News

Overall winner & Animals winner: “Nature’s Pitfall” by Samantha Stephens
 

The winners and finalists of Close-up Photographer of the Year have been announced. An image of salamanders caught in a carnivorous pitcher plant photographed by Samantha Stephens—first place in the Animals category—was crowned the overall winner. The Canadian shooter used a Canon EOS 5D Mark III and a Laowa 15mm f/4 wide-angle macro lens to capture the amazing shot.

There were also some fabulous images in the Underwater category, with the first, second and third place winners all shot by DPG Photographers of the Week. Second runner-up was Italian Pietro Cremone, with a wonderful blackwater image of a larval mimic octopus. South African Kate Jonker was the first runner-up, for a beautiful shot of a bluespotted klipfish perched amongst mussel shells. The category winner was Georgian shooter Viktor Lyagushkin, who is known for his amazing images taken beneath the ice of Russia’s White Sea. His tiny subject is a stalked jellyfish, which uses its “leg” to attach to seaweed, while catching prey with its tentacles.

For more incredible images from Close-up Photographer of the Year 04, check out the gallery at www.cupoty.com. Congratulations to all the winners and runners-up.
 

Underwater winner: “Little Predator” by Viktor Lyagushkin
 

Underwater 2nd place: “Beauty and the Beast” by Kate Jonker
 

Underwater 3rd place: “The Martian” by Pietro Cremone