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GB · Nominal entry · 2026 · verified

Close-up Photographer of the Year 8 (CUPOTY) 2026

Close-up Photographer of the Year cupoty.com ↗

Closed
Top prize $3.2K grand prize
Fee Nominal from 22 GBP
AI policy No AI RAW required, no edits
Categories 5 5 single · 0 portfolio

Worth entering? $3.2K top prize against 22 GBP per entry. The jury read and the rights terms below are what decide it — not the prize math. Jury read ↓ · Rights & disqualifiers ↓

Submit-Safe · before you pay the entry fee Read the fine print

Read the fine print first — Close-up Photographer of the Year 8 (CUPOTY) 2026 has 3 hard disqualifiers and demanding rights terms.

What this contest takes

Standard terms — you keep copyright and full control; the licence is limited to promoting the contest.

  • Non-exclusive licence for CUPOTY to use entered images to promote the competition, the annual book, and the exhibition, with credit.
  • Duration: Promotional use around the competition cycle.
  • You keep your copyright
  • Credited when used

What disqualifies you

AI-generated or AI-rendered content is disqualified — and RAW files can be demanded to prove it.

  • Copyright ownership Entrant must be the photographer and copyright holder. “Entries must be the entrant's own work.”
  • Ai generation Generative AI cannot be used to create the image, add elements, or extend the background. The image must start from a photograph. “The image must start from a photograph. Generative AI cannot be used to create an image, add anything to it, or extend the background.”
Closed From 22 GBP per image Upload spec: Files: JPGMin 1200px long edgeUnder 10 MBsRGB colour profileCaption requiredNo watermarks
Check your photo against these exact rules — free → No account · reads the editing line, the AI clause and the file spec · rules human-verified
№ 02 · The editorial read

What this jury looks for

A specialist macro and close-up jury. Rewards technical mastery of magnification, focus and light in service of a subject seen anew — not gear for its own sake. Focus stacking, HDR, stitched panoramas and in-camera multiple exposure are permitted; element removal and generative AI are not (outside the separate Studio Art category). Stated…

The full editorial read continues with past-winner pattern, fee-to-prize value, rights translated, and three comparable competitions. Studio reads the rest.

See Studio — €11/mo → Or one-shot read for €14 →

Categories

Animals

Single

Close-up and macro studies of animals.

Insects

Single

Insect subjects at close range.

Plants & Fungi

Single

Botanical and fungal close-up work.

Intimate Landscape

Single

Small scenes — the landscape at close range.

Micro

Single

Microscope and extreme-magnification imagery.

F Format requirements 1 spec

cupoty_standard

  • File types: jpg
  • Min long edge: 1200px
  • Min size: 0.5 MB
  • Max size: 10.0 MB
  • Color profile: sRGB
  • No watermarks
  • Caption required (max 500 chars)
E Eligibility 2 rules
  • Entrant must be the photographer and copyright holder. hard

    “Entries must be the entrant's own work.”

  • Generative AI cannot be used to create the image, add elements, or extend the background. The image must start from a photograph. hard

    “The image must start from a photograph. Generative AI cannot be used to create an image, add anything to it, or extend the background.”

Jury context

A specialist macro and close-up jury. Rewards technical mastery of magnification, focus and light in service of a subject seen anew — not gear for its own sake. Focus stacking, HDR, stitched panoramas and in-camera multiple exposure are permitted; element removal and generative AI are not (outside the separate Studio Art category).

Priorities: subject revelation technical mastery light composition originality

Tone: magnification precision patience natural history intimate

Avoid: generative cloned oversharpened cliched gear flex

Prizes

Overall winner receives £2,500 plus the CUPOTY title; category and Young CUPOTY winners recognised. Winning and shortlisted images are published in the annual collection and exhibited.

Exhibition Publication

R Rights & licensing what you grant the organizer
What you grant
Non-exclusive licence for CUPOTY to use entered images to promote the competition, the annual book, and the exhibition, with credit.
Duration
Promotional use around the competition cycle.
Exclusivity
none
Attribution
Required
Copyright retained by photographer
Yes

Before you enter — quick answers

Is Close-up Photographer of the Year 8 (CUPOTY) 2026 free to enter?
Close-up Photographer of the Year 8 (CUPOTY) 2026 is not free: 22 GBP. Check the organizer's page for per-category pricing.
Are AI-generated images allowed in Close-up Photographer of the Year 8 (CUPOTY) 2026?
No. Close-up Photographer of the Year 8 (CUPOTY) 2026 does not permit AI-generated images — entries must be photographs, and AI image generators are prohibited.
When is the Close-up Photographer of the Year 8 (CUPOTY) 2026 deadline?
Close-up Photographer of the Year 8 (CUPOTY) 2026 closes on Jul 12, 2026.
How do I know if my photo is eligible for Close-up Photographer of the Year 8 (CUPOTY) 2026?
Read your photograph against Close-up Photographer of the Year 8 (CUPOTY) 2026's published rules — the editing line, the AI clause, and the file requirements — free and without an account with WinPhoto's eligibility check. It tells you whether your image is eligible before you pay the entry fee.