We don't really look at insects that carefully. In fact, sometimes we try our hardest not to look at them at all. One glimpse of all those legs, and most of us are out of there!
But what if we got over our squeamishness and really looked at how bugs are put together, we would be amazed. After all, the tiny creatures that make up a huge number of the planet's life forms are actually pretty fascinating.
With shimmering wings, iridescent exoskeletons, and all kinds of machine-like joints and parts, it's amazing when you consider how tiny they really are!
Photographer Levon Biss thinks so, too. Hailing from London, Biss' specialty is actually sports photography, but he became fascinated with the insect world when his son began bringing in bugs from the backyard.
And he was amazed to see how many strange, almost alien forms they took. Insects can get pretty weird, after all, like the fluffy white planthopper that looks more like a toy than an actual animal.
So he decided to put his photography skills to good use and started a series called Microsculpture, which features extreme close-ups of insects.
Check it out below and see what bugs really look like!
[H/T: Colossal]
When his son started bringing in bugs from the backyard, commercial photographer Levon Biss found himself fascinated by their shiny, metallic, almost alien-like bodies.
So naturally, he took out his camera.
From there, his interest only grew, and soon, he found himself photographing specimens at the Oxford University Museum of Natural History.
Biss combed the museum's collection of insects, carefully selecting the ones whose colors would work best against the black backgrounds.
In all, he only ended up photographing a very small portion of the insect collection.
And these aren't single snapshots, either.
To get each part of the insect in perfect clarity, Biss photographs the insects in sections, changing the lighting and the focus each time.
In all, Biss has about 30 separate photos for each insect, selected after taking literally thousands of shots, and then digitally combined them into the complete image.
And between shots, Biss would move his camera only 10 microns to the next section of the insect's body.
That's 1/7th the width of a human hair! In all, it took Biss two weeks to create just one of these images.
Currently, the prints of these images are being displayed at the Oxford University Museum of Natural History next to the actual specimens, which are quite a bit smaller!
While you might not want to encounter some of these in your house, they're really quite stunning.
And because they've been blown up to such a large size, they almost don't look like insects anymore, so you can appreciate them even if bugs freak you out!
And they also let you see what is normally too small to make out, like the incredible detail of the insects.
From the lacy veins in the wings to the incredible shimmering color, these humble bugs suddenly become beautiful.
And while his work typically deals with subjects on the human scale, this series shows that it pays to look at the small things, too.
You can see more of Biss' work on his website, as well as on Behance and Facebook.
Be sure to check out the Microsculpture website, too, where you can zoom way in on the insects and see all kinds of amazing detail.
If you know anyone looking to appreciate bugs a little more, SHARE these amazing photos with them!
