Winners Of The Close-Up Photographer Of The Year Awards Give Their Unique Perspective On the World
For the second year, the Close-up Photographer of the Year competition has spotlighted the small world that often passes under our noses, unobserved. Through micro, macro, and close-up photography, these photographers settle into the details and expose new aspects of our planet. This year's contest has had more entries than ever, with over 6,500 images submitted from photographers in 52 different countries.
The competition was split into six categories for adults, including Animals, Insects, and the Manmade World, as well as a special Youth category. In the end, it was French photographer Galice Hoarau who not only won the animal category but was named Close-up Photographer of the Year. His photo of an eel larva taken during a blackwater dive in Indonesia captured the judge's hearts. For his efforts, he won a £2,500 ($3,250) prize. Close-up Photographer of the Year has released a spectacular gallery with the top 100 photos, which includes all the category winners and finalists. With so many standout images, it's difficult to cull the list. Some of our favorites include a mysterious portrait of a cat gecko in Borneo by Austrian photographer Bernhard Schubert. Its face is framed perfectly by a bright green leaf, which only sets off its wide eyes even more. Equally fascinating is Hungarian photographer Csaba Daroczi's look at a sand dune. He managed to transform this local environment into a sculptural masterpiece by capturing the cascading sand using a slow shutter speed. All told, all 100 photographs weave unique stories of the world and show the myriad subject matters that can be photographed in exceptional ways up close. Scroll down to see more of our favorites from Close-up Photographer of the Year. The winners and finalists of the Close-up Photographer of the Year competition show their unique perspective on the world in detail.