What makes a portrait great? What makes a portrait popular? I found myself asking these questions this week as portrait on portrait on portrait kept appearing in the Top 25.

Some were sultry, some playful, some dramatic, but all of them strike some kind of chord with the viewer and demand that you spend a little extra time—even just a moment more—examining the shot.

Of course, it wasn’t all portraits. There’s unspoiled nature, architecture, landscapes, and more waiting for you below. So scroll down, enjoy, be inspired, and keep shooting!

25. Solid Air II by Alister Benn

Solid Air II by Alister Benn on 500px.com

24. Blue Night Sky by Pavlos Pavlou

Blue night sky. by Pavlos Pavlou on 500px.com

23. Nebraska by Jessica Drossin

Nebraska by Jessica Drossin on 500px.com

22. Born from Dust II by Otto Hutter

Born from Dust II by Otto Hütter on 500px.com

21. Foggy Memorie of the past by Saskia Dingemans

Foggy memorie of the past by Saskia Dingemans on 500px.com

20. Field of Dreams by Lisa Holloway

Field of Dreams by Lisa Holloway on 500px.com

19. Last Day on Eden by Mehran Djojan

Last day on Eden by Mehran Djojan on 500px.com

18. Kate… by Sacha Leyendecker

Kate... by Sacha Leyendecker on 500px.com

17. Boathouses by Guerel Sahin

Boathouses by guerel sahin on 500px.com

16. Amsterdam Windows 11.0 by Juan Pablo de Miguel

Amsterdam Windows 11.0 by Juan Pablo de Miguel on 500px.com

15. 76/366 Love Photography by Luis Valadares

76/366 - Love Photography by Luis Valadares on 500px.com

14. Taking the Bridge of Light by Lars van de Goor

taking the bridge of light by Lars van de Goor on 500px.com

13. Thomas by Lee Jeffries

Thomas by Lee Jeffries on 500px.com

12. Sweet Beautiful by Alessandro Di Cicco

Sweet & Beautiful by Alessandro Di Cicco on 500px.com

11. Time Stand Still by Dany Eid

Time Stand Still by Dany Eid on 500px.com

10. Teisha by Peter Coulson

Teisha by Peter Coulson on 500px.com

9. The Window Scenic by Ryan Dyar

The Window Scenic by Ryan Dyar on 500px.com

8. Dragon’s Tail by Daniel Kordan

Dragon

7. Jurassic Dreams by Jae Youn Ryu

Jurassic Dreams by jae youn Ryu on 500px.com

6. The Photographer by Nicholas Roemmelt

The Photographer by Nicholas Roemmelt on 500px.com

5. Power by Michael Shainblum

Power by Michael Shainblum on 500px.com

4. Mont Saint Michel by Ilhan Eroglu

Mont Saint Michel by ?lhan Eroglu on 500px.com

3. Sveta by Georgy Chernyadyev

Sveta by ???????  ????????? (Georgy Chernyadyev) on 500px.com

2. Nadya by Sean Archer

Nadya by Sean Archer on 500px.com

1. Old Sweet Memories by Florian Pascual

Old Sweet Memories. by Florian Pascual on 500px.com

To see more beautiful photos, visit the Popular section of our Discover tab.

Or, if “popular” isn’t always your cup of tea, definitely check out our Editors’ Choice page where a rotating group of guest editors get to highlight their favorite images on 500px each month.