Join the gathering of passionate close-up, macro and micro photographers for the third Close-up Photographer of the Year (CUPOTY). This is your chance to put your pictures in front of an elite judging panel and worldwide audience – show them things they’ve never seen before, make them look again at something familiar, or wow them with the beauty and wonder of the world.

Can you make the celebrated shortlist galleries, offering inspiration to fellow photographers and illustrating just what close-up photography can be? The very best images will appear in the CUPOTY Top 100 winner’s gallery, forming a permanent exhibition on the website. Your pictures could be seen by millions as they travel out into the world through newspapers, magazines, online outlets and social media.

We have two new categories to enter this year – Underwater and Butterflies & Dragonflies. They are added to Animals, Insects, Plants & Fungi, Intimate Landscape, Manmade, Micro and Young.

This year the total prize fund has been boosted to £5,300. The overall winner receives £2,500 and a trophy, while each category winner receives £300. The Young CUPOTY winner is awarded a SIGMA 105mm F2.8 DG DN Macro Art lens and trophy.