Close-Up Photographer of the Year Competition: Discover the Winning Creature
The Close-Up Photographer of the Year Competition recently showcased its seventh edition, celebrating the artistry of macro photography. The event featured over 12,000 submissions from photographers across 63 countries, emphasizing the hidden beauty of the natural world.
Winning Image: A Unique Perspective of Corals
A stunning close-up photo of soft coral taken by Australian photographer Ross Gudgeon won the grand prize. The image captures the intricate detail of a cauliflower soft coral found in the Lembeh Strait, Indonesia. Gudgeon’s innovative use of an underwater probe lens allowed him to explore inside the coral without disturbing it, unveiling an extraordinary view.
Categories and Notable Winners
This year’s competition acknowledged several talented photographers across various categories:
- Insects Winner: Imre Potyó captured a breathtaking image of Danube mayflies (Ephoron virgo) swarming in Szentendre, Hungary. This species, previously endangered due to pollution, made a notable comeback, providing a unique photographic opportunity.
- Young Photographer Winner: Rithved Girish, just 14 years old, photographed a nest of stingless bees (likely Tetragonula sp.) in Kerala, India. His image emphasizes the ecological significance of these small but vital creatures.
- Arachnids Winner: Artur Tomaszek documented a lynx spider (Oxyopes sp.) hunting termites in Hong Kong. The spider demonstrated its predatory skills during a rare opportunity amid a swarm of termites.
- Animals Winner: Filippo Carugati captured a clutch of Malagasy frog eggs in Madagascar’s Maromizaha rainforest, showcasing the diversity of life during the frog’s mass reproduction season.
- Butterflies Winner: Pål Hermansen photographed a Camberwell beauty butterfly (Nymphalis antiopa) in Norway, highlighting its behavior while feeding on a birch tree.
- Fungi Winner: Valeria Zvereva’s close-up of a lamellar mushroom cap in Russia revealed the beauty of fungal structures crucial for spore release.
- Studio Art Winner: Paul Kenny’s artwork featured an oxidized copper plate, illustrating the transformation of everyday materials into art.
- Plants Winner: Minghui Yuan’s image captured decaying lotus leaves and floating ferns in China, symbolizing resilience and life’s continuity.
- Invertebrate Portrait Winner: Laurent Hesemans focused on a Bombycidae moth in Costa Rica, highlighting the beauty and subtlety of these creatures.
- Intimate Landscape Winner: Sho Hoshino captured a picturesque rime-ice-covered tree in Nagano Prefecture, Japan, which conveyed a serene and warm beauty despite a wintery setting.
Conclusion
The Close-Up Photographer of the Year competition continues to inspire photographers and nature lovers alike, revealing the unseen wonders of our environment through their distinctive lenses. Each winning image serves as a testament to the beauty and complexity of life, encouraging us to appreciate the natural world.
