The Forest-Like Interior of Coral Takes the Grand Prize in the CUPOTY 7 Photo Contest

Close-up Photographer of the Year has announced the winners of its 7th edition, with Western Australia-based Ross Gudgeon’s image of the elaborate internal structure of a cauliflower soft coral taking the top spot. The population of the otherworldly pink marine creatures found in reefs off the coast of New South Wales has seen a staggering decrease in the past few years—90% between 2011 and 2021 alone. Peering up from the base, he portrays the delicate stalks as if they’re towering trees.

Additional category winners include close-ups of a wide range of both marine and terrestrial wildlife, from insects and arachnids to mammals and amphibians. Colossal readers might also recognize the work of Barry Webb, who captures incredibly detailed portraits of minuscule slime molds. See the entire winners’ gallery on the CUPOTY website, and explore more amazing images from past editions.

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