Eleven photographs that capture our world’s beauty in close up
From clashing stag beetles to a resting damselfly, winners of the latest Close-up Photographer of the Year competition
The winners of the sixth Close-up Photographer of the Year (CUPOTY) awards have been announced.
Founded in 2018 by wife and husband duo Tracy and Dan Calder, CUPOTY is designed to reveal the hidden wonder of the world through close-up, macro and micro photography. The competition is open to all.
Tracy Calder said: “Every year I’m fortunate enough to spend time with scientists, editors, naturalists, journalists and photographers while judging CUPOTY, and every year I’m blown away by the calibre of entries. Close-up photography is a celebration of curiosity, and this year’s top 100 is a true testament to the artistry of everyone involved as well as an invitation to look, marvel at and honour the world around us.”
Read on for the stories behind 11 winning photographs.
Overall winner of Close-up Photographer of the Year 6
'Clash of the Titans' by Svetlana Ivanenko, overall winner of Close-up Photographer of the Year
Depicting two stag beetles battling for dominance, Svetlana Ivanenko’s photograph snagged her place as the overall winner of Close-up Photographer of the Year. Titled ‘Clash of the Titans’, she said: “Witnessing this beautiful event makes me want to share it with everyone.”
Young Close-up Photographer of the Year
'Spring' by Andrés Luis Dominguez Blanco, Young Close-up Photographer of the Year
For the Young (Under 18s) category, 14-year-old Spanish photographer Andrés Luis Dominguez Blanco won with his vivid picture of a European Bee-eater in mid-flight, carrying an insect in its beak.
Titled ‘Spring’, the photograph was captured in southern Spain. Dominguez Blanco had strategically placed a bird hide to watch these birds in flight over several weekends.
Animals category winner
'God in the Shadows' by Santiago J. Monroy García, 1st Place – Animals
Winning the Animals category, the dramatic ‘God in the Shadows’ by Santiago J. Monroy García, shows the only bear species native to South America, the Andean Bear.
García explained that this specific bear is known as Nariz de Calavera (Skull Nose), and is one of the largest bears living at the Ecopalacio nature reserve near Colombia. “I wanted to capture the bear behaving naturally in its environment, seeking an intimate picture that showcased the unique ecosystem as though it were part of a dream,” he said.
Butterflies and Dragonflies category winner
'Damselfly by the Waterfall' by Yong Miao, 1st Place – Butterflies & Dragonflies
Winning the Butterflies & Dragonflies award was Yong Miao’s ‘Damselfly by the Waterfall’.
Of shooting at the Tianmushan nature reserve in China in July 2023, Miao said the area was “immersed in a hot and romantic atmosphere”, and upon finding the damselfly, “time seemed to stand still”.
Arachnids category winner
'Queen of Hearts' by Pierluigi Rizzo, 1st Place – Arachnids
Winning the Arachnids prize, a female Mediterranean black widow spider feeds on its prey. Pierluigi Rizzo took this shot, ‘Queen of Hearts’, in Pollino national park in Calabria, Italy.
Invertebrate Portrait category winner
'Bark is Worse than its Bite' by Aran Gibbs, 1st Place – Invertebrate Portrait
“During a recent trip to Malaysia, I discovered this amazing bark spider after a long night-trek up a mountain in the jungle,” said Aran Gibbs. Taken in the jungle near Kuala Lumpur, his shot ‘Bark is Worse than its Bite’ won the Invertebrate Portrait category.
Underwater category winner
'Everything's A-OK' by Gabriel Jensen, 1st Place – Underwater
Taken in Hawaii, the Underwater winning shot was taken by Gabriel Jensen, of a doctorfish struggling in the jaws of a lizardfish.
“The comically calm doctorfish steals the limelight,” Jensen said, adding that the doctor fish did eventually escape. “This image now sits on my desk at work, serving as a reminder that even on tough days: ‘Everything’s going to be A-OK’,” he said.
Plants category winner
'Mosses' by Piet Haaksma, 1st Place – Plants
Simply titled ‘Mosses’, the Plants winner from Piet Haaksma shows his Dutch garden moss covered in dew drops.
Fungi and Slime Moulds category winner
'Ear-Pick Fungus' by Barry Webb, 1st Place – Fungi & Slime Moulds
“I had seen ear-pick fungus a couple of times before, but this was the first one I found myself,” said Fungi & Slime Moulds category winner Barry Webb. His shot ‘Ear-Pick Fungus’ shows a 15mm tall sample growing on a pine cone, taken in the New Forest, UK.
Intimate Landscape category winner
'A Network of Life and Death' by Jean-Philippe Delobelle, 1st Place – Intimate Landscape
Retired biology teacher, Jean-Philippe Delobelle won the Intimate Landscape category with ‘A Network of Life and Death’ – the intricate tunnels of bark beetle larvae in a spruce tree.
“Emanating from the egg-laying site of the female, the tunnels widen as the larvae grow – a symbol of life for the larva, and death for the tree,” said Delobelle.
Studio Art category winner
'Artificial Landscape' by Rob Blanken, 1st Place – Studio Art
Winning the Studio Art category, Dutch photographer Rob Blanken used a microscope to help photograph a crystallised mixture of amino acids. In this way, they resemble an impressive, fantastical landscape, in his photograph ‘Artificial Landscape’.
“I create these images because of the fascinating shapes, colours, and endless variations they offer,” said Blanken.
View the top 100 entries on CUPOTY’S website