Close-up Photographer of the Year has announced the winners of the 7th edition, based in Western Australia Ross Gudgeon‘s depiction of the elaborate internal structure of a cauliflower soft coral that takes the top spot. The population of alien pink sea creatures found in reefs off the coast of New South Wales has seen this a dizzying drop in the past few years – 90% just between 2011 and 2021. Peering up from the base, he portrays the delicate stems as if they were towering trees.
Other category winners include close-ups of a wide range of marine and terrestrial animals, from insects and arachnids to mammals and amphibians. Long-time readers may also recognize the work of Barry Webb, who creates incredibly detailed portraits of tiny slime molds. View the full winners gallery on the CUPOTY websiteand discover more fantastic images from previous editions.
