Arthropods and Invertebrates
Category and Overall Winner
Alex Pansier (1)
Amsterdamse Waterleidingduinen Nature Reserve (North Holland)
90mm; 1/250s at f/11; ISO 3200
This photo shows a male cockchafer with its beautiful, fan-like antennae against a crisp, white sky. The delicate structure of each antenna branch is perfectly visible. For this particular perspective, the grass in the foreground was placed upside down above the cockchafer. The photo was then rotated, creating the illusion of the beetle entering the photo from above.
Runner-up
Sophie Mijnhout (2)
Dalfsen (Overijssel)
100mm; 1/60s at f/14; ISO 100
A fly and a wasp hang together, tightly wrapped in the web of a cross spider, serving as a food supply for later. I was struck by the fly's eye, which seemed to look at me helplessly through the spider's threads. With this macro photo, I aimed to capture both the poignant fate of the prey and the spider's ingenious hunting technique.
Honourable Mentions
Simon Hazenberg (3)
Nijmegen (Gelderland)
100mm; 1/6s at f/8; ISO 400
With their distinct wing pattern, agate butterflies usually stand out, but with the right background, they are impressively camouflaged, as seen in this photo. I found the butterfly during an evening walk in the Javabosje, in the heart of the city. To avoid motion blur, I took the photo with a tripod.
Marijn Heuts (4)
Terschelling (Friesland)
113mm; 1/160s at f/14; ISO 400
On a hot summer day, many compass jellyfish had washed up on the North Sea side of Terschelling, some in better condition than others, but all with a beautiful orange-red pattern. This specimen was the most striking, with a neat striped 'pyjama' and perfectly draped tentacles. Zooming in allowed me to optimise the tessellation.
Robert Blanken (5)
Loon (Drenthe)
105mm; 1/30s at f/6.3; ISO 100
This mayfly is submerged in seepage water, where a colourful biofilm forms under the right conditions. Insects often drown here, possibly because they do not recognise the water beneath the biofilm. A focus stack was created for maximum sharpness, merged with ZyreneStacker. A colourful death after a short life.
Sophie Mijnhout (6)
Dalfsen (Overijssel)
100mm; 1/60s at f/9; ISO 400
A long-legged mosquito was sitting on the outside of the kitchen door window. My attention was drawn to the insect's reflections in the double glazing. By converting the photo to black and white, I aimed to create a mysterious, ghostly image, emphasising the tangle of legs and the rhythm of repetition.
Robert Blanken (7)
Bakkeveen (Friesland)
180mm; 1/2500s at f/4.8; ISO 360
This photo of a spider in its web was taken in the woods near Slotplaats Estate. The web was in a dead branch, which spiders prefer to use as it prevents the web from blowing apart easily. Bright sunlight acted as a backlight. The colours in the threads of the web, created by the refraction of sunlight, are reminiscent of tiny rainbows.
