What counts as close-up?

Close-up is the spirit of the competition, not its definition.

The finished image is the important thing, not the equipment that was used to take it – you don't have to use a macro lens to enter. If your image gives the viewer a feeling of being close to the subject, we’d love to see your work.

Here's the range of work CUPOTY celebrates beyond the close-up:

Serpent Tree by Matt Payne showing the sense of scale allowed in the Intimate Landscape category of Close-up Photographer of the Year — Small scene
The Intimate Landscape category welcomes the widest view in the contest, where small sections of the landscape can be entered as well as close details.

A wildcat photographed by Vladimir Cech Jr showing how CUPOTY 8 accepts images with a sense of proximity to the subject. — Sense of proximity
Images in Animals, Underwater and Plants do not have to be super-close, but the viewer should feel they could reach out and touch the subject.

A small butterfly in its habitat by Ellen Stegeman — Small subject in its habitat
Small subjects like insects, arachnids, fish, plants and fungi can be photographed in a wider context. Celebrating the overlooked is a key aim of CUPOTY.

A classic macro shot of a damselfly by Alexis Tinker-Tsavalas — Macro and extreme macro
The heart of CUPOTY, and welcomed across all the categories.

Marek Miś photographs plant tissue with a microscope — Photomicrograph
Microscope and objective work is accepted in any category except Underwater and Intimate Landscape.