August 2025 Competition - Close-up / Macro

[Tim Mayo]

Our August monthly competition is now open for entries.

Please Include Metadata with Images Submitted. The Creation Date Restriction is No Longer

Theme
For this month our theme will be Close-up / Macro. Hopefully this theme is fairly self-explanatory but you will find plenty of inspiration in our Close-up / Macro Gallery.

Competition Dates
Entries start: The date that this post is published.
Entries end: August 21st at 3am Eastern Time (9am GMT)
Voting starts: August 21st at 3am Eastern Time (9am GMT)
Voting ends: August 28th at 3am Eastern Time (9am GMT)

Shot Taken Date
Images can be taken anytime, there is no restriction like we had in 2024 for images to be taken in the current or previous two months.

What Do I Get if I Win?
I'm afraid now it's just the joy of taking park, but I will look into adding a special profile banner to winners profiles. In the past there have been vouchers for 1st and 2nd places, but we want to try and encourage people to enter without dangling a voucher code in front of them.

How to Enter + Rules

1. Post your entries in this thread by scrolling down to the reply box then hitting the 'upload images' button. Insert image as full not thumbnail.
2. Sony cameras only.
3. Camera metadata must be included in the images to verify.
4. Only one photo entry per member.
5. Keep the photos clean and family friendly.
6. Please don't use sky replacements or AI image generation.
7. You are free to change you image during the entry period.
8. Not essential but it would be nice if you added a little background information on your entry.

How to Vote (when voting opens)

1. Use the vote button (up arrow) to the right of the post (below post on mobile) to vote up images that you like
2. You can vote on as many images as you like apart from your own

Themes for 2025
Our themes for the year have already been decided to give you a heads-up on what's coming next.

• Jan: Black & White
• Feb: Natural World and Wildlife
• Mar: Creative
• Apr: Action
• May: Mechanized Machines
• Jun: Land and City Scapes
• Jul: At Home
• August: Close Up / Macro
• Sep: Long Exposure
• Oct: Street
• Nov: After Dark
• Dec: Your Favorite Shot of 2025

Feedback
I'd really appreciate feedback about how the competition is running but please don't post it in this thread. Instead please post any feedback in this thread in the Feedback Forum.

Thank you for participating and good luck!

Tim

 

[Tim Mayo]

Please note the rules folks:

1. Sony cameras only.
2. Camera metadata must be included in the images to verify.
3. Only one photo entry per member.
4. Keep the photos clean and family friendly.
5. Please don't use sky replacements or AI image generation.
6. You are free to change you image during the entry period.
7. There is no date restriction like we had last year.

Thank you!

 

[WeeMalky]

• ILCE-7CM2
• FE 70-200mm F4 Macro G OSS II
• 128.0 mm
• ƒ/4
• 1/500 sec
• ISO 320

 

[Alan Clark]

• E 150-500mm F5-6.7 A057
• 500.0 mm
• ƒ/7.0999999046326
• 1/8000 sec
• ISO 12800

 

[Uncle Kevriano]

A Sallow Kitten Moth. One of the most beautiful moths that we see in the UK, and the first ever to come to my overnight traps. The colours and patterns are extraordinary.

• ILCE-7RM4
• FE 90mm F2.8 Macro G OSS
• 90.0 mm
• ƒ/18
• 1/250 sec
• ISO 500

 

[evacguy]

A Meadow Brown butterfly stuffing its face into a Rudbeckia, eyeballs deep.

• ILCE-7M4
• FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM II
• 70.0 mm
• ƒ/6.3
• 1/100 sec
• ISO 100

 

[Tinopener]

Superfly ....

• SLT-A77V
• 105.0 mm
• ƒ/3.2
• 1/200 sec
• ISO 200

 

[ronhrad]

actually walt whitman is right: every cubic inch of earth is a miracle
(dxo photolab, nik color efex)

• ILCE-7RM3
• FE 90mm F2.8 Macro G OSS
• 90.0 mm
• ƒ/16
• 1/400 sec
• ISO 800

 

[FowlersFreeTime]

Sometimes, when sitting under a tree, you'll be surprised when you look up...

• Sony E 30mm f/3.5 Macro
• 30.0 mm
• ƒ/8
• 1/250 sec
• ISO 640

 

[Bob Hurst]

• ILCE-7RM4
• FE 90mm F2.8 Macro G OSS
• 90.0 mm
• ƒ/18
• 1/200 sec
• ISO 100

Clouded Skipper on Salvia Blossom
Bob Jones Nature Center
Southlake, Texas
8-1-2025

Sony a7RIV + Sony 90mm Macro + Flashpoint RF-400 Ringflash
90mm, f/18, 1/200, ISO-100, Handheld

 

[reneegw]

• ILCE-7RM5
• FE 90mm F2.8 Macro G OSS
• 90.0 mm
• ƒ/6.3
• 1/250 sec
• ISO 800