10 Stunning Shots From The 2025 Close-Up Photographer Of The Year “Something Beautiful” Challenge

Close-up photography has a way of revealing worlds we often overlook: textures, patterns, and tiny details that feel almost magical when magnified. The 2025 Close-Up Photographer of the Year (CUPOTY) competition embraced this wonder with its “Something Beautiful” challenge, inviting photographers worldwide to capture beauty in its most intricate forms.

The winning entries are nothing short of breathtaking. From the iridescent shimmer of an insect’s wing to the delicate veins of a leaf, each image highlights how beauty often hides in the smallest places. Some shots play with light and color, turning ordinary subjects into works of abstract art, while others freeze fleeting natural moments that we might never notice with the naked eye.

What makes these photographs so powerful is not just their technical brilliance but the reminder they carry: beauty is everywhere, even in the overlooked corners of our world. Here are some of the most stunning shots from this year’s challenge, proof that a closer look can change how we see everything around us.

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#1 Finalist: "Squid On The Run" By Alessandro Grasso

Image source: © Alessandro Grasso | cupoty.com "I was on a night dive in the Red Sea at Marsa Alam, Egypt, when I suddenly noticed a squid right in front of me. As I approached (with extreme caution) it sped away, only giving me the chance to take two shots. Thankfully, it was enough."

#2 Winner: "Puddle Reflection" By Linda Repasky

Image source: © Linda Repasky | cupoty.com "In late autumn, after the leaves have fallen from the trees, the landscape shuts down and heads toward slumber. But in this tiny puddle, the reflection of a bare tree comes alive with soft colours amid a scattering of acorns and pebbles. Puddles, so ordinary and humble, and so easily overlooked, are a source of endless beauty and magic!"

#3 Third Place: "Slime Moulds And Reflections" By Kamilla Szava-Oberndorfer

Image source: © Kamilla Szava-Oberndorfer | cupoty.com "During a walk in the woods near Vienna, Austria, I found a group of Physarum sp. on a dead branch, lying on the woodland floor. On closer inspection, I spotted water droplets on some of the fruiting bodies. Due to their size (1–2mm) it was a challenge to find one with an interesting reflection. I managed to get a series of shots using the focus bracketing feature on my camera. This image is a result of 26 shots stacked in Helicon Focus."

#4 Second Place: "At The Hub" By Michael Friel

Image source: © Michael Friel | cupoty.com "These tiny spiders appear for a short time during autumn. When the forecast promises a sunny day, I visit an ornamental tree nursery in Jinju, South Korea, in the early morning and search for horizontal webs strung across upper branches at chest height. As the sun rises, I point the lens roughly east. When I see the rainbow refractions along the web strands (often helped by a light wind), I fire away. The spider poses proudly, never moving."

#5 Finalist: "Miracle" By Yann Raulet

Image source: © Yann Raulet | cupoty.com "In my floating hide on the Lirou, a small river in the south of France near Montpellier, I patiently waited for a kingfisher to land in front of my lens. But it didn't happen… To pass the time, I started photographing the ripples of the water with my long focal lens. In the viewfinder, my eye got lost in this moving, colourful spectacle. Suddenly, a common pond skater joined the dance. For him, walking on water wasn't a miracle, but between us, was there anything more magical and beautiful?"

#6 Finalist: "Tulip Gift In Ice" By Kathleen Clemons

Image source: © Kathleen Clemons | cupoty.com "A friend of mine had surprised me with a bouquet of tulips, and I had photographed them at the height of their beauty in different ways. As the flowers aged and the petals unfurled, I decided to see how they would freeze (some flowers lose their colour during this process). I arranged the tulips in a shallow baking pan with a small amount of water to anchor them. I added more water when that base layer had frozen, choosing to leave some petals above the water line. I love the contrasting textures."

#7 Finalist: "In The Shelter Of The Mushroom" By Tibor Litauszki

Image source: © Tibor Litauszki | cupoty.com "A globular springtail climbs along the edge of a mushroom in an autumn forest in Germany. I had originally set out to photograph spore-releasing mushrooms, but it wasn’t a successful trip. However, through the macro lens, I noticed a globular springtail only 3.5mm in size, appear before my camera. As I tried to capture the image and moved closer to the mushroom, my breath in the cold air created an interesting effect with the backlighting."

#8 Finalist: "Puffin Profile" By Alex Pansier

Image source: © Alex Pansier | cupoty.com "An Atlantic puffin stands out in a low-light setting, with its colourful beak gently illuminated against a dark background. The rim of light outlining its beak and chest really appeals to me as it brings out the bird’s unique features and creates a quiet, mysterious mood. The contrast between the lit beak and the shadows adds a touch of elegance to the scene."

#9 Finalist: "Deluge" By Noelle Bennett

Image source: © Noelle Bennett | cupoty.com "I love the form of achillea flowers, whether they’re alive or dead. In this case, I took a flower that was in full bloom and submerged it in a container of cold water, anchoring it to the bottom with a weighted crocodile clip. I placed the container and flower inside a foldable light studio, then set my camera on a tripod, making sure I had my cable release attached. I then carefully dripped evaporated milk into the container above the flower using a pipette, before releasing the shutter. I had the camera set to burst mode and carried on shooting until all the evaporated milk had sunk to the base of the tank. I really like the drama this technique adds to such a pretty, but somewhat overlooked, flower."

#10 Finalist: "Wild Welsh Pony" By Richard Sambrook

Image source: © Richard Sambrook | cupoty.com "I came across a herd of wild ponies in the Preseli Hills of Wales. Although wild, they were curious about people, and I was able to photograph them individually from about a metre away. It was magical to be surrounded and apparently accepted by this wild herd. I was struck by the colouring of one pony and when it bent round and ducked its head, I grabbed what was an unpromising shot from the rear. Reviewing it later, I realised that by cropping in I could create a more intimate, almost abstract, image which better captured the moment."