Life Under Dead Wood
The subjects are millimetres across. A springtail is a tiny soil arthropod; slime mould fruiting bodies are the stalked structures a colony raises when it reproduces. Both live under rotting wood, and neither holds still for a photographer.
At that magnification a lens can hold almost nothing in focus at once, so the image was built by focus stacking: 36 frames, each sharp in a different plane, combined into one picture with depth the optics cannot produce on their own. The technical demand is that nothing in the scene may move between frames.
The judges
Kathy Moran, on the jury, put the assessment plainly: to see a macro image of two species photographed on the forest floor, with such skill, is exceptional. The competition is judged anonymously by an international panel, on originality, narrative, technical excellence and ethical practice.
Anonymity matters in a competition that attracts professionals. The jury did not know it was awarding a teenager, which is the strongest thing that can be said about the picture: it won on its own terms, against entrants three times his age, on originality and craft rather than on the story behind it.
59,228 entries
The sixtieth competition drew a record 59,228 entries from 117 countries and territories. One hundred awarded images went into the touring exhibition; the overall title went to the Canadian photographer Shane Gross for The Swarm of Life, an image of western toad tadpoles in Cedar Lake, Vancouver Island.
Those numbers are the context for a category win. The Wildlife Photographer of the Year is the most competitive prize in the field, and its young categories are judged against the same criteria as the adult ones rather than on a softer scale.
Who he is
The museum identifies his nationality as German. Greek City Times covered the win from the other side of his background, reporting on 9 October 2024 on a young photographer of Greek descent. The research record adds that he took up macro photography during lockdown.
That detail, if it holds, explains a good deal. Macro work on the forest floor is the one branch of wildlife photography that can be practised entirely within walking distance of home, and it rewards patience over travel budget. A teenager with a macro lens and a piece of rotting wood is competing on equal terms with photographers who spent a season in the Arctic.
What is documented — and what is not
Documented by the Natural History Museum: the category win, the title of the image, its subjects, the 36-frame focus stack, the judge's comment, the competition's scale and the overall winner.
Not documented in these sources: his exact age within the 15-17 bracket, his birth year, his home city, his equipment, and anything he has done since October 2024. The lockdown origin story comes from the research record rather than from the museum's announcement.
| Person | Country | Milestone | Age / Stat |
|---|---|---|---|
| P. Karthik | India | Winner, Doodle 4 Google India 2015, aged 9 | Age 9 |
| Elisabeth Anisimow | United States | Living paintings sold at 11 for $2,500-$5,000 each | Age 11 |
| Carmel Bechler | Israel | Young Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2023 | Age 16 |
| Andrea Dominizi | Italy | A beetle in the corner of the frame, logging machinery behind it, and a wo | Age 17 |
| Alexis Tinker-Tsavalas | Germany | Winning Young Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2024 | — |
What is documented — and what is not
✓ Documented
- He won the 15-17 category of Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2024 with Life Under Dead Wood.
- The image combines 36 focus-stacked frames of a springtail and slime mould fruiting bodies.
- The competition received a record 59,228 entries from 117 countries and is judged anonymously.
- Kathy Moran described the image as exceptional.
? Unverified, disputed or wrong
- His exact age and birth year.
- His home city and camera equipment.
- Whether he began macro photography during lockdown, which the museum announcement does not state.
- What he has photographed or won since October 2024.
Questions people ask about Alexis Tinker-Tsavalas
What did Alexis Tinker-Tsavalas win?
The 15-17 age category of Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2024, announced by London's Natural History Museum on 8 October 2024.
What is the photograph of?
The fruiting bodies of a slime mould and a springtail, photographed together on the forest floor. The image is called Life Under Dead Wood.
How was the image made?
By focus stacking 36 separate frames, each focused on a different plane, into a single picture with depth that macro optics cannot achieve in one exposure.
How old is Alexis Tinker-Tsavalas?
He competed in the 15-17 category in 2024. The sources used here do not give his exact age or birth year.
Is he Greek or German?
The Natural History Museum gives his nationality as German. Greek City Times covered the win as a story about a photographer of Greek descent.
How big is the competition?
The sixtieth edition drew a record 59,228 entries from 117 countries and territories, judged anonymously by an international panel.
Who won the overall 2024 title?
Shane Gross of Canada, for The Swarm of Life, showing western toad tadpoles in Cedar Lake, Vancouver Island.
What did the judges say?
Kathy Moran said that to see a macro image of two species photographed on the forest floor, with such skill, is exceptional.
Quick quiz: how well do you know Alexis’s story?
How many frames were stacked to make Life Under Dead Wood?
What two organisms appear in the image?
How many entries did the 2024 competition receive?
Sources
- The Swarm of Life: Shane Gross wins Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2024 — Natural History Museum, 2024-10-08
- Young Photographer Alexis Tinker-Tsavalas Wins Prestigious Wildlife Award — Greek City Times, 2024-10-09
- Incredible Winners of the 2024 Wildlife Photographer of the Year Contest — My Modern Met, 2024-10-01
Checked by the Geniuses.club editorial team. Ages are given as of September 2026.
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