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an underwater photo of a baby manatee
Remuna Beca, “Curious Baby Manatee.” All images © the photographers, courtesy of CUPOTY, shared with permission

Whether Underwater or Up a Tree, Close-Up Photographer of the Year Delights in the Details

Kate Mothes

Showcasing incredible close-up, macro, and micro photography from around the world, Close-up Photographer of the Year (previously) has announced its shortlist for the 2024 competition. From flowing kelp to baby animals to itty bitty arachnids, the images highlight the diversity of life on our planet in fantastic detail.

Jurors sifted through more than 11,600 entries submitted in 11 categories, including animals, insects, invertebrates, underwater, arachnids, and more. The entries take us deep into the ocean, through the forest, and face-to-face with an array of creatures we don’t often get to see.

an underwater photograph of kelp with sunlight filtering through it
Sigfrido Zimmermann, “Flowing Kelp”

Colossal readers may recognize a stunning portrait of fungi by Barry Webb, and Csaba Daróczi—last year’s overall winner—makes the list again with a striking black-and-white portrait of a pine marten, a creature known to be notoriously elusive.

The Top 100 pictures and winners will be announced in January, and in the meantime, you can visit the contest’s website to see more and follow CUPOTY on Instagram for updates.

a photograph of invertebrates inside of a sea sponge hole
Jenny Stock, “Symbiosis in sea sponge”
a black-and-white photo of a pine marten, looking down at the camera, which faces upward at the sky through some trees
Csaba Daroczi, “Pine Marten”
a close-up photo of a russet-colored moth on the side of a tree
Ignacio Castellanos, “Moth Tree”
a photograph of two yellow-and-black insects eating starfruit
Rafael Steinlesberger, “Starfruit Enjoyer”
a close-up photo of a heather crab spider's face
James Hall, “Freshly shed heather crab spider”
a photograph of a bowerbird with an insect in its beak
Keith Horton, “Bowerbird”
a close-up photograph of a bright green buffalo treehopper nymph
Benjamin Salb, “Buffalo Treehopper Nymph”
a photograph of a baby wallaby in its mother's pouch
Pedro Jarque, “Wallaby Baby”
a photograph of an arachnid making a web in the hole of a leaf
Marco Chan, “Apartment in a Leaf”

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