Close-up Photographer of the Year Competition

This competition is open for entries

Photographing a trooping funnel mushroom or grizzled skipper butterfly could win you £1,000 cash and more than £1,200 worth of SIGMA camera equipment in the first ever Close-up Photographer of the Year competition (CUPOTY), which opens for entries on 30 October 2018.

There are five categories to enter: Animals, Plants & fungi, Intimate landscape, Manmade and Micro (for images captured with a microscope), as well as Young CUPOTY (for entrants aged 17 and under). The competition is open to all, and entrants have until 23.59 (GMT) on 10 February 2019 to submit their pictures via the competition website www.cupoty.com. 

CUPOTY is a celebration of close-up, macro and micro photography, but its scope is far greater than that. The ultimate aim is to encourage photographers to slow down, enjoy their craft, and make connections with others who are passionate about the world up close.

As such, the competition will be supported by a blog and newsletter covering everything from where to find perfect flower specimens to how to light macro subjects, and what to add to your kit bag. There will also be regular meet-ups and workshops.

CUPOTY co-founder, and former editor of Outdoor Photography magazine, Tracy Calder says, “close-up photography allows us to explore intimate details, encouraging us to see the world anew. When we stop to notice the curved bands of a snail shell or jagged thorns of a rose stem we create a lasting connection with your environment.”

This year’s judges include award-winning photographers Ross Hoddinott, David Maitland and Robert Thompson. Judging will take place in February 2019, with the results announced soon after.

For further information, and hi-res images, contact Tracy Calder at CUPOTY, tracy@cupoty.com.