This is what ants look like when you get up close and personal with them, not one of Tolkien’s orcs from Middle Earth.
Eugenijus Kavaliauskas, a Lithuanian wildlife photographer, submitted to the 2022 Nikon Small World Photomicrography Competition a photograph of an ant’s face enlarged five times under a microscope. The competition honors the art of microscope photography, which permits the recording of minutiae that the human eye cannot perceive.
The proposal by Kavaliauskas was one of the 57 “Images of Distinction” chosen.
According to his portfolio, Kavaliauskas has received numerous photographic accolades for his photographs of raptors.
Although disturbing, the image did not win first place in the contest. Kavaliauskas was awarded a $35 Nikon product for his photograph of the ant.
Grigorii Timin and Michel Milinkovitch from the University of Geneva’s department of genetics and evolution won the top prize and a $3,000 cash award. The pair recorded the front paw of a Madagascar huge day gecko in dazzling, vibrant detail.
Timin stated in a Nikon press statement, “This particular image is both beautiful and informative, both as a whole and when magnified in a specific region, offering light on how the structures are structured on a cellular level.”
Nikon states that the photomicrography contest is accessible to anybody with an interest in microscopy and photography. This year marks the 48th occurrence of the competition. The winning photographs were chosen from 1,300 submissions and revealed on October 11.
The 2023 competition is now welcoming submissions, which have to be sent in for consideration before April 30, 2023.
Kavaliauskas did not immediately respond to Insider’s request for comment.