Close-up Photographer of the Year

Close-up Photographer of the Year (CUPOTY) has displayed magnificent photos over the last few years. But other than the main contest, it has special annual challenges, each featuring a different topic.

This year, CUPOTY challenged the photographers to answer the topic Minimal. This year’s winner is Hungarian photographer Ferenc Kocsis for his dreamy image of Danube mayflies in flight. Their “dance” is a very special event, possible to capture in a very short time span. And with his winning photo, Ferenc captured the magic of this unique phenomenon.

Close-Up Photographer of the Year (CUPOTY) is one of those contests I always look forward to. To start off the new year with lots of inspiring images, the competition has shared its winners and runner-ups, and they’re absolutely stunning.

Canadian photographer Samantha Stephens is the overall winner of this year’s contest, and her striking image shows something you don’t see every day: a pair of salamanders being consumed by a carnivorous pitcher plant. As always, there are plenty more of great photos among the category winners, so let’s dive in and check them out.