Buzz
First Prize - Claire Carter, Skeleton Leaves
Location: Shropshire, England, UKAbout the photograph:“I utilized a macro lens and extension tubes to achieve maximum magnification, capturing the smallest details of these intricate (multicolored) leaves. I employed a homemade product photography box, with paper diffusers to soften the light, and an external flash positioned underneath to backlight the leaves and accentuate the intricate leaf veins.”Second Prize - Petar Sabol, Butterfly Dance
Location: Goričan, Croatia
About the photograph: “Two black Apollo butterflies perched on this flower head look as if they are about to engage in a romantic dance.”Third Prize - Brian Lee, In the Spotlight
Location: Witney, Oxfordshire, England, UK
About the photograph: “I captured this Gerbera flower with dappled light through the assistance of a filter, creating a stage spotlight effect on the petals.”Nominated and Finalist Works
Petar Sabol, Incy Wincy Spider
Location: Goričan, Croatia
About the photograph: “This cute little jumping spider is enjoying a flower, I wonder what it might be thinking about.”
Bernadette Benz, Just the Two of Us
Location: Auenstein, Aargau, Switzerland
About the photograph: 'A Pulsatilla flower (pasque flower) revealed its inner beauty after a freezing spring night, where the wind blew away most of its petals, leaving only two stamens that captivated me, so I brought them into focus. I love these remaining stamens, they resemble the neck of a swan.' Rachele Z. Cecchini, Falling in Love with Fennel
Location: Anthering, Salzburg, Austria
About the photograph: 'A caterpillar resting on a leaf, it seems to emerge from a sea of yellow flowers, and this moment is captured.'
Brian Lee, Let the Trumpets Sound
Location: Witney, Oxfordshire, England, UK
About the photograph: “I captured this intriguingly vibrant Scabiosa flower, with its unfurling petals resembling a cluster of tiny trumpets.”
Calvin Taylor Lee, Orange-tip Butterfly
Location: Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust Messingham Sand Quarry, Scunthorpe, England, UK
About the photograph: “On a warm day at Messingham Sand Quarry, I spotted this orange-winged butterfly against the golden backdrop of a card to create a highlighting effect.”
Claire Carter, Tulip Bud
Location: Shropshire, England, United Kingdom
About the photograph: “A tulip may appear striking and somewhat personality-less until you explore it with light. This budding flower was illuminated from behind and the side using 2 small LED lights, to highlight its colors and youthful state. I omitted the top part of the leaf to draw attention to this nestled bud inside.”
Petar Sabol, Whites
Location: Goričan, Croatia
About the photograph: “I captured the moment these two white butterflies were peacefully perched on top of a flower.”
Tony North, Blue-tailed Damselfly
Location: Reddish Vale Country Park, Stockport, Cheshire, England, UK
About the photograph: “I stumbled upon this corn bunting clinging to a reed stem in the pond at Reddish Vale Country Park. The completed photo comprises 43 frames stacked and focused.”
Tony North, Banded Demoiselles
Location: Reddish Vale Country Park, Stockport, Cheshire, England, UK
About the photograph: “These two dragonflies were captured early in the morning while perched together on a reed at Reddish Vale Country Park.”
Peter Pullan, Beached
Location: Bridgetown, Western Australia, Australia
About the photograph: 'The bark of a white gum tree inspired this abstract image. It evoked imagery of a mystical sea creature washed ashore.'
Ana Peiro, Korean Fir Cone
Location: Hampshire, England, United Kingdom
About the photograph: 'I noticed these beautiful patterns and textures on the surface of a Korean Fir (Abies Koreana) tree growing in my garden. They resembled flying birds to me.
The cone was quite small, about 4.5cm in length, so I used my macro lens to capture the details. Due to the shallow depth of field of the lens, I took 18 photos at different focal lengths, then stacked them to achieve this image.'
Xuedong Bai, Wait for Me
Location: Shenyang City, Liaoning Province, China
About the photograph: 'Capturing flying insects is quite challenging. These moths were no exception - it took me quite some time to capture the successful moment and create this artwork.'
Source: IGPOTY
