Cockchafer Curiosity – Groene Camera 2025: Nature photo of the year
Against a bright, high-key sky, a male Cockchafer (Melolontha melolontha) displays its magnificent, fan-like antennae. Captured in May 2024 in the Amsterdamse Waterleidingduinen, The Netherlands, this image is a play on perspective. I found the beetle perched naturally on a branch. To create this "aerial" viewpoint without disturbing the insect, I held grass blades upside-down above it and then rotated the final image 180 degrees. This creative composition highlights the insect’s impressive sensory organs, where the seven "leaves" of the antennae are fanned out to detect female pheromones. The result is a clean, minimalist aesthetic that isolates the subject in the wild.
Groene Camera · Natuurfoto van het Jaar · 2025