The image that has caused some internet users to exclaim “creepy” is actually a highly magnified close-up of an ant, which won an award in a famous photography competition.
The creature’s face in the photo features red eyes and what appear to be golden fangs. This image has attracted the attention of many online users, with some claiming it is too “creepy.”
Close-up of an ant. (Photo: Eugenijus Kavaliauskas).
“Is this an image from a horror movie? No. It’s the real face of an ant. Just an ant. From now on, you will think about it all night,” wrote one internet user when sharing the photo.
“Now imagine they are giant ants,” another user commented.
This close-up image of an ant was taken by Lithuanian wildlife photographer Eugenijus Kavaliauskas, magnified five times under a microscope, according to CNN.
Photographer Kavaliauskas won an award in the Nikon Small World photography competition for the 17th time, which honors the art of microscope photography, thanks to the uniqueness of this image, according to NDTV.
Kavaliauskas was previously a bird photographer before he transitioned to capturing insects. In taking this photograph, he used reflected light to capture the ant up close, showcasing its dark red eyes and an expression that seems angry.
His work was one of 57 “Images of Distinction” selected this year. While it garnered attention from internet users, the ant’s face photo won only a minor award, with a prize of a Nikon item worth $35.
Meanwhile, the highest award of this year’s competition went to a photo of the hand of a Madagascar chameleon embryo taken by authors Grigorii Timin and Michel Milinkovitch from the University of Geneva (Switzerland).
The winning photo in the Nikon Small World competition this year showcased the mesmerizing beauty beneath the developing scales on the forelimb of a Madagascar chameleon embryo. Interestingly, this image was stitched together from hundreds of other photos taken over two days using a confocal microscope.
The hand of a Madagascar chameleon embryo that won first place in the Nikon Small World 2022. (Photo: Grigorii Timin).
“By skillfully combining imaging technology and artistic creativity, Timin used high-resolution microscopy to capture this day gecko species, Phelsuma grandis,” Nikon stated.
Launched in 1975, Nikon Small World is considered the world’s leading photography forum for showcasing the beauty of life at the microscopic level through the lens of a microscope, according to the Independent.
The competition is held annually, attracting thousands of participants from around the globe, including biologists, professional photographers, and amateur photography enthusiasts. This year’s competition received over 1,300 entries from 77 countries, with results announced last week.
