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At just 14 years old, Indian photographer Rithved Girish is already doing what most creatives only dream about—winning on a global stage. His powerful close-up image, “Guardians of the Hive – Stingless Bee Nest,” earned him the Young Close-up Photographer of the Year title at Close-up Photographer of the Year, one of the world’s most respected competitions dedicated to macro and close-up photography.
Based in the UK, Close-up Photographer of the Year celebrates the hidden wonders of our planet through macro, micro, and close-up imagery. Its seventh edition drew over 12,000 entries from 63 countries, making Rithved’s win even more impressive. His photograph was captured in Mezhathur, Kerala, India, and showcases a stingless bee nest with a striking tube-shaped entrance built from wax, resin, and mud. At the center of the frame, guard bees stand alert—tiny warriors protecting their colony with quiet intensity.
What makes Rithved’s image special isn’t just the subject—it’s the observation. The framing is tight, the textures are rich, and the storytelling is clear. As Rithved explains, these bees carefully engineered their entrance as a defensive structure, with guard bees always on duty. It’s nature, design, and behavior captured in one perfectly timed frame.
This year’s competition also crowned Australian photographer Ross Gudgeon as the overall winner. His image “Fractal Forest,” photographed inside a cauliflower soft coral in Indonesia’s Lembeh Strait, earned the top prize and a £2,500 award. An abstract, underwater masterpiece, it shows how far close-up photography can push visual boundaries.
In this post, alongside Rithved Girish’s winning photograph, we’ve also showcased first-place winners from all categories, offering a full look at the best close-up photography from around the world. From young talents to seasoned professionals, these images prove one thing: greatness doesn’t wait for age—it waits for vision.
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#1. Young Close-up Photographer of the Year: "Guardians of the Hive" by Rithved Girish (14 years old)
"Stingless bee (likely Tetragonula sp.) nest in Mezhathur, Kerala, India."
#2. Close-up Photographer of the Year 7, Overall winner & Underwater winner: "Fractal Forest" by Ross Gudgeon
"The inside of a cauliflower soft coral in Lembeh Strait, Indonesia."
#3. Animals – Winner: "Amphibian Galaxy" by Filippo Carugati
"A Malagasy frog (Guibemantis sp.) egg clutch hangs on a small trunk next to a pond in Maromizaha rainforest, Madagascar."
#4. Insects – Winner: "Blue Army" by Imre Potyó
"Danube mayflies (Ephoron virgo) swarm in Szentendre, Hungary."
#5. Plants – Winner: "Rebirth from Destruction" by Minghui Yuan
"Decaying lotus leaves and floating fern (Salvinia natans) in Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, China."
#6. Fungi & Slime Moulds – Winner: "Mushroom in the ‘Nude’ Style" by Valeria Zvereva
"Fragment of the lower part of the cap of a lamellar mushroom in Moscow region, Russia."
#7. Butterflies & Dragonflies – Winner: "Butterfly Flash" by Pål Hermansen
"A Camberwell beauty (Nymphalis antiopa) flashes its wings to defend its feeding spot on a birch tree trunk in Follo, Norway."
#8. Arachnids – Winner: "Dinner" by Artur Tomaszek
"A lynx spider (Oxyopes sp.) feeds on a few termites in Hong Kong."
#9. Invertebrate Portrait – Winner: "Good Boy" by Laurent Hesemans
"A moth (Bombycidae sp.) in Tinamaste, Costa Rica."
#10. Intimate Landscape – Winner: "Dreamy State" by Sho Hoshino
"A tree covered with rime ice in Nagano Prefecture, Japan."
#11. Studio Art – Winner: "Copper Works" by Paul Kenny
"A copper plate distressed and oxidised by everyday household materials."
In Summary
Who is Rithved Girish?
Rithved Girish is a 14-year-old Indian photographer from Kerala who specializes in close-up and nature photography.
Which award did Rithved Girish win?
He won the Young Close-up Photographer of the Year award at the Close-up Photographer of the Year competition.
What is his winning photograph about?
The image shows a stingless bee nest with guard bees protecting the hive’s tube-shaped entrance.
What is Close-up Photographer of the Year?
It is an international photography competition based in the UK, focused on macro, micro, and close-up imagery.
Who won the overall competition in this edition?
Australian photographer Ross Gudgeon won the grand prize for his underwater image Fractal Forest.
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