The Close Up Photographer of the Year (CUPOTY) competition has announced the winners of its 2024 edition, highlighting the stunning nature photographs captured by talented photographers from around the world.
The overall winner of the competition was the image titled "Clash of Titans," which shows two stag beetles fighting for dominance in the Russian region of Voronezh. This impressive photograph reflects the intensity and beauty of nature in its wild state.
Other winners of the competition include Andrés Luis Dominguez Blanco from Spain in the Animals category with his work "God in the Shadows," depicting a spectacled bear in a high-altitude rainforest. Santiago J. Monroy García from Colombia was also recognized in the Underwater category for his image "Everything's A-OK" and Svetlana Ivanenko from Russia in the Plants category for her photo of mosses covered in dew drops.
In the Young Photographer category, the winner was Svetlana Ivanenko with her photograph "Spring" showing a European bee-eater in mid-flight with an insect in its beak. Ivanenko traveled 700 km to capture this beautiful moment and expressed her desire to share it with the entire world.
The CUPOTY jury, composed of 25 experts including photographers, scientists, journalists, and editors, spent over 20 hours deliberating to select the winners of the 11 categories, as well as the 100 best photos of the competition. All the awarded images reflect the diversity and majesty of nature in different corners of the planet, from the Ecopalacio Natural Reserve in Colombia to the oak forests in the Netherlands and the beaches of Kona in Hawaii.