Plants and Fungi
Category Winner
Pieter Egelmeers (1)
Bergen op Zoom (North Brabant)
400mm; 1/30s at f/5.6; ISO 800
This photo was taken along a forest path in the De Zurenhoek Nature Reserve. I stopped because of the large number of flies on this stinkhorn. The photo was taken with a telephoto lens, with my camera resting on the ground among the autumn leaves. This created a beautifully blurred foreground that blended harmoniously with the background.
Runner-up
Jan Linskens (2)
Smakterveld (Limburg)
105mm; 1/400s at f/2.8; ISO 400
I took this photo of sundew in a field near my home—a true paradise for my macro photography. I aimed to capture its shape, colours, and light while making the drops of 'dew' stand out even more. We all know this little plant, but perhaps not quite like this.
Honourable Mentions
Erik Nevels (3)
Swalmen (Limburg)
200mm; 1/5s at f/14; ISO 100
This photo was taken near the small river Swalm. The fallen leaf immediately caught my eye due to its light green color and thick dewdrops. It reminded me of the pattern of a topographic map. Using a tripod, I composed the shot to highlight both the droplets and the leaf’s veins. A small aperture and a bit more distance were needed to achieve sufficient depth of field.
Sandra Hendrikse (4)
Berkenbosch Estate (Zeeland)
50mm; 0,6s at f/18; ISO 200
The birch is easily recognizable by its distinctive white, leathery, and peeling bark. However, the bark is not always purely white—darker shades also appear. Up close, it is usually light in color, sometimes revealing a surprising variety of hues. The bark continuously renews itself, with the old layer peeling away from the trunk in horizontal strips.
Michel Lucas (5)
Savelsbos Nature Reserve (Limburg)
49mm; 1/6s at f/16; ISO 400
In spring 2024, I visited the Savelsbos Nature Reserve to shoot landscape photos, with the blooming wild garlic playing a key role. Unfortunately, the conditions weren’t ideal for wide landscapes—there was no fog, no atmospheric effect. So I shifted my focus to close-ups. These four fern leaves were fresh and in perfect condition, standing out beautifully against the evenly spaced wild garlic flowers.
Edwin Rem (6)
De Hors Nature Reserve (North Holland)
343mm; 1/1250s at f/5.6; ISO 400
The southern tip of Texel is a vast, dynamic area of active dune formation. While wandering through this landscape, I noticed a seed that had germinated on a sand ridge. Constantly shaped by the wind, the tiny seedling was balancing on the edge of a small precipice. I waited for the wind to blow some grains of sand into the frame to add more movement to the scene.
Jeanett van der Knijff (7)
Delft (South Holland)
135mm; 1/40s at f/10; ISO 400
This photo was taken on a winter day in the Abtwoud Forest, where a thin layer of frost covered the ground and vegetation. Among the plants were cleavers, their tiny hooks glowing like white dots through the hoarfrost. The tangle of seedlings, stems, and leaves, combined with the frost, created an intriguing pattern. Thanks to the telephoto lens, the image appeared ‘flattened,’ emphasizing structures, patterns, and lines even more.
