'Maybe I'll buy a new camera… or a new apartment!' Photographer who won $200,000 prize tells the dramatic story behind his award-winning shot

Photograph titled Edna's Paroxysm, taken by Gianluca Gianferrari and the Grand Prize winner of the Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum International Photography Award (HIPA) 2025. Description reads: Above Sicily's Etna Volcano, glowing lapilli erupt against a snowy backdrop, and thus creating a striking contrast. The fiery bursts settle on fresh snow, forming a kaleidoscope of colors under the night sky. This is a testament to the unpredictable beauty of nature, where destructive power merges with serenity in a fleeting embrace that is eternally captured by the lens of the camera. .

Italian photographer Gianluca Gianferrari only does photography in his spare time, but scooped a US$200,000 cash prize in the 2025 HIPA Awards.

Themed 'Power', Gianluca's striking photo of a volcano erupting in Sicily, Italy, clearly resonated with the judges.