With all of the CGI and masterful photo editing technology that exists in today’s world, people often forget that the strangest, scariest, and most mystifying designs can be found literally in our own backyard.
Take, for example, a recent viral photo of an ant. Yes, an ant. Those tiny insects you don’t even really think about anymore.
Lithuanian wildlife photographer Eugenijus Kavaliauskas submitted his harrowing image for the 48th annual Nikon Small World Photomicrography Competition. Nikon describes the competition as a way to “recognize and applaud the efforts of those involved with photography through light microscope.”
Nikon actually touts the competition as “the leading showcase for photomicrographers from the widest array of scientific disciplines.”
Kavaliauskas’s photo instantly garnered attention, and it’s easy to see why:
Trending:
Nope, it’s not a Halloween mask. This handsome fella is actually just a humble ant as seen under a microscope.
The image was recently awarded an “Image of Distinction” in this year’s Nikon’s Small World Competition.
Image credit: Eugenijus Kavaliauskas/Nikon Small World pic.twitter.com/zSVmc3pjJq
— IFLScience (@IFLScience) October 21, 2022
Shockingly, the photo of the ant didn’t even crack the top 20 or Honorable Mention of the competition, despite easily being the most viral photo to come out of it. (First place went to the photographer who captured an image of the embryonic hand of a Madagascar giant day gecko. So, clearly, the competition was stiff.)
However, it was considered one of the “Images of Distinction,” so the ant photo didn’t go without any recognition.
Do you like insects?
But Kavaliauskas didn’t seem particularly bothered about the lack of winning. No, Kavaliauskas seems to work in photography to be closer to God’s masterpieces.
“The main goal of photography is to be a discoverer,” Kavaliauskas told Insider. “I am fascinated by the Creator’s masterpieces and the opportunity to see God’s designs.”
You can see plenty of God’s other creative beauties on the competition’s official site, but here are some incredible photos that were also a part of the Nikon competition.
Here’s a Daddy Long Legs practically posing for a shoot:
Strike a pose! This charming specimen won 4th place in this year’s #NikonSmallWorld competition.https://t.co/b1euOKjrK2
Photo Cred: Dr. Andrew Posselt pic.twitter.com/Ryahq1HSPB
— Nikon Small World (@NikonSmallWorld) October 17, 2022
Here’s a particularly violent one of a tiger beetle crushing the skull of an unlucky fly:
We should be glad tiger beetles are a lot smaller than we are. One winning photo of the @NikonSmallWorld contest shows an unlucky fly caught in a tiger beetle’s jaws.
https://t.co/Q4486tJKq7 pic.twitter.com/2FZ6ZmhxMr— Science News (@ScienceNews) October 17, 2022
And here are some throat lozenges (they’re actually moth eggs):
A stack of moth eggs, beautifully captured by Ye Fei Zhang, won 11th place in this year’s #NikonSmallWorld competition. https://t.co/mMgc3DZzBL
Photo Cred: Ye Fei Zhang pic.twitter.com/2bqIgGno4q
— Nikon Small World (@NikonSmallWorld) October 19, 2022
Again, and this can’t be stressed enough, none of the above images were created by a massive film studio like Marvel with an unlimited budget for computer-generated imagery.
Speaking of Marvel, “Guardians of the Galaxy” director James Gunn took to Twitter to make an important distinction about the viral photo, and it’s a distinction worth mentioning.
The viral photo showcases what appears to be sinister-looking eyes, but they are, in fact, the ant’s antennae. You actually don’t see the ant’s eyes or open mandible in the viral photo.
A couple days ago people flipped out on the horrifying face of an ant (left, the prize-winning photography of Eugenijus Kavaliauskas), but it’s mostly because the antennae look like eyes. The full ant face (right) isn’t nearly as horror-film worthy (at least I don’t think so) ? pic.twitter.com/v3FUAx6S99
— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) October 22, 2022
The picture on the right shows you a much less zoomed-in (but no less creepy) picture of where the ant’s eyes actually are. In a weird way, the viral photo appears to be a close-up of what would amount to the ant’s “nose.”
But ant anatomy notwithstanding, Kavaliauskas’ photo is still an incredible glimpse at the meticulous crafting that God put into His work when creating life. Kavaliauskas may not have won the competition, but if the mission was to gain a better appreciation and understanding of God’s works?
Mission accomplished.
