Hotshots

Our showcase of category winners from the Close-up Photographer of the Year Awards 2025

© Ross Gudgeon / CUPOTY

OVERALL WINNER AND WINNER: Underwater ‘Fractal Forest’ Ross Gudgeon The inside of a cauliflower soft coral in the Lembeh Strait, Indonesia. “Named for its cauliflower-like appearance, this coral has numerous small, round polyps that give it a puffy texture. This unique perspective was made possible by the Nauticam EMWL (Extended Macro Wide Lens), an underwater version of the probe or insect eye lens. Due to its length, small diameter, close focus and wide field of view, it allows perspectives that are impossible with conventional lenses. I decided to experiment with the EMWL on the soft coral to capture a different view of a common life form. I carefully threaded the end through the branches of the soft coral so as not to damage them, creating an image looking from the inside out.” Instagram: @ross_gudgeon

WINNER: Intimate Landscape ‘Dreamy State’ Sho Hoshino A tree covered with rime ice in Nagano Prefecture, Japan. “I took this photograph when frost-covered trees stood before a mist that turned pink in the morning sunlight. The composition relies on soft, pale tones, anchored by the dark, intricate shape of the tree trunk and its distorted form. I excluded the base of the tree to highlight the complexity of its trunk. I wanted to emphasise the special conditions of frost and mist, so I waited for the moment when the background turned pink. Although the scene depicts the freezing cold of winter, the warm colour tones give it a gentle sense of warmth rather than loneliness.” Website: www.shohoshinophotography.comInstagram: @shocha_photography