in Affinity Photo 2.6 but the secret sauce is having the most amazing locations and good editing skills.” — Colin Watts 🇬🇧

"Fresh off the plane from Turin, I barely had time to drop my bags before heading straight for the rugged trails of Mount Etna. At 3 AM, with nothing but a headlamp and a questionable sense of decision-making, I started a 13 km round-trip trek to chase the lava. Somewhere along the way, my tripod reminded me why it only cost $20, sending my camera tumbling into the rocks (no worries, it survived… mostly). But standing there, watching molten earth glow against the dark sky, I knew every step (and camera scratch) was worth it." — Pierpaolo Pellegrino 🇮🇹

“This photo was taken in a Malaga tunnel during the spring of 2024. Drawn by the sound of music, I discovered a guitarist silhouetted against the tunnel's bright exit. His performance was filled with palpable emotion, a moment I felt compelled to capture.” — Felix Xu 🇬🇧

"As wedding photographers that shoot in Yosemite often, we know how important it is to preserve the beauty of this land." – The Chaffins 🇺🇸

“I captured this drone shot while vacationing in Lanzarote, part of the Canary Islands. La Geria is famous for its unique vineyards, where vines grow in circular pits surrounded by volcanic rock walls. The dark volcanic soil provides a dramatic contrast to the lush green vines, creating a striking landscape. While passing through, I was captivated by the most amazing scenery and decided to send up my drone for a better perspective. The composition naturally came together—the dirt road cutting diagonally through the patterned fields, enhancing the balance between the landscape and human footprint in this amazing place.” — Petar Avramoski 🇲🇰

“I travelled to Hokkaido, Japan, with my wife, to experience its winter wonderland. It’s a very popular tourist destination. However, I wanted to capture the solitude of a lone tree.” —  Minku Kang 🇰🇷

“I have been imagining this picture for weeks, as it appeared in my dreams many times, a vast meadow with beautiful hills like a small piece of heaven. The top of the hill seemed to touch the sky, with white clouds clumping low as if wanting to share a story with the earth. The afternoon sun shines on the meadow, creating a gradation of orange that radiates warmth and peace. This is not just a view, but an experience that touches the soul. A place where time seems to slow down and every second is spent to absorb the infinite beauty. Like a dream that keeps repeating, this place is a reminder that true beauty lies in the irreplaceable simplicity of nature.” — Gilang Khadziqul Fahmi 🇮🇩

"Nature in Swedish Lapland simply has so much to offer. Especially the many lakes with small islands on them create an incredible atmosphere. especially in winter when the trees are covered in snow and you can see pure silence. Unfortunately, we had a few warm spells this winter, so the snow in the trees, which makes the pictures so magical, disappeared relatively quickly. As a result, I had to wait a few weeks before I could take the photo that had been buzzing around in my head for so long.” — Christoph Nolte 🇸🇪

“I captured this picture in the modern "Confluence" district (Lyon, France) by placing myself in a precise alignment to photograph two recent buildings at the same time, while tilting my camera as I do regularly. It's a bit of a personal signature mark. I like this technique of mixing two buildings, and making it as if it invented a new one. My main goal is to change the visual perception that we can have on modern architecture, which is sometimes adored, sometimes decried, without the building in question being strongly recognizable at first glance.” — Lucas Gallone 🇫🇷

"Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that." – Veroll Sterling 🇩🇪

"Now and then, I embark on a hike, and along the way, I pass a series of captivating buildings that blend modern design with simplicity. One structure, in particular, had long been on my photography bucket list. This year (2025), with the help of my new iPhone 15 Pro, equipped with RAW shooting capabilities, I finally captured the shot I had envisioned. And the result exceeded my expectations. Fun fact: My passion for this style of photography and photo editing was inspired by the work of Unsplash photographer “Simone Hutsch". — Behnam Norouzi 🇮🇷

"I took that photo in Torridon during a walk on Beinn Dàmh, which is said to be the most scenic Corbett in Scotland (Corbetts are hills in Scotland between 2,500 and 3,000 feet).In Scotland, we like to call this a bluebird day, which is a day marked by cloudless blue skies that often come after a snowstorm. Anyone who has been to Scotland before will know how rare a day like this can be! 😅

So that's what I was trying to capture with this photo, using a minimalist style to focus on the big blue sky with just subtle details of the moon and hills at the top and bottom." — Joshua Earle 🇬🇧

"The last few weeks have been quite stressful. I knew a solo hiking trip would help ease the stress. So, at 6:30 AM, I decided to take the train to the Alps. And there it was—I was in my element with my camera and drone. This picture reminds me of that solitude, and I find peace just thinking about it." — Ahmet Yüksek 🇹🇷

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