The Energy Category

2026 Flow Photo Contest: Winners, Finalists, and Honorable Mentions

Some moments don't sit still. Those that don't just show energy, but conduct it. We charged the winners of the Energy Category with capturing that the shots we can feel. Here’s what they passed back. Beam ‘em up, Scotty. VIEW FULL WINNERS GALLERY

Childhood Energy

by Aung Chan Thar | @aungchantharmyanmar
Hpa-an, Myanmar

Covered in mud and laughter, the four children played freely without worry. From where I stood, I felt the raw energy of childhood — simple, joyful, and full of life.

Mirror

by Nick Nairn-Smith | @instanairn
Tasmania, Australia

The most powerful ocean energy. An enormous wave created this mirror‑like reflection of the 60‑meter‑high island, Pedra Branca. This photo was captured 16 miles off the southeast coast of Tasmania amongst a turbulent and chaotic ocean.

Swimmers

by Vasiliy Ryabykh | @vaorysport
Ontario, Canada

Swimmers warm up in the pool before the start of the 2026 Huronia Short Course Regional Championships, hosted by the Orangeville Otters Swim Club. Before the first race begins, dozens of swimmers move through the water in both directions, transforming the pool into a living current of motion and sound. The straight horizontal lane lines guide the energy, bringing order to the chaos and revealing how individual effort becomes part of a collective flow. In capturing this scene, I was drawn into that shared vitality — where human ambition, community, and the natural power of water merge into one continuous pulse of energy.