Nature’s hidden secrets are unveiled in close-up photography competition
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Two stag beetles locked in an epic struggle for mating rights, a black widow feasting on its latest victim and a fish snatching life from the jaws of death – the beauty and ferocity of the natural world are on vivid display among the winning images of 2024’s Close-up Photographer of the Year competition.
Eleven photos emerged victorious on Thursday from over 11,000 entries across 61 countries. The annual contest, in its sixth edition, was launched in 2018 to unveil nature’s hidden wonder through close-up, macro and micro photography.
Micro is the term used for taking photos of tiny subjects that require magnification, while macro involves capturing close-up images of larger subjects.
“The photographers who take part in Close-up Photographer of the Year know exactly what it feels like to experience wonder,” co-founder Tracy Calder, one of 25 jury members for the competition, told CNN.
“Mayflies dancing in the final hours of life, bats feeding on winter-flying moths, sea dragons skimming the ocean floor. These people know secrets and, luckily for us, they are keen to share them.”
Russia’s Svetlana Ivanenko scooped the overall prize and the insects category with her cinematic shot named “Clash of the Titans,” featuring two male stag beetles locked in a ferocious fight over females.
She traveled 700 kilometers (435 miles) to the oak forests of Russia’s Voronezh region to capture images of the elusive creatures during the mating season. But it was worth it: “Witnessing this beautiful event makes me want to share it with everyone,” she said.
Another insect was the unfortunate co-star of Andrés Luis Dominguez Blanco’s winning entry for the youth category, as the Spaniard captured a vibrant shot of a European bee-eater enjoying a mid-flight springtime snack.
The 14-year-old displayed a lens prowess beyond his years as he spent multiple weekend mornings in southern Spain holed up in a photography hide, strategically placed in an area where he had previously spotted the colorful birds feeding on insects.
Yong Miao became the competition’s first ever Chinese winner, courtesy of a stunning image of a damselfly in front of a waterfall, which was entered into the butterflies and dragonflies category.
Having ventured to the forests of Tianmushan Nature Reserve in eastern China for four consecutive years, Miao waded through a stream to capture the moment after spotting the creature resting on a rock.
“Its head was lowered to the surface of the water, as if appreciating its own reflection,” Miao said.
“At that moment, time seemed to stand still. Any slight disturbance would make it fly away.”
A £2,500 ($3,000) cash prize was awarded to the winner of each category, chosen after more than 20 hours of deliberation over Zoom calls by the jury of photographers, scientists, journalists and editors.
Entries for the seventh edition of the competition will open in May, continuing a much-loved tradition for Calder and her cofounder husband Daniel, who believe close-up images can “shine a light” on creatures and situations often overlooked in conservation stories.
“While springtails, parasites and slime moulds might not be as glamorous as pandas and polar bears, they are still crucial to the ecosystem and vital to our success as humans,” they said.
“Showing these animals and organisms to a wide audience, is the first step to raising awareness and securing their (and our) future.”
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