Macro nature

What a wonderful bit of behaviour to capture. To achieve close-ups of this quality requires patience, fieldcraft, and good camera handling skills. The detail is wonderful - this is just the type of behaviour most of us are completely unaware of until we start exploring and capturing the natural World at macro level. While not necessarily a 'pretty shot', it definitely justifies its place in our top 10 photos.

I love the symmetry of this shot. It is very unusual to find two insects roosting on exactly the same focal plane, but the photographer has maximised the opportunity. The vertical composition suits the subjects, and the beautiful bokeh and cool blue colour temperature enhances the mood of this image. A lovely close-up shot.

There were so many excellent spider images entered into this contest. Although it's an impossible job to choose between them, this particular shot jumped out. I love the light, the iridescent strands of web, and bokeh. The spider provides the focal point, but - in this instance - it is the subject's surroundings that are star of the show, creating beauty and interest. The photographer clearly worked very hard to capture this result - well done!

Firstly, good luck with battling your illness and everyone at Photocrowd wishes you a very speedy recovery. Nature can play a huge role in healing and mental well-being. However, just be mindful that getting this close to a nest with eggs or newly hatched birds can place the birds at risk. Please keep a responsible distance. For ethical reasons, I need to place this image into the No category.

I love arty, creative close-ups - innovation and unconventional viewpoints will help your shots standout from the crowd. I like this image. The shallow depth of field and pinpoint focusing on the snail's eye storks really create an interesting result. I also like the cool blue tone. Unfortunately, the area of overexposure on the snail's shell is ugly and distracting. Otherwise, I suspect this shot would have made my top 10.

Judges see so many great photographs while judging a contest that an entry really has to be different to standout from the crowd and get noticed. This image does exactly that. It's quirky and makes you stop and look again. The clean backdrop compliments the subject and the tight framing and positioning of the butterfly helps produce a really impactful image. An excellent shot, both technically and aesthetically.

A subject's background can make or break a shot. In this instance, the ghostly out of focus flowers create a beautiful frame for the roosting butterfly - they also creates a sense of place and context. Without doubt, the butterfly's environment elevates this image's quality and appeal. A well constructed and captured close-up.

I love images like this. While frame-filling macro shots often have instant impact, they lack the sense of space, scale, beauty, and context images like this possess. The light's quality, soft tones, and bokeh are beautiful in this instance. A thoughtfully framed shot and expertly captured. Stunning!

The warm and colourful out of focus highlights really elevate this marbled white photo. The photographer has carefully aligned themselves to ensure the butterfly is framed neatly. The tone is attractive - and I like the negative space and overall balance off the composition. A shot with lots of instant impact. Excellent work.

Shots like this have immediate impact but - unless the photographer was incredibly fortuitous - I'm assuming the subjects have been moved, carefully positioned, and manipulated to achieve this photo. And ethically I am very uncomfortable with this. The photographer hasn't included a background story. So while the image might be eye-catching, I'm not going to encourage the practise of handling subjects by awarding this image.

This is not a 'pretty' shot, but its excellent image which brilliantly illustrates the ability and cunning of carnivorous plants, like sundew. This poor cranefly looks like it is being stretched due to the how this sticky plant has attached itself to both wings. It's a fascinating shot that provides great insight. It is well captured, with the photographer choosing a great, intimate angle -and achieving just enough depth of field.

I love shots like this that highlight nature's amazing camouflage and ability to go unnoticed. This environmental style is easy to overlook and ignore, as photographs don't have immediate impact. But the longer you look at this photo the more you appreciate and enjoy it. The large amount of negative space works well in this instance. A well captured and composed image.

This is a sad and poignant shot. So many insects - particularly moths - get trapped indoors and ultimately perish. Photography is all about story-telling and this image does exactly that. While this is a not your classically beautiful or appealing close-up, it is well seen and captured. And I'm glad the moth was safely freed soon after.

Despite the sophistication of modern cameras, photographing an insect in flight is hugely challenging. This is a great effort - technically and aesthetically good. The background is clean, diffused and flattering - and the demoiselle's eyes are bitingly sharp. The wing shape is lovely too. It is typically harder to photograph a subject coming toward camera, so this really is an excellent shot, worthy of a place in my top 10.

What a striking, well-captured, and detailed shot. Frame-filling insect portraits like this have instant impact. They highlight detail and the subject's extraordinary design. To achieve this level of detail at such a high level of magnification (when depth of field is wafer thin) focus stacking is an essential technique. However, I always like to the read the full story behind how a stack is achieved to reassure me that the subject is alive and the image obtained outdoors, in situ, and ethically.