The Close-up Photographer of the Year 2023 competition has revealed a stunning collection of micro and macro photographs showcasing the hidden marvels of the natural world. In its fifth year, the contest celebrates the intricate details of the environment, capturing everything from microscopic fungi to majestic animals. The competition explores the realms of microphotography, which involves magnifying tiny subjects, and macrophotography, which focuses on close-up images of larger subjects.
This year’s grand prize was awarded to Csaba Daróczi, a Hungarian photographer, for his captivating black and white image featuring a Eurasian nuthatch soaring through a forest. The photograph, taken with a GoPro from inside a hollowed-out tree stump, provides a unique perspective of the bird against the backdrop of outstretched trees.
Tracy Calder, co-founder of the competition and jury member, emphasized how these photos reveal extraordinary interactions between animals and plants, showcasing the interconnectedness and interdependence of the natural world. She expressed that the competition “celebrates animals and behavior that people have never seen or encountered before.”
Among the remarkable winning images is a photograph by 17-year-old Spanish photographer Carlos Pérez Naval, who was named the young close-up photographer of the year. The image features a Moorish gecko on a wall covered with pyrolusite crystals. Pérez Naval explained that these magnesium minerals create formations resembling petrified trees, albeit on a much smaller scale. He shared his excitement about capturing the gecko in this setting, noting that the creatures recently appeared in his village, possibly due to climate change allowing them to survive in the area.
The jury, composed of 23 photographers, scientists, and naturalists, selected the winning photos from a pool of 12,000 entries spanning 67 countries. Many of the photographs were taken in local areas, emphasizing the beauty that can be discovered in one’s own surroundings.
Tracy Calder and her husband Daniel founded the competition in 2018, driven by their belief in the importance of dedicating an entire competition to macro and micro photography. While other photo awards often include close-up categories, they saw the need for a specialized platform to showcase the intricate details often overlooked in the natural world.
Calder highlighted the role of close-up photography in shedding light on lesser-known insects and plants that play a crucial role in maintaining ecological balance. She mentioned the joy in revealing to people the beauty of creatures and plants that are omnipresent yet often go unnoticed. The competition serves as a means to bring attention to these overlooked wonders, encouraging a deeper appreciation for the intricate tapestry of life that surrounds us.