The winners of Close-Up Photographer of the Year have been announced with an image of two stag beetles battling for dominance on an oak tree taking home the £2,500 ($3,100) cash prize and title of Close-Up Photographer of the Year 2024.
Completing its sixth running, Close-Up Photographer of the Year, in association with Affinity Photo, also awarded first, second, and third places in 11 different categories. Attracting over 11,000 entries from 61 countries, a jury of 25 photographers, scientists, journalists, and editors spent over 20 hours on Zoom calls to find the winners and Top 100 pictures.
Svetlana Ivanenko has been awarded the title Close-up Photographer of the Year for her dramatic picture of two battling male stag beetles in the Voronezh region of Russia.
“For a brief period in summer, stag beetles (Lucanus cervus) engage in fierce battles for mating rights,” Ivanenko says. “These elusive creatures inhabit oak forests, making them difficult to find. I traveled 700 kilometers [435 miles] to witness this beautiful event and I want to share it with everyone.”
Below are the winners of a handful of the categories.
