Close-up Photographer of the Year 2026 unveils shortlist of extraordinary nature images

Spiders, insects and surreal landscapes: Take a closer look at the Close-up Photographer of the Year shortlist - Copyright Credit: Close-up Photographer of the Year Contest

By Theo Farrant

Published on 13 November 2026 - 16:21 GMT+1

From extreme close-up portraits of dragonflies to otherworldly mushrooms and some rather creepy crawlers, this year's shortlist offers a fascinating perspective into the hidden minuscule details of our world.

The eighth edition of the Close-up Photographer of the Year (CUPOTY) competition has unveiled its shortlist, selected from a record 15,388 entries submitted by photographers around the world.

The images span 11 categories, including Animals, Insects, Arachnids and Underwater, alongside a dedicated category for young photographers.

“Close-up photography has a wonderful way of revealing details and perspectives that often go unnoticed,” says competition co-founder Tracy Calder. “This year’s shortlist is a fabulous showcase of imagination, technical expertise, and natural curiosity.”

The overall winner and category champions will be announced in January 2027. Until then, we've picked out some of our favourite images from the shortlist.

One word of warning before you scroll down further: if spiders make your skin crawl, you might want to look away for a couple of these.