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The highly anticipated eighth edition of Close-up Photographer of the Year 2026 (CUPOTY 8) is now officially open for entries. This renowned international competition invites photographers to unveil the hidden wonders of the world through their best close-up, macro, and micro photographs. With a substantial £2,500 cash prize for the overall winner, £250 for each category winner, a £1,350 Macro Kit prize bundle for the overall winner, and a Young CUPOTY prize, this is an unmissable opportunity.
The closing date for entries is July 12th, 2026, but an early bird offer with savings of up to £4 on picture bundles is available until June 7th. The competition is structured across 10 diverse categories and a dedicated category for Young photographers under 18. For those seeking the best photo challenges to participate in that offer significant rewards and expert feedback, CUPOTY 2026 stands out.
The jury will select the best pictures to be showcased in the Top 100 gallery, while the celebrated shortlist galleries include at least 60 images for each category and traditionally receive worldwide media attention. The combination of cash prizes, high-value macro gear, ebook inclusion, digital certificates, and invaluable exposure makes this one of the most rewarding macro photography contests globally.
Prizes
The Close-up Photographer of the Year 2026 (CUPOTY 8) offers an impressive array of prizes, combining substantial cash awards with high-value photographic equipment, software, a free ebook, and significant global exposure:
- Overall Winner (Close-up Photographer of the Year):
- £2,500 cash prize.
- The Macro Kit, a £1,350 prize bundle.
- CUPOTY Trophy.
- Digital certificate and badge.
- Featured in the CUPOTY 8 ebook.
- Category Winners (10 categories):
- £250 cash prize for each category winner.
- Digital certificate and badge.
- Featured in the CUPOTY 8 ebook.
- Young Close-up Photographer of the Year (under 18s):
- £300 prize, or a prize of greater value if announced.
- CUPOTY Trophy.
- Digital certificate and badge.
- Featured in the CUPOTY 8 ebook.
- All Entrants:
- A FREE copy of the CUPOTY 8 ebook, valued at £19.99.
- The Macro Kit:
- Includes macro-focused prizes such as a Novoflex macro rail, F-stop backpack, Cygnustech diffuser, Zerene Stacker focus stacking software, and a Topaz Photo subscription.
- Top 100 and Shortlisted Photographers:
- Work showcased in the prestigious Top 100 online gallery.
- Inclusion in the celebrated shortlist galleries, with at least 60 images for each category.
- Worldwide media attention through CUPOTY channels and extensive press coverage.
Related Photo Contests
The Categories of the CUPOTY 2026
Close-up Photographer of the Year 2026 offers a diverse range of 11 categories, inviting photographers to submit their best close-up, macro, and micro images across various subjects. This structure allows for specialized talents to shine and provides a comprehensive showcase of the art of close-up photography.
The categories are:
- Animals: Capturing intimate portraits or details of animals in a close-up perspective. This is a significant category among animal photography contests.
- Insects: Dedicated to the intricate world of insects, including ants, bees, beetles, flies, grasshoppers, wasps, and springtails.
- Invertebrate Portrait: Highlighting the character and detail of various invertebrates beyond insects and arachnids.
- Arachnids: A category for images of spiders, scorpions, ticks, mites, and other arachnids.
- Butterflies & Dragonflies: Focusing specifically on butterflies, moths, dragonflies, and damselflies in all stages of life.
- Underwater: Exploring the close-up wonders found beneath the water’s surface, in fresh or salt water.
- Plants: Showcasing the beauty of botanical subjects, from flowers to moss, leaves, seeds, tree details, algae, and seaweed.
- Fungi & Slime Moulds: A unique category dedicated to the fascinating and often overlooked world of fungi, slime moulds, mushrooms, toadstools, and lichen.
- Intimate Landscape: Focusing on small-scale views of the natural or urban world, revealing patterns, textures, and details that might otherwise be missed.
- Studio Art: For creatively constructed close-up images, often involving studio setups, lab work, photomicrographs, scanner images, or artistic concepts.
- Young Close-up Photographer of the Year: This category is open to photographers aged 17 or under on July 12th, 2026, encouraging young talent in close-up photography.
Dates and Entry Fees
Plan your participation in CUPOTY 8 with these important dates:
- Early Bird Deadline: June 7th, 2026 (offers savings of up to £4 on picture bundles).
- Closing Date for Entries: Sunday, July 12th, 2026.
- Final Date to Submit Pictures (after registration): Images can be submitted up to one week after the final deadline.
Entry Fees:
- Earlybird entry bundles: £20 (6 images), £30 (15), £40 (30).
- Regular fees: £22 (6), £33 (15), £44 (30).
- Young CUPOTY fee: £5 for up to 15 images.
How to Enter:
To enter Close-up Photographer of the Year 2026, visit the official CUPOTY website. You will need to register for the competition, a process that takes only a few minutes. Once registered, you can prepare and submit your photographs into one or more of the 11 categories. Ensure your images meet the specified formatting and sizing guidelines provided on the entry platform, including JPEG format, sRGB colour space, no watermarks, and a maximum of 2200 pixels along the longest edge.
About the Jury
The Close-up Photographer of the Year 2026 is judged by a large and highly respected international jury. This panel comprises expert photographers, influential editors, and knowledgeable naturalists, ensuring a diverse and skilled evaluation of submissions.
The jury members include:
- Bart Somers
- David Maitland
- Georgina Steytler
- Guy Edwardes
- Henley Spiers
- Jake Wilton
- Jamie Hall
- Karine Aigner
- Marit van Ekelenburg
- Matt Doogue
- Nigel Atherton
- Piotr Naskrecki
- Renee Grinnell Capozzola
- Ross Hoddinott
- Sarah Marino
- Sue Bishop
- Tracy Calder (CUPOTY Co-founder)
- Viktoria Haack
- Wim van Egmond
Why Enter Close-up Photographer of the Year 2026 (CUPOTY 8)?
Entering Close-up Photographer of the Year (CUPOTY) 2026 offers a multitude of compelling reasons for photographers passionate about the miniature world. The substantial cash prizes, including £2,500 for the overall winner and £250 for each category winner, provide significant financial reward. Moreover, the addition of The Macro Kit gives the overall winner a prize bundle designed specifically for macro photographers, with gear and software that adds considerable tangible value. This makes it one of the most attractive popular photo challenges online in terms of rewards.
Beyond the prizes, the exposure gained from CUPOTY is immense. Having your work showcased in the Top 100 gallery and potentially the shortlist galleries means your images will be seen by a vast international audience, and the free CUPOTY 8 ebook for all entrants is a generous offering. For anyone serious about close-up photography, CUPOTY offers a credible, rewarding, and highly visible platform to share their unique vision of the world’s hidden wonders.
Rules and Copyright
This section about the rules and image rights of the Close-up Photographer of the Year 2026 (CUPOTY 8) has been generated automatically. If you are interested in participating in this contest we suggest you review the complete rules provided by the contest.
Rules
The Close-up Photographer of the Year competition is open to professional and amateur photographers of all nationalities, with a specific category for young photographers aged 17 or under on July 12th, 2026. The core requirement is that submitted images must be close-up, macro, or taken with a light microscope. Entrants are encouraged to reveal the hidden wonder of the world. Images can be made with digital cameras, phones, scanners, camera traps, light microscopes, or non-camera processes such as photograms. Focus stacking, HDR, stitched panoramas, and in-camera multiple exposures are allowed, while composited images and layered textures created in software are only permitted in the Studio Art category. Participants should ensure they submit their entries by the closing date of Sunday, July 12th, 2026, with images allowed to be submitted for another seven days after the closing date.
Copyright and Image Usage
CUPOTY states that it respects photographers’ rights and does not claim copyright for submitted pictures, so entrants retain full copyright for each entry. By entering, participants grant CUPOTY and its sponsors and supporters a non-exclusive, irrevocable, royalty-free licence to display, reproduce, adapt, and publish winning, Top 100, or shortlisted images for purposes directly connected with the competition for a period of five years following the announcement of the winners. This can include judging, display on the site and sponsor websites, associated books or publications, exhibitions, social media, press coverage, and promotional materials connected with the competition. Any use beyond the promotion of the competition requires permission from the photographer, and winning, Top 100, or shortlisted images may also be held in the competition winners archive on the CUPOTY website.
For more information and to participate in the contest, visit: the official website.
