Photo Competition That Gets Up Close and Personal With Wildlife Announces Shortlist

Spotlight
Matt Growcoot
A close-up of a beaver sitting on the forest floor at night, surrounded by twisted branches and dry leaves, with its wet fur glistening in the light.
‘In the Forest of Mordor’ by Vincze Balint. Animals category.

The shortlist for Close-up Photographer of the Year 7 (2025) has been revealed after the 22 judges assessed 12,557 photographs across 11 categories during 20 hours of Zoom calls.

The categories are as follows: Animals, Insects, Butterflies and Dragonflies, Arachnids, Invertebrate Portrait, Underwater, Intimate Landscape, Plants, Fungi, Studio Art, and Young (U18s).

The top prize will be £2,500 ($3,277), a trophy, and a copy of Topaz Labs AI 4. Each category winner will take home £250 in cash and a Universal License for all three Affinity apps (Photo, Designer + Publisher) for macOS, Windows & iPad OS.

A bat with brown wings and an orange neck flies low over water, creating a splash and ripples, with droplets suspended in the air and a blurred green background.
‘Splash’ by Douglas Gimesy. Animals category.
A delicate insect with translucent wings clings to a vertical stem at sunset, with a soft, glowing background and a blurred reflection of the insect visible nearby.
‘Le Projectionniste’ by Nicolas Reytet. Insects category.
A beetle with open wings clings to a stalk of golden wheat in a field at sunset, with a dramatic sky and dark treetops in the background.
‘Sharp Bend’ by Mark Pal. Insects category.
Hundreds of white moths swarm around a bright streetlight at night, creating a swirling, chaotic pattern against the orange glow, with buildings visible on either side of the street.
‘Light Trap’ by Imre Potyo. Insects category.
A large, white, spiky mushroom grows on mossy ground in a dark, misty forest with deep blue lighting, creating a mysterious atmosphere.
‘Bearded Ghost’ by Imre Potyo. Fungi and Slime Moulds category.
A parasitic fungus sprouts thin, dark stalks with red tips from the body of an insect on a green leaf; the fungus also has an orange, spore-producing structure at the top.
‘Weevil’s End’ by Rafael Steinlesberger. Fungi and Slime Moulds category.
Five orange and black butterflies, some flying and some resting on green leaves, with a blurred green forest background.
‘Flight’ by Pal Hermansen. Butterflies and Dragonflies category.
A long-exposure photo showing the flight paths of two moths, creating swirling, golden trails against a black background, with several clear images of the moths along the paths.
‘S’ by Mark Pal. Butterflies and Dragonflies category.
A close-up of a damselfly perched on a cluster of delicate grass flowers with water droplets, set against a soft, blurred green background.
‘Xanthocnemis Zealandica’ by Glenys Steegh. Butterflies and Dragonflies category.
A large, hairy spider clings to a weathered metal pole at night, with a power pole and a street sign labeled “Karelia” visible in the dark background.
‘Nightmare on Karella Street’ by William Menzies. Arachnids category.
Close-up of a jumping spider with large eyes and hairy legs, perched on the edge of a green leaf, with a soft, blurred background.
‘Magician’ by Thirachet Sonakul. Arachnids category.
A close-up of a small, dark, spiky spider with debris on its back, standing next to a translucent, pale pink fungus on a rough surface. The background is softly blurred.
‘Hungry Mite’ by Pavel Krasensky. Arachnids category.
A close-up of a spider in the center of its web, silhouetted against a warm orange sunset background, with intricate web strands highlighted by the light.
‘Sunrise’ by Natalia Shinkevich. Arachnids category.
Close-up macro image of a spider showing its hairy, segmented pedipalps and legs, with fine details of its eyes, body, and textured background in warm brown and orange tones.
‘Pumpkin Spice’ by Justin Chan. Arachnids category.
A close-up of a brown spider with long legs holding a web shaped like a rectangular net, suspended against a black background. The spider is hanging upside down.
‘Nocturnal Huntress’ by Darcy Santos. Arachnids category.
A large brown spider suspends a small fish caught and wrapped in its web against a black background. The fish hangs below the spider, entangled in silk threads.
‘Caught Between Worlds’ by Ben Revell. Arachnids category.
Close-up of several slender, translucent fungi stalks growing from a dark surface, with one stalk emerging from the body of a small, dried insect. The background is soft yellow and green.
‘Mite Feeding on Slime Mould’ by Barry Webb. Arachnids category.
A close-up macro photo of a small pseudoscorpion gripping its prey, an insect, with its pincers on a textured brown surface. Both creatures show fine detail and textures.
‘Predator’ by Alexis Tinker-Tsavalas. Arachnids category.
A green tree frog peeks its head and front legs out of a hole in a green wall at night. The frog appears relaxed, with part of a lit building visible in the background.
‘Frog in the Wall’ by Willi Roman. Animals category.
A close-up of a beaver sitting on the forest floor at night, surrounded by twisted branches and dry leaves, with its wet fur glistening in the light.
‘In the Forest of Mordor’ by Vincze Balint. Animals category.
A bird with an open beak faces a fish that is mid-air above its mouth, against a dark background. The bird appears poised to catch the fish.
‘The Decisive Moment’ by Turgay Uzer. Animals category.
A close-up of a small insect with translucent wings perched on the textured, scaly skin right above the eye of a reptile, possibly a lizard or a snake.
‘Precarious Perch’ by Rafael Steislesberger. Animals category.
Two nutrias with long white whiskers and large orange teeth face the camera against a blurred blue background, creating a surreal, close-up effect.
‘Whiskers’ by Luca Lorenz. Animals category.
A brown hare sits among green foliage, surrounded by out-of-focus yellow flowers. The hare’s fur is wet, and its whiskers are clearly visible as it gazes to the right.
‘Island Hare’ by Jacqueline Kirk. Animals category.
A small, translucent green frog with large eyes sits on a bright green leaf against a black background. The frog's body and eyes are in sharp focus, while the leaf and background are blurred.
‘Guided by the Whistles’ by Guillaume Correa-Pimpao. Animals category.
A small ground squirrel stands in green grass, reaching up to touch a large dandelion puff. The background is soft and blurred, creating a dreamy, pastel scene with white and pink wildflowers.
‘Flowered’ by Frensis Kuijer. Animals category.
A close-up of a sloth with wet, matted fur embracing its baby, whose face is partially visible as it nestles against the parent's arm.
‘In Mothers Arms’ by Dvir Barkay. Animals category.
A close-up photo of a golden-yellow bee in mid-flight, with its wings blurred from motion and facing directly toward the camera against a softly blurred blue-green background.
‘Bee in Flight’ by Uwe Zimmerman. Insects category.
Close-up of a bee covered in dewdrops, perched on a vibrant purple petal, with a soft-focus pink and purple background.
‘Leafcutter Bee’ by Andrei Chetronie. Invertebrate Portrait category.

The Top 100 pictures and winners will be selected in January 2026. Close-up Photographer of the Year was founded in 2018 by Tracy and Dan Calder. Head to the website for more. Check out last year’s winners here.

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