photo: © Samantha Stephens - Nature's Pitfall | cupoty.com
Canadian photographer Samantha Stephens has won the Close-up Photographer of the Year 04 (2022) title with her striking photo of a pair of salamanders being eaten by a carnivorous pitcher plant in Algonquin Provincial Park, Canada.
“Northern Pitcher Plants normally feast on moths and flies, but researchers at the Algonquin Wildlife Research Station recently discovered a surprising new item on the plant's menu: juvenile salamanders,” says Samantha.
"While following researchers on their daily surveys, I saw a Pitcher Plant with two salamanders floating at the surface of the liquid, both in the same stage of decay. I knew it was a special and fleeting moment. By the next day, both salamanders had sunk to the bottom of the liquid."
Dutch photographers also received prizes this year. Wim Vooijs came first in the Butterflies category & Dragonflies with the photo Veiled. Wim: "I found these dew-covered male damselflies on a reed stem among the streams near my hometown of Ede in the Netherlands. Damselflies are easy to approach when they are resting and drying in the early morning. I tried to find an angle that would produce bokeh bubbles in the warm light, creating the atmosphere I was looking for. I would like to emphasize the beauty of these insects by showing their strength and fragility. I am not looking for a shot, more of an emotional portrait - perhaps this is due to my background as a portrait photographer."
Technical information: Sony A7III, Laowa 100mm f2.8 2x Ultra-Macro 1/500, f/2.8, ISO500. Accessories: none, handheld. Post-processing: basic adjustments in Lightroom, small crop.
Alex Pansier came third in the Invertebrate Portrait category with his photo Shining Snail. Alex: "A normal snail on a blade of grass, taken with a flash, so that the detail can stand out nicely against a dark background."
Technical information: Sony A1, Sony 90mm f2.8 macro 1/200, f/18, ISO125. Accessories: flash with orange gel. Post-processing: Basic adjustments in Lightroom.
The top 100 also featured work by Dutch photographers Bert Faber, Jan van IJken and young finalist Dirk Hoogenstein.
By presenting close-up, macro and micro photography, CUPOTY aims to show the details that most people overlook. Tracy Calder, co-founder of CUPOTY: “Countless times, looking at the top 100 photos, I have been amazed by the skill and curiosity of the participants in capturing the incredible wonder of the world.”
Dirk: "I found these stink bugs hatching from their eggs in our front garden. It was spectacular to see in our own garden in Utrecht. Nature is everywhere!"
Technical information: Canon 5D lll, Canon MP-E 65 mm, 1/200, f/16, ISO800. Accessories: Canon ring flash. Post-processing: Basic adjustments in Lightroom, cropped.
Photo homepage: Alex Pansier - Angry Bird
"Last July, I travelled to a small island north of Germany, known for its gannet colony. The wind was very strong and the birds were having a hard time landing on the huge cliff. A number of birds were sitting on their nests and watching the bystanders intently, just like this gannet. It seemed to say, “Don't come any closer!” I took this photo from a distance and the angry look of the bird immediately appealed to me."
The winning photographs can be viewed in the winners’ gallery cupoty.com.
