The Fifth Close-Up Photographer of the Year Awards showcases some beautiful underwater photography – check out the best shots here
The Close-Up Photographer of the Year competition, now in its fifth successive year, has thrown up some outstanding images in the dedicated and highly competitive Underwater Category.
The competition, which features 11 categories in total – Animals, Insects, Butterflies & Dragonflies, Invertebrate Portrait, Underwater, Plants, Fungi & Slime Moulds, Intimate Landscape, Human Made, Micro and Young Close-up Photographer of the Year – attracted almost 12,000 entries from 67 countries, which were judged by a panel of 23 expert photographers, scientists, naturalists, journalists and picture editors.
The overall prize was won by Hungarian photographer Csaba Daróczi, with his picture of a Eurasian nuthatch in flight taken from inside a hollowed-out tree stump.
The Underwater Category, first added to the CUPOTY competition in 2021, was won by Australian photographer Simon Theuma, who drew on Dreamtime Aboriginal art in his category-winning image of a Commensal shrimp floating above a Mosaic seastar. The winning images, runners-up and finalists are shown below – head to www.cupoty.com to view all of the Top100 images submitted across all 11 categories.
Underwater Winner – ‘Dreamtime’
Simon Theuma, Australia
Picture details: A Commensal shrimp floats above a Mosaic seastar. March 4th; Bass Point Reserve, Shellharbour, Australia.
Simon: ‘Like an intricate tapestry of the marine ecosystem, this image captures the relationship between a commensal shrimp and a mosaic sea star. Dreamtime Aboriginal art reminds us of the delicate balance that exists in the grand tapestry of our natural world – this ancient wisdom serves as an important reminder to preserve what we have. To capture this image, I needed to use a snooted strobe, which was set at an acute angle to the subject. This set-up accentuated the depth and beautiful texture of the two organisms. Additionally, I enhanced magnification by using a +15 wet lens dioptre.’
Technical information: Nikon D850, Nikkor 85mm f/2.8G, 1/200, f/14, ISO64, Sea & Sea Housing, YS-250 Pro Strobes, INON UCL67 +15 Wet Dioptre (underwater close-up lens), snoot.
Second Place – ‘Heart of the Sea’
Liang Fu, China
Picture details: During a night dive, at 28 metres deep, a lava moray eel curls into the shape of a heart in Romblon, Philippines.
Liang Fu: ‘This photograph was taken during a blackwater dive in Romblon, Philippines. Blackwater diving is a type of scuba diving that takes place at night in the open ocean, with thousands of metres of water below the boat. Divers descend a rope with underwater lights as their only orientation system. When the tide and moon phase are right, creatures from the deep migrate to shallower waters. This vertical migration is one of the most remarkable natural phenomena. During the dive, I saw something shining under my searchlight at 28 metres deep. As I swam closer to investigate, I found a lava moray eel curled into a heart shape. I was extremely fortunate to capture this moment with my camera. The eel remained at that depth for less than 10 seconds before swimming down and disappearing into the darkness.’
Technical information: Canon EOS R5, Canon RF 35mm F2.8L MACRO IS USM, 1/200, f/13, ISO400, Underwater housing, underwater flash x2,
Third Place – ‘Pinkaboo’
Chris Gug, USA
Picture details: A golden damselfish above a bright pink, soft coral backdrop. October 22nd; Misool, West Papua, Indonesia.
Chris: ‘For years, I had been wanting to make a relatively simple image of a golden damselfish set against a background of red sea whip coral. But on multiple trips to various South Pacific diving locations, there was always some problem with the sea whips – one branch would be broken, lack of current caused the polyps to be retracted, the damselfish was too rough… just always something to make me cringe with OCD! So when I found this little gem living in what is clearly NOT red sea whips, I had to twist my mind out of its rigidity, and realise that the gorgonian coral background I was searching for was indeed a different species, and was right in front of me!
As a traditional fisheye lens shooter, water-contact optics have been a game-changer in underwater wide-angle photography. While not quite as wide as a fisheye lens, they still cover a large field of vision, while maintaining far superior corner sharpness and don’t introduce the extreme barrel distortion of a fisheye lens. Using Nauticam’s revolutionary WACP-1 lens/port allowed me to use a medium zoom, and create a close-focus wide-angle view from just a few inches away that, unlike a fisheye lens, appears flat and maintains focus on the entire coral environment.’
Technical information: Nikon D850, Nikon AF Nikkor 28-70mm f/3.5-4.5D, 1/50, f/14, ISO320, Nauticam underwater housing, WACP-1 lens/port, dual Ikelite DS-161 strobes, scuba gear.
Finalist – ‘Underwater Constellation’
Csaba Daróczi, Hungary
Picture details: Freshwater fish gather in a pond beneath a moonlit night. March 8th; Soltvadkert, Hungary.
Technical information: Nikon Z6, Laowa 15mm f/4 Wide Angle Macro, 30sec, f/4-22, ISO4000, Self-made stand, two flashes.
Finalist – ‘Gimme Shelter’
Henley Spiers, UK/France
Picture details:A juvenile fish takes shelter in the open ocean beneath a blue button hydroid. Offshore, Eastern Pacific Ocean.
Technical information: Nikon D850, Nikon 28-70mm f/2.8 AF-S, 1/500, f/13, ISO800, Nauticam housing
Post processing: Basic adjustments in Lightroom, backscatter removal in Photoshop.
Finalist – ‘Entourage’
Jake Wilton, Australia
Picture details: A reef manta ray (Mobula alfredi) glides by with an entourage of juvenile golden trevally fish. Ningaloo Reef, Western Australia.
Technical information: Nikon D810, Nikkor AF-S Fisheye 8-15mm f/3.5-4.5E ED, 1/250, f/9, ISO640, Underwater housing
Finalist – ‘Juvenile Anglerfish’
Koji Shinke, Japan
Picture details: A juvenile anglerfish floats in the blue deep sea. April 25th; Osezaki, Numazu Shizuoka, Japan.
Technical information: Nikon D810 Nikon 105mm f/2.8, 1/250, f/16, ISO160, Sea & Sea underwater housing, 2x Retra Flash pro
Instagram: @cozy312
Finalist – ‘Cloud Nine’
Laura Storm, UK
Picture details: A Ghost goby hides out among the undulating textures and swirls of its pink sponge daybed. March 26th; Lembeh Strait, Molucca Sea, Indonesia.
Technical information: Canon EOS 800D, Canon EF-S 60mm f/2.8 Macro USM, 1/80, f/14, ISO200, 2 x INON s2000 strobes with filters, Sea & Sea RDX750 housing with a DX Macro Port 52, Light & Motion Sola 1200 focus light.
Post processing: Basic adjustments in Lightroom, colour adjustment in Nik Colour FX Pro 4.
Finalist – ‘Alpine Water Salamander’
Luc Rooman, Belgium
Picture details: An Alpine water salamander rests on a water lily before making its way to the surface of a freshwater lake. May 23rd; De Melle, Antwerp, Belgium.
Technical information: Nikon D500, Nikon 16-35mm f/4, 1/160, f/22, ISO100, 2x Subtronic flash,
Post processing: Basic adjustments in Photoshop.
Instagram: @LucRooman
Finalist – ‘Fairy Shrimp Showing Colourful Eggs’
René Krekels, Netherlands
Picture details: A female fairy shrimp displays the colourful eggs inside her. June, Germany.
Technical information Canon R5, Canon MP-E 65mm f/2.8 1-5x Macro, 1/250, f/8, ISO250, Flashlights
Finalist – ‘In the Moonlight’
Sandra Stalker, UK
Picture details: A stalked jellyfish clings to seaweed in turbulent waters, summer; Kimmeridge Bay, Dorset, UK.
Technical information: Sony A7R IV, Meyer Optic Trioplan 50 vintage lens, 1/320, f/2.8, ISO50, Nauticam underwater housing, 2x backscatter miniflash, 2 strobes (one with a blue filter, one with a snoot).
Instagram: @teenytinyunderwaterphotos
For more information, the Top 100 best pictures and further details on entering, visit cupoty.com
