The snapshot of an ant’s face, magnified five times under a microscope, was submitted to the 2022 Nikon Small World Photomicrography Competition by Lithuanian wildlife photographer Eugenijus Kavaliauskas. The competition celebrates the art of microscope photography, which allows people to capture details the human eye cannot see.

Kavaliauskas’ submission was one of the 57 selected “Images of Distinction.”

Kavaliauskas has won other photography awards for his snapshots of birds of prey, according to his portfolio.

Kavaliauskas told Insider he lives near a forest, which made it easy for him to catch an ant.

“But it’s boring to take a photo of an ant, running banally, on the ground,” Kavaliauskas said. And so he put the ant under a microscope, and took snapshots.

“I’m always looking for details, shadows, and unseen corners. The main goal of photography is to be a discoverer,” Kavaliauskas said. “I am fascinated by the Creator’s masterpieces and the opportunity to see God’s designs.”

In response to questions about what the ant looked like under the microscope, Kavaliauskas said “there are no horrors in nature.”

“When I first started with microphotography, I, too, thought all beetles looked a little like monsters,” he said. “But now, I’ve gotten used to it, and am surprised that there are so many interesting, beautiful, and unknown miracles under our feet.”

While striking, the image did not clinch the contest’s top prize. For his photo of the ant, Kavaliauskas won one Nikon item with a retail value of $35.

Source: Insider