Captivating Close-Up Photography Unveils Nature's Enigmatic Beauty
Discover the mesmerizing world of nature through the lens of talented photographers! Unveiling the remarkable winners of the prestigious Close-up Photographer of the Year award, showcasing nature's hidden wonders
Editors Note: Call to Earth, a CNN editorial series, is dedicated to covering the environmental challenges our planet is currently facing, along with the potential solutions. CNN has teamed up with Rolex's Perpetual Planet initiative to increase awareness and education on important sustainability issues and to encourage positive change.
The captivating images from the Close-up Photographer of the Year 2023 competition include stunning pictures of ants spraying acid, a shrimp drifting above a colorful mosaic sea star, and a butterfly observing a wedding party.
Now in its fifth year, the competition honors the art of micro and macro photography, aiming to unveil the extraordinary beauty of the natural world, from minuscule fungi to magnificent animals. "Micro" refers to capturing images of tiny subjects that require magnification, while "macro" involves taking close-up photos of larger subjects.
Tracy Calder, co-founder of the contest and member of the jury, shared with CNN how the photographs showcase unique interactions between animals and plants, illustrating the interconnectedness and interdependence of everything in the natural world. According to Calder, the competition "celebrates animals and behavior that people have never seen or encountered before."
Stunning photographs uncover the hidden world beneath the earth's surface.
The top prize of the year was awarded to Csaba Daróczi, a photographer from Hungary, for his captivating black and white photograph of a Eurasian nuthatch gliding through a forest. Using a GoPro camera from within a hollowed-out tree trunk, the remarkable image provides a fresh and unique view of the bird framed by the towering trees in the background.
The award for young close-up photographer of the year was won by 17-year-old Spaniard Carlos Pérez Naval for his captivating image of a Moorish gecko on a wall covered with pyrolusite crystals. "These magnesium minerals form mesmerizing formations that resemble petrified trees, but they are so small that they can be difficult to spot," he stated in a press release.
Seventeen-year-old Carlos Pérez Naval took this photo in Calamacha, Spain, the village where he lives.
Carlos Pérez Naval/cupoty.com
"I've been hoping to catch a gecko in the petrified forest for a while, but they only just showed up in my village - likely brought in fruit baskets from warmer regions. Because of climate change, they're able to thrive here," he explained.
The jury, consisting of 23 photographers, scientists, and naturalists, selected the winning photos for each category from a pool of 12,000 submissions from 67 different countries. A number of the entries were captured in the photographers' local areas, showcasing the beauty of what can be found right in their own backyards, Calder noted.
Close-up images reveal insects in a whole new light. Founded in 2018 by professional photographers, she and her husband Daniel believed there was a demand for a photography competition solely dedicated to macro and micro photography, setting it apart from other photo awards.
People are often more drawn to conservation stories involving adorable or well-known animals and plants such as rhinos, pandas, and orchids. However, the often overlooked insects and "weeds" play a vital role in maintaining ecological balance. Close-up photography highlights these organisms," she explained.
"There is also a sense of delight in revealing things that are normally unseen without the use of a macro lens or microscope. Many of these creatures and plants are in our surroundings, yet go unnoticed. This competition is a way to bring attention to them," she concluded.
