cizucu Presents: 'Zoom In' Award Announcement | Challenge #352

'Zoom In' is a global online photography contest organized by cizucu, open to all creators registered on cizucu. Outstanding works are curated from the submissions, aiming to discover new talent through the platform and to support the community as a whole.

This edition’s theme was ‘Zoom’.

Zoom is not merely a function to enlarge your subject. The details and textures revealed by getting closer, as well as the negative space and atmosphere created by pulling back, both reflect your artistic intent.
Depending on the distance you choose to frame your subject, even the same place or motif can evoke entirely different narratives.

There is no single correct answer in art. Many remarkable works were submitted, each born from the unique ways you chose to approach or distance yourself from your subject.

Now, let us introduce the submissions and the awarded works.

はくらく
Setting off into the unknown once again

📷 OLYMPUS CORPORATION E-M1MarkII

cizucu Editorial Team
This image captures the microcosmic world of ants. While we can only imagine what kind of world ants perceive, it is certain that, even without knowing the vast world we see, they possess a wealth of knowledge within their own small universe. This photograph gives us the sensation of diving into the world of ants.

Master vision

cizucu Editorial Team
This is a photograph of a kettle and a glass cup. While the context is not entirely clear from the image alone, perhaps it was taken during an outdoor activity. The well-used, soot-stained kettle and cup under the blue sky evoke various stories. By zooming in, the amount of information within the frame may be reduced, but this very negative space stimulates the viewer’s imagination.

sasuke
Lime Non-Alcoholic Cocktail

📷 Sony Xperia 1 Ⅳ SOG13

cizucu Editorial Team
This is a close-up of a cut lime submerged in a glass. Focusing on the lime inside the cocktail and capturing it in such a zoomed-in manner is both fresh and intriguing. The aroma, bubbles, and golden hue of the drink are all highlighted. The novel perspective draws the viewer’s attention and demonstrates the beauty of capturing details that are often overlooked.

jelly white

📷 RICOH GR IIIx

cizucu Editorial Team
This is a zoomed-in portrait of a reptile’s face, distinguished by its striking eye. The rough texture and wrinkles of the reptilian skin, as well as the captivating gaze, are captured in their rawest form. The lighting and the close-up composition evoke the majesty and untouchable presence of a dinosaur, highlighting the unique allure of reptiles.

けいた
The Guardian of Order on the Road

📷 NIKON Z f

cizucu Editorial Team
This photograph features an unremarkable traffic light. While it blends into our daily lives and is rarely the subject of a camera, the decision to spotlight such an ordinary object as the main subject conveys a strong sense of intent. As the caption suggests, traffic lights establish rules on the road and protect us from behind the scenes. This image demonstrates how a familiar scene can be transformed into a new perspective through the artist’s vision—a testament to remarkable sensibility.

雷道輝一

📷 OM Digital Solutions OM-1MarkII

cizucu Editorial Team
This photograph captures droplets on a leaf, evoking the laws of nature from various perspectives. Even in microcosms untouched by humans, the same physical laws govern the world. Surface tension, light reflection, and other elements lend a slightly fantastical quality to this image. Within each droplet, a tiny world is reflected, as if each one contains a separate universe. By peering through the lens into a microscopic world invisible to the naked eye, we may discover something magical.

We hope you enjoyed this feature.
Shooting with a zoom lens offers a variety of effects. It allows us to peer into worlds invisible to the naked eye, sometimes making us feel as if we have become inhabitants of those realms. Zooming in can also reduce the amount of information within the frame, paradoxically creating more negative space.
By reconsidering 'what to capture and how to express it' from the perspective of zoom, you may discover new possibilities in each work.

Even the works not featured here possess their own unique perspectives and beauty. We encourage you to explore them as well.
Surely, you will find an image that sparks your inspiration.