Close-up Photographer of the Year 2025 Winners Announced

The much-anticipated sixth edition of the Close-up Photographer of the Year (CUPOTY) awards has been unveiled, celebrating the extraordinary beauty beneath our noses.

CUPOTY, founded in 2018 by Tracy and Dan Calder, serves as a platform to uncover and admire the intricate details of our natural world through close-up, macro, and micro photography. This competition is open to all, inviting photographers of all ages and skill levels to share their creations.

Tracy Calder expressed her enthusiasm and amazement at the high standards of entries each year, stating, “Witnessing the talent and creativity in close-up photography is truly inspiring. It’s an honor to be part of CUPOTY, and this year’s top 100 captures the essence of our world in a dreamlike fashion.”

Stag beetles engaging in a fight over territory are at the heart of Svetlana Ivanenko’s winning photograph, titled ‘Clash of the Titans’.

Ivanenko shared her inspiration for the shot, saying, “Being a part of such a mesmerizing encounter, I felt compelled to share it with everyone.”

Andrés Luis Dominguez Blanco, a 14-year-old Spanish photographer, captured the attention of the panel with his photograph of a European Bee-eater in flight, holding an insect in its beak.

The image, named ‘Spring’, was taken in southern Spain after Dominguez Blanco patiently set up bird hides over multiple weekends to document the birds in their natural habitat.

Santiago J. Monroy García took home the Animals category award with his powerful photo ‘God in the Shadows’.

The image depicts a majestic Andean Bear, also known as the Nariz de Calavera (Skull Nose), at the Ecopalacio nature reserve in Colombia.

García said, “My goal was to capture this incredible animal in its natural setting, to create a visual that felt almost otherworldly.”

Yong Miao’s photograph ‘Damselfly by the Waterfall’ earned the top prize in the Butterflies and Dragonflies category.

Miao captured this stunning scene at the Tianmushan nature reserve in China during July 2023. He described the location as “full of energy and charm,” and the experience of finding the damselfly as timeless.

Pierluigi Rizzo’s photograph of a feeding female Mediterranean black widow spider, named ‘Queen of Hearts,’ secured him the Arachnids category win.

Rizzo snapped this shot in the Pollino national park in Calabria, Italy, likening his discovery to finding a queen among a troop of ants.

Aran Gibbs’ winning photo ‘Bark is Worse than its Bite’ presents a remarkable bark spider he discovered during a night trek in the Malaysian jungle.

Gibbs shared, “Finding this spider was an incredible moment. It felt as though I had stumbled upon something from a fairy tale.”

Gabriel Jensen’s photograph ‘Everything’s A-OK’ captured a comically unfazed doctorfish being tackled by a lizardfish in Hawaii.

Jensen commented on the serene demeanor of the docfish despite its precarious situation, noting, “This image serves as a reminder to stay calm, no matter how challenging things may seem.”

Piet Haaksma’s winning entry in the Plants category is a serene view of dew-drenched mosses in his Dutch garden, titled ‘Mosses’.

Haaksma’s photograph beautifully illustrates the quiet magic that can be found in nature’s smallest details.

Barry Webb, an amateur photographer from the UK, triumphed in the Fungi and Slime Moulds category with ‘Ear-Pick Fungus’.

This close-up of a 15mm-tall ear-pick fungus growing on a pine cone was Webb’s first encounter with the species.

Webb said, “It’s fascinating how different each sample can be.”

Retired biology teacher Jean-Philippe Delobelle captured the Intimate Landscape category win with ‘A Network of Life and Death’.

The photograph showcases the intricate tunnels carved by bark beetle larvae in a spruce tree, highlighting the symbiotic and often cyclical nature of life and decay in nature.

Delobelle explained, “These tunnels represent the life cycle of the beetle and the inevitable decline of the tree.”

Dutch photographer Rob Blanken took the Studio Art category by storm with his photograph ‘Artificial Landscape’.

In this image, a crystallized mixture of amino acids resembles a fantastical landscape, taken through a microscope to accentuate its beauty.

Blanken commented on his enthusiasm for these subjects, stating, “The endless variations in shapes and colors fascinate me and drive me to create these images.”

To explore more of these captivating images, viewers can visit the CUPOTY website, where the top 100 entries are displayed.

CUPOTY not only recognizes exceptional skills in photography but also encourages viewers to appreciate and respect the natural world in all its forms.

These winners represent a global community of photographers who share their unique perspectives on nature. The competition fosters a sense of curiosity and honor for the environment, inspiring others to look closer and discover the wonders around us.

As the world continues to evolve, the importance of remembering and protecting our natural heritage becomes increasingly crucial. Through the lens of these talented photographers, we are reminded of the intricate tapestry that makes up our planet.

Whether you’re an amateur or a professional, the Close-up Photographer of the Year competition encourages everyone to engage with the natural world in a deeper, more meaningful way.

Join the movement to celebrate and preserve the hidden beauty of our world. Each photograph submitted to CUPOTY is an opportunity to share something extraordinary with the global community.

To learn more about the competition and see all the top entries, visit the CUPOTY website. Share your thoughts in the comments below or follow their journey on social media.

View the top 100 entries on CUPOTY’S website