Home Technology 16 bold and captivating nature photos from the Close-up Photographer of the Year shortlist

16 bold and captivating nature photos from the Close-up Photographer of the Year shortlist

by trpliquidation
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A malabar gliding frog struggles and holds on to twigs to try and escape from the venomous, strong bite of its predator - a Malabar pit viper. The viper didn't let go of the frog, and the frog didn't let go of the twigs either, until it had a little life left in it. However, the frog had to give up finally, and the snake won, and swallowed this beautiful green frog. This is a stack of two images, one for frog eyes, and another for the snake's eyes. We had almost given up hopes of finding any subjects in the rainforest of Agumbe, India, due to heavy rains, but decided to stop at one last place on the way back to our stay, and this was our lucky and only find for the night.

A gliding frog clings to twigs in its last minutes of life. A pit viper is attached to the frog, which will soon be swallowed whole. This brutal battle took place in the rainforest of Agumbe, India, where photographer Pavan Kumar TS captured the moment. The resulting image (seen above) was shortlisted in the Animals category this year Awards for Close-Up Photographer of the Year.

Photographers from around the world submitted 11,681 photos which were assessed by 25 judges to create the shortlist. The top 100 photos and winners in 11 categories will be announced in January 2025. Tracy and Dan Calder founded the Close-up Photographer of the Year in 2018 and the competition has grown to become the largest for close-up, macro and micro photography. .

(Click on the images below to expand them in their full, incredible glory.)

“wallaby cutie”
Credit: Pedro Jarque / Close-up Photographer of the Year Artist
a mother bird feeds its young by placing its mouth over the baby's head
“Proud parent”
Credit: Jackie Schletter / Close-up Photographer of the Year Artist
I was on a night hike in the Peruvian Amazon rainforest when I came across this emerald green tree boa. I saw a vibrant green color with my flashlight, which looked so vibrant it couldn't be a plant... On second thought, I couldn't believe what I had just found. There were many mosquitoes in this area that bit both me and the snake. After many mosquito bites on my end it was definitely worth it. I used a portable flash and a wide angle lens to take the photo. Tambopata, Peru
“Emerald gem”
I was on a night hike in the Peruvian Amazon rainforest when I came across this emerald green tree boa. I saw a vibrant green color with my flashlight, which looked so vibrant it couldn’t be a plant… On second thought, I couldn’t believe what I had just found. There were many mosquitoes in this area that bit both me and the snake. After many mosquito bites on my end it was definitely worth it. I used a portable flash and a wide angle lens to take the photo. Tambopata, Peru.
Credit: Louis Guillot / Close-up Photographer of the Year Artist
What: This photo shows a spiny toad amplexus, with a female among several males. When: The photo was taken in May 2024. Where: The photo was taken in the Pyrénées Atlantiques, France. How the photo was taken: The photo was taken at night, when hundreds of toads cross the road to reach their egg-laying grounds. It is common to see such groups of toads at this time of year. How it was post-processed: I made some basic adjustments to the brightness and contrast, highlighting the individuals and applying a light vignetting, taking care not to distort the original photo.
“Deadly amplexus”
What: This photo shows a spiny toad amplexus, with a female among several males. When: The photo was taken in May 2024. Where: The photo was taken in the Pyrénées Atlantiques, France. How the photo was taken: The photo was taken at night, when hundreds of toads cross the road to reach their egg-laying sites. It is common to see such groups of toads at this time of year. How it was post-processed: I made some basic adjustments to the brightness and contrast, highlighting the individuals and applying a light vignetting, taking care not to distort the original photo.
Credit: Aloys Pichard / Close-up Photographer of the Year Artist
The Yucatán rat snake typically hunts lizards and small mammals on the forest floor. However, in the Mexican Kantemo cave they have found a completely new niche: bats. While the bats leave the cave system in swarms at dusk, the scaly predators lurk in narrow passages in absolute darkness for their easy meals.
“Bat Snack”
The Yucatán rat snake typically hunts lizards and small mammals on the forest floor. However, in the Mexican Kantemo cave they have found a completely new niche: bats. While the bats leave the cave system in swarms at dusk, the scaly predators lurk in narrow passages in absolute darkness for their easy meals.
Credit: Bernhard Schubert / Close-up Photographer of the Year Artist
What: This photo shows a Gonocephalus klossi, a lizard observed with mites. When: The photo was taken in February 2024. Where: The photo was taken in Indonesia, in the mountains south of Lake Danau Ranau in Sumatra. How: The photo was taken while climbing a volcano. We saw this lizard resting on a branch at eye level. It wasn't until after I took the first photos that I noticed the mites moving around on its head. How it was post-processed: I made basic adjustments to improve the image, such as brightness and contrast, without altering the original photo.
“Little host”
What: This photo shows a Gonocephalus klossi, a lizard observed with mites. When: The photo was taken in February 2024. Where: The photo was taken in Indonesia, in the mountains south of Lake Danau Ranau in Sumatra. How: The photo was taken while climbing a volcano. We saw this lizard resting on a branch at eye level. It wasn’t until after I took the first photos that I noticed the mites moving around on its head. How it was post-processed: I made basic adjustments to improve the image, such as brightness and contrast, without altering the original photo.
Credit: Aloys Pichard / Close-up Photographer of the Year Artist
a walrus emerging from the water in front of snowy mountains
Beach master”
Credit: Jonas Beyer / Close-up Photographer of the Year Artist
a young manatee looks sheepish
“Curious baby manatee”
Credit: Remuna Beca / Close-up Photographer of the Year Artist
two fish face each other under water
“The Competition”
Credit: Ferenc Lorincz / Close-up Photographer of the Year Artist
a fish in the jaws of another fish
“Everything is okay”
Credit: Gabriel Jensen / Close-up Photographer of the Year Artist
a seal looks at the camera underwater as a ray of sunlight shines down
“Posing in the rays of the sun”
Credit: Kirsty Andrews / Close-up Photographer of the Year Artist
This is a stacked image of a damselfly I encountered this spring on an early morning macro outing. I placed a blue background card behind it to give the image an icy, chilling quality.
“Juffer blue on blue”
This is a stacked image of a damselfly I encountered this spring on an early morning macro outing. I placed a blue background card behind it to give the image an icy, chilling quality.
Credit: Benjamin Salb Artist
extreme close-up of an arachnid's eyes
“Eresus Walckenaeri”
Credit: Aris-Kolokontes / Close-up Photographer of the Year Artist
a wolf spider with a head covered in baby spiders
“Mother Wolf Spider”
Credit: Lane Kirstein / Close-up Photographer of the Year Artist
a snake eats a toad
“Food time”
Credit: Lawrence Hylton / Close-up Photographer of the Year Artist

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