Close-up Photographer of the Year

Competition summary:

The inaugural Close-up Photographer of the Year (CUPOTY) competition celebrates close-up, macro and micro photography in all its forms. It is open to everyone around the world using any type of camera, or in the case of the Micro category, any type of microscope.

The judges are looking for visually arresting images that encourage the viewer to see the world anew. There are no restrictions on subject matter — anything from a cheese grater to the cell of a fruit fly is welcome, and covered by a category.

Entrants will be in with a chance of winning a share of the £4,000+ prize fund and, by making the Top 100, be featured in CUPOTY’s annual winners gallery.

Category details:

Animals — From details of birds and mammals to macro shots of invertebrates and small creatures.

Plants & fungi — Plants & fungi in detail or captured up-close within the habitat.

Intimate landscape — Images of natural, non-living objects and substances.

Manmade — Pictures of objects and materials conceived or created by humans.

Micro — Pictures on any subject captured with a microscope.

Young CUPOTY — Open to photographers aged 17 or under on the closing date.

Entry requirements:

Entrants to the competition must be aged 18 or over on the closing date (February 10th 2019). Entrants aged 17 or under on the closing date should enter Young CUPOTY.

There is no time limit to when the images were taken, pictures may be entered from any year.

Black and white, tinted, HDR, square, stitched panoramic, focus stacked and multi-exposed photographs are all acceptable. Diptychs, triptychs and polyptychs will be accepted if they are submitted as a single image.

Entry fee:

£10 | 1 image
£20 | 5 images
£30 | 15 images
£40 | 30 images

£5 | Young CUPOTY (15 images)

Prize details:

Overall winner — £1,000 cash + SIGMA 70mm F2.8 DG MACRO Art lens + SIGMA sd Quattro camera.

Category winner — £300

Young CUPOTY — SIGMA 70mm F2.8 DG MACRO Art lens

The Top 100 — The 100 best pictures entered into the competition, as chosen by our judges, will be displayed on the Winners Gallery of our website. This will be a permanent record of achievement for the photographers selected.