‘I don’t feel so bad stepping on them anymore’
A photographer has won a prize in a Nikon photography for an incredible but slightly horrifying picture of an ant’s face.
Lithuanian photographer Eugenijus Kavaliauskas won the 2022 Nikon Small World Photomicrography Competition, which celebrates microscopic photography.
He explained to Insider that because he lives next to a forest, it was easier for him to capture and photograph the ant whose face ended up being presented in stunning detail.
The ant’s face has been magnified five times under a microscope and we’re going to hazard a guess that, whatever you imagined an ant’s face looked like, it probably wasn’t this.
Although some of you may be pretty freaked out by the image, Kavaliauskas, doesn’t think there is anything to be shocked by.
He said: “There are no horrors in nature.
“I’m always looking for details, shadows, and unseen corners. The main goal of photography is to be a discoverer.
“I am fascinated by the Creator’s masterpieces and the opportunity to see God’s designs.”
This is an ants face. Nikon's 2022 Photomicrography Competition yielded some pretty phenomenal shots but this one stood out for obvious reasons…https://t.co/PmIUyXRe5X pic.twitter.com/oWi5SBtAG4
— Sarah Katilyn (@Sarah_Katilyn) October 19, 2022
Kavaliauskas’ photo caused a stir on Twitter, with people freaking out about how the ant’s face looks.
One person said it was like a horror movie version of Ant-Man, whilst another said it is “crazy how unsettling the right angles can make something.”
Another had some insight to give on the picture, explaining: “When you realize its eyes are where the arrow is pointed, you can see it looks more like an actual ant. The red circles under the antenna are not its eyes. Not as creepy as it appears.”
When you realize it's eyes are where the arrow is pointed, you can see it looks more like an actual ant. The red circles under the antenna are not it's eyes. Not as creepy as it appears 😂 pic.twitter.com/Neea68C0FH
— Deadchamber (@Deadchamber19) October 21, 2022
And a fourth simply said: “I don’t feel so bad stepping on them anymore.”
Kavaliauskas didn’t win first prize at the annual competition that’s been running for 48 years.
That honour was afforded to Grigorii Timin and Michel Milinkovitch from the University of Geneva, who shared a close-up of a gecko’s foot.
The company received some 1,300 entries to its 2022 competition, and announced the winners last week.
For his photo, Kavaliauskas received a Nikon retail item with a value of $35.
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