Close-up Photographer of the Year Awards 2026
The annual Close-up Photographer of the Year Awards 2026 showcased an extraordinary collection of images capturing animals, insects, flora, and fauna in remarkable micro and macro detail. This prestigious competition attracted over 12,000 entries from 63 countries, highlighting the global passion for close-up photography.
The overall winner of the competition was the captivating image titled Fractal Forest, which reveals the intricate interior of a cauliflower soft coral found in Lembeh Strait, Indonesia. This stunning underwater photograph was taken by Ross Gudgeon, who also secured the coveted Cupoty 7 award for his exceptional work.
Ross Gudgeon's triumph in this competition underscores his expertise in underwater photography, having outperformed thousands of talented photographers worldwide. The diversity of subjects in the contest ranged from tiny slime moulds to vibrant amphibians, each captured with precision and artistic vision.
Among the notable images, the Intimate Landscape by Mike Weinhold features a fallen pine tree branch located in Lowell-Dracut-Tyngsboro State Forest near Lowell, Massachusetts, US, illustrating the beauty of natural decay in a forest environment.
In the underwater category, second place was awarded to Daniel Sly for his photograph of an orange painted frogfish (Antennarius pictus) resting on the black volcanic sands of Lembeh Strait, Indonesia. This image, titled Ethereal Frogfish, captures the unique texture and color of this elusive species.
Barry Webb’s Cribraria Cluster presents a close-up of a cluster of 1.5mm tall, immature Cribraria rufa slime moulds found in ancient woodland in south Buckinghamshire, England. This photograph highlights the intricate structures of these tiny organisms.
Andre Johnson contributed an impressive image titled Kraken, featuring a juvenile sharpear enope squid photographed in the open ocean off West Palm Beach, Florida, US. The photograph emphasizes the delicate features of this deep-sea creature.
In the Invertebrate Portrait category, Laurent Hesemans won first place with his photograph Good Boy, which depicts a moth (Bombycidae sp.) in Tinamaste, Costa Rica. The image showcases the moth’s detailed wing patterns and textures.
Imre Potyó’s Blue Army captures a swarm of Danube mayflies (Ephoron virgo) in Szentendre, Hungary, illustrating the phenomenon of mass insect emergence in a natural setting.
André Abbenhaus photographed Alpine choughs (Pyrrhocorax graculus) in the Bernese Alps, Switzerland, in the image titled So What? This photograph highlights the birds’ interaction with their snowy alpine environment.
Cédric Rousseau’s Twilight of the Gods shows a group of fungi (Mycena sp.) growing on the forest floor in Raismes–Saint-Amand-Wallers forest, northern France. The image captures the ethereal quality of these delicate organisms in their natural habitat.
Dmitrii Melgunov’s Dragonfly Alphabet Calligraphy features a demoiselle damselfly (Calopteryx virgo) taking off from a reed near Gatchina, Russia. The photograph emphasizes the elegance and motion of this insect.
In the Young Photographer section, Jameson Hawkins-Kimmel’s Emerald Glow depicts a brilliant green Cuban tree frog (Osteopilus septentrionalis) photographed in the photographer’s backyard in Florida, US. This image showcases the vibrant coloration of the species.
Manfred Auer’s Flowerstem presents a magnified view of a flower stamen covered in pollen, taken in the photographer’s garden in Austria. The photograph highlights the intricate details of plant reproductive structures.
These remarkable images collectively demonstrate the diversity and beauty of the natural world when viewed through the lens of macro and micro photography, celebrating the skill and creativity of photographers worldwide.
Among the collection, Alpine choughs in the snow were also featured, adding to the variety of species and environments captured during the competition.
