Did you ever hear the saying, “Stop and smell the roses?”
Some photographers, myself included, prefer to stop and photograph the small things that can easily be overlooked. (I know, that doesn’t roll off the tongue like the original saying.)
Last year marked the sixth round of the Close-up Photographer of the Year competition. According to the contest website, there were more than 11,000 entries from 61 countries last year.
The overall winner is a black-and-white image of two beetles locked in combat. The image titled Clash of the Titans was taken by photographer Svetlana Ivanenko.
My personal favorite is the winner of the animals category” God in the Shadows by photographer Santiago J. Monroy García. I love the rich textures and details in the bear’s black fur and the contrast with the white in the creature’s eyes.
I must admit that I’m not sure how close Santiago was to the bear, but my heart would have been racing had I been in his position. Especially considering the intense look in the bear’s eyes.
UPDATE: Since I wrote this post, I have learned Santiago used a trail cam to capture his winning image. Thankfully, no photographers were harmed in the making of this image.
