Name: Nathan Benstead
Picture title: Hemitrichia calyculata
Category: Young CUPOTY (U18)
Nationality: British
Age: 17

Nathan:
‘I was walking through my local woodland, inspecting rotten logs and sticks last winter, when I came across a log covered in slime mould fruiting bodies or sporangia. I set up my camera gear and focused on a small cluster amongst the moss.’

Technical information:
Sony a7rIV
Laowa 100mm f2.8
1/200, f/8, ISO200
Accessories: Yongnuo YN560iii flash with a diffuser, Rollei tripod with NISI NM-180 focusing rail.
Post processing: Stacked in Helicon Focus. Basic adjustments in Lightroom, cropped. Sharpened with Topaz Gigapixel AI.

Website: www.nathanbphotography.com
Instagram: nature.magnified
Twitter: NathanBenstead