Small world
A spider silhouetted in the reflection of the rising sun
Photographer
Chris Wardell
Category
Small world – Winner 2024
Description
I went out early in the morning looking for wildlife along my local river as the conditions were perfect for interesting photos. There was a low, rising sun with a golden mist and a magical atmosphere. I found a spider on a large web near the edge of the bank and used the bright light of the sun, reflected in the water, to backlight the spider for a moody shot. Although it was taken outdoors, it has an intimate, studio feel.
Pearls of nature
Photographer
Jamie Smart
Category
Small world – Runner-up 2024
Description
I’m always fascinated by how small butterfly eggs are but only really appreciated their size and beauty after taking some macro photos of them. I had to play around with my positioning to get the image to show a row of perfect little pearls on the edge of a leaf. I didn’t have a diffuser at the time, so I made my own from a piece of white A4 cardboard and brown tape and stuck it to my flash.
The rainbow wing
Photographer
Chris Wardell
Category
Small world – Commended 2024
Description
I’ve always been fascinated by banded demoiselles, a type of large damselfly. I found a reliable spot by the river where, in the evening, the demoiselles would settle down to roost. I went out late with a flash and a home-made diffuser (constructed from a crisp tube and packing tape), thinking I’d photograph their intricate wings up close. I found that, when illuminated at a certain angle, I could get an almost rainbow-like effect, with the light shimmering across the many segments of their wings.
Beyond small
Photographer
Angelo Anderson
Category
Small world – Commended 2024
Description
My title comes from the sense of scale created by photographing a small red beetle perched, ready to leap into the unknown. I wanted to capture that sense of solitude and depth. I used a macro lens to get closer and isolated the grass to help me become part of their world. I used the idea of the unknown in my post-production, allowing the grass to become like a string pulling the eye into the image, with a transient moment of focus to the composition.
Home turf
Photographer
Angelo Anderson
Category
Small world – Commended 2024
Description
I took this image by a new pond in my garden. Wild honey bees perched on small rocks to rest and occasionally drink from the pond. The textured landscape gives it a different interest to the usual backdrop of flowers. The macro lens gave me a detailed view of a bee drinking moisture drops, and the texture of its body hair and colour tones seemed to melt into the gravel. I used this connection of bee to landscape in my art direction, post-production.
Maggot on a toadstool
Photographer
Tess Easterbrook
Category
Small world – Commended 2024
Description
I took this photo when we were out on a walk near Milton Abbot in Devon on an October day. I wanted to get a close-up picture of the fungus but as I was taking the photo, I realised there was a maggot blending into the underside of the fungus. It was a good job I had my camera as I wouldn’t have seen it with the naked eye!