#cupoty

“Tulip Gift in Ice”

“A friend of mine had surprised me with a bouquet of tulips, and I had photographed them at the height of their beauty in different ways. As the flowers aged and the petals unfurled, I decided to see how they would freeze (some flowers lose their color during this process). I arranged the tulips in a shallow baking pan with a small amount of water to anchor them. I added more water when that base layer had frozen, choosing to leave some petals above the water line. I love the contrasting textures.”

© Kathleen Clemons

Western Australia-based Ross Gudgeon’s image of the elaborate internal structure of a cauliflower soft coral taking the top spot.

“Green Meshweaver”

“I had seen a few Green Meshweaver spiders on ivy leaves while I was gardening, and I just had to get a photograph of one. After a few unsuccessful attempts, I noticed this individual hiding in its web retreat. Seeing an opportunity to capture a behavioral shot of the species, I carefully set up my camera and tripod so as not to disturb the spider. Its tiny size meant that each gust of wind ruined the shot, so I sat patiently until the air was still and then I quickly fired off a stack, finally achieving the picture I had in mind.”

© Ryan Dale

“Deluge”

“I love the form of achillea flowers, whether they’re alive or dead. In this case, I took a flower that was in full bloom and submerged it in a container of cold water, anchoring it to the bottom with a weighted crocodile clip. I placed the container and flower inside a foldable light studio then set my camera on a tripod, making sure I had my cable release attached. I then carefully dripped evaporated milk into the container above the flower using a pipette, before releasing the shutter. I had the camera set to burst mode and carried on shooting until all the evaporated milk had sunk to the base of the tank. I really like the drama this technique adds to such a pretty, but somewhat overlooked, flower.”

© Noelle Bennett

“Puddle Reflection”

“In late autumn, after the leaves have fallen from the trees, the landscape shuts down and heads toward slumber. But in this tiny puddle, the reflection of a bare tree comes alive with soft colours amid a scattering of acorns and pebbles. Puddles, so ordinary and humble, and so easily overlooked, are a source of endless beauty and magic!”

© Linda Repasky

Ever since we picked up a camera, we loved capturing macro moments. Zooming into a miniature subject, and seeing it in full detail somehow felt like discovering a new world. The Close-Up Photographer of the Year contest celebrates everything macro and miniature. The collection below shows some of the recent winners and finalists. The beautiful moments represent some of the less-seen nature of our…