Macro Detail

What an atmospheric shot! There are many options for shooting a scene such as this, and the conventional way would have been to light the insect from the front, to make the most of the texture. The choice to use backlighting is inspired and the near-silhouette allows us to focus on the shape of the subject. A great composition with a refreshing approach. Well done!

This is a dazzling shot! The focus gives it a wonderful abstract quality that appears both natural and cinematic. The backlighting is a perfect choice and helps to pick out the shapes and detail of the plant, but also makes a feature of the environment. Very well done!

This image looks like modern art! It has a lovely simplicity to it that allows us to focus on the engaging macro details. This is surely a scene many of us walk past, never noticing this arrangement of objects, so it perfectly shines a spotlight on 'hidden detail'. Well done.

Often in macro photography, a frame-filling shot isn't the strongest. The photographer's choice to frame a little wider, to take in more of the background and environment, allows the scene to have greater context. The shot now depicts the subject in its habitat and enables the green colour of the insect to contrast against the striking natural background.

This shot has a wonderful painterly feel to it. The background is reduced to pleasing swirls of colour and loose shapes, helping to draw the viewer's eye towards the main subject. And what a lovely subject it is too. The pose is perfectly captured, with the eyes on a third. A beautiful shot.

This is a lovely, quiet scene and certainly, one many of us would miss. The subtle reflection, soft lighting, and muted, natural colour palette all work together to create a tranquil image. It gives us a quiet insight into the life of the subject. Nicely spotted and well captured.

There is an artistic, abstract quality to this scene. On closer inspection, it looks rather more sinister than at first glance, as we don't imagine the insect in the middle of the group is enjoying this experience much, and the top-down view helps convey its encirclement. The uniform orange tone gives the scene a graphic quality.

This is almost abstract in its composition. The placement of the fly off-centre gives it a graphic structure that compliments the subject and gives a glimpse into the perspective seen through its eyes. The sharpness is also spot on. A wonderful macro shot that exactly hits the brief.

This image has a brooding atmosphere. which has the effect of truly depicting the environment in which you'd expect to find these fungi – woodland. The colour grading and exposure convey a naturally dark tone, while the bokeh is a lovely backdrop to these fine specimens. Well done.

This is a beautiful, gentle shot. The pastel-like colours perfectly complement the lighting style, while the management of the background helps to create a composition that makes each element feel connected. The sharpness and focus are spot on as is the exposure and white balance. A lovely macro image, which hits the brief nicely.

This is a beautiful, gentle shot. The pastel-like colours perfectly complement the lighting style, while the management of the background helps to create a composition that makes each element feel connected. The sharpness and focus are spot on as is the exposure and white balance. A lovely macro image, which hits the brief nicely.

What a great abstract shot! The colours and lighting work perfectly together to produce a painterly feel, which is a creative interpretation of the brief. We like how each drop acts as a little lens too. Nicely and precisely constructed on the part of the photographer. Well done.

This is a beautiful, gentle shot. The pastel-like colours perfectly complement the lighting style, while the management of the background helps to create a composition that makes each element feel connected. The sharpness and focus are spot on as is the exposure and white balance. A lovely macro image, which hits the brief nicely.

This is a beautiful, gentle shot. The pastel-like colours perfectly complement the lighting style, while the management of the background helps to create a composition that makes each element feel connected. The sharpness and focus are spot on as is the exposure and white balance. A lovely macro image, which hits the brief nicely.