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.

"Life Cycle of Soap Bubble Iridescence" by Kym Cox (UK). Winner, Manmade World. "This series of time-lapse photographs shows columns of equally-sized soap bubbles in a glass, cylindrical tube. Each photograph – there are 16 in total here – illustrates light interference colours and patterns responding to directional light. Swirling patterns of colour are created because bubbles are made of a liquid that continually flows, swirls and drains quickly and in all directions. Light waves reflect and refract through the bubble walls. Variations in thickness cause variations in colour and intensity. The speed at which colours and patterns change is phenomenal. The light interference cycle only takes a few seconds to complete. This was photographed in my studio/lab in May 2016 as part of an Art+Science collaboration with Prof. Stefan Hutzler, Leader of the Foams + Complex Systems Group, School of Physics, Trinity College Dublin."