Caught in the Headlights Print

So much is unexpected in this bold, colourful image, including that it was taken on a pedestrian bridge in Ibbenbüren, Germany.

Caught in the Headlights by Simone Baumeister won the Wildlife Photographer of the Year Natural Artistry 2025 award and features on the front cover of the Highlights book which accompanies our annual exhibition.

To achieve this kaleidoscopic effect, Simone reversed one of the six glass elements in an analogue lens. This distorted the image at the edges while leaving the centre sharply focused. She then cropped the picture to move the spider slightly off-centre.

In urban environments, orb weaver spiders often spin webs near artificial lights that attract insects at night. The web acts as an extension of their sense organ, gathering sound and transmitting vibrations, including those of prey, to their legs.