In your face: Close-up Photographer of the Year Awards 2026
Animals, insects, flora and fauna – the world photographed in close-up in the annual competition dedicated to micro and macro photography. Cupoty 7 was won by underwater photographer Ross Gudgeon, triumphing over 12,000 entries from 63 countries
Overall winner of the competition was Fractal Forest, which captured the inside of a cauliflower soft coral in Lembeh Strait, Indonesia.
Photograph: Ross Gudgeon
Ethereal Frogfish – second place in the Underwater section went to this shot of an orange painted frogfish (Antennarius pictus) on the black volcanic sands of Lembeh Strait, #Indonesia.
Photograph: Daniel Sly
Aliens have landed
Cribraria Cluster – A cluster of 1.5mm tall, immature Cribraria rufa slime moulds in ancient woodland, south Buckinghamshire, England.
Photograph: Barry Webb
The real alien
Kraken - A juvenile sharpear enope squid photographed in the open ocean off West Palm Beach, Florida, US..
Photograph: Andre Johnson
Good Boy – A shot of a moth (Bombycidae sp.) in Tinamaste, Costa Rica, won first place in the #Invertebrate Portrait category.
Photograph: Laurent Hesemans
So What? – Alpine choughs (Pyrrhocorax graculus) in the Bernese Alps, Switzerland.
Photograph: André Abbenhaus
Dragonfly Alphabet Calligraphy – A beautiful demoiselle damselfly (Calopteryx virgo) takes off from a reed in the surroundings of Gatchina, Russia.
Photograph: Dmitrii Melgunov
Emerald Glow – A brilliant green Cuban tree frog (Osteopilus septentrionalis) pictured in the photographer’s backyard in Florida, US, was placed in the Young photographer section.
Photograph: Jameson Hawkins-Kimmel
Flowerstem - Magnified flower stamen covered in pollen in the photographer’s garden, Austria.
Photograph: Manfred Auer
Danube mayflies (Ephoron virgo) swarm in Szentendre, #Hungary.
Photograph: Imre Potyó
earthling