Discover the Winning Creature in the Close-Up Photographer of the Year Contest
The Close-Up Photographer of the Year competition recently showcased breathtaking macro photography, culminating in the award of the grand prize to Australian photographer Ross Gudgeon. His winning image depicts the intricate details of cauliflower soft coral within the Lembeh Strait in Indonesia. This competition celebrated its seventh edition this year, featuring over 12,000 submissions from photographers across 63 countries.
Grand Prize Winner
Gudgeon’s award-winning photograph reveals a unique perspective of the soft coral’s polyps. He utilized an underwater probe lens to capture this stunning view. Gudgeon explained, “I wanted to explore a perspective that isn’t possible with conventional lenses.” His careful technique involved threading the lens through the coral branches, ensuring minimal disturbance.
Category Highlights
This year’s competition recognized exceptional talent across various categories. Each winner brought a unique story and stunning imagery.
Insect Photography
- Winner: Imre Potyó
- Subject: Danube mayflies (Ephoron virgo)
- Location: Szentendre, Hungary
- Date: Summer 2024
- After four decades of absence from the Danube River, these endangered insects made a remarkable comeback.
Young Photographer Winner
- Winner: Rithved Girish
- Subject: Stingless bee nest (likely Tetragonula sp.)
- Location: Mezhathur, Kerala, India
- Girish captured the bees’ natural behavior during his summer holiday, emphasizing their role in ecosystem balance.
Arachnid Achievement
- Winner: Artur Tomaszek
- Subject: Lynx spider (Oxyopes sp.) preying on termites
- Location: Hong Kong
- This dramatic scene unfolded during a moth survey, showcasing the spider’s hunting skills amidst a termite swarm.
Amphibian Discovery
- Winner: Filippo Carugati
- Subject: Malagasy frog egg clutch (Guibemantis sp.)
- Location: Maromizaha rainforest, Madagascar
- Carugati documented the diverse egg clutches during cyclone season, highlighting the vivid patterns of the tadpoles.
Butterfly Photography
- Winner: Pål Hermansen
- Subject: Camberwell beauty butterfly (Nymphalis antiopa)
- Location: Follo, Norway
- This image captured the butterfly defending its feeding area from other insects.
Innovative Perspectives
Other notable category winners included:
- Fungi Winner: Valeria Zvereva showed the gill structures of a lamellar mushroom near Moscow, Russia.
- Studio Art Winner: Paul Kenny created abstract visuals from a distressed copper plate.
- Invertebrate Portrait Winner: Laurent Hesemans captured a silkworm moth in Costa Rica.
- Intimate Landscape Winner: Sho Hoshino depicted a rime-ice-covered tree in Japan, emphasizing delicate frost lines.
The Close-Up Photographer of the Year contest continues to reveal the hidden wonders of nature. Each entry encourages viewers to appreciate the exquisite details in the world around us.
