Ultra-close-up photograph of ant's face will haunt your nightmares

A super-close-up picture of an ant has been revealed - and it just may haunt you in your nightmares.

The ant's face, magnified five times under a microscope, was submitted to the 2022 Nikon Small World Photomicrography Competition by Eugenijus Kavaliauskas, a Lithuanian wildlife photographer.

The competition celebrates all things microscope photography, allowing people to capture the fine details that can't be seen with the human eye.

Kavaliauskas' submission was part of the 57 chosen "Images of Distinction."

Kavaliauskas won other photography awards for his snaps of birds of prey, according to his portfolio website.

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Speaking to Insider about his photo, Kavaliauskas said he lives near a forest, making it easy for him to capture an ant. He also shared that he took a picture of the ant under a microscope to see the "unseen corners."

"The main goal of photography is to be a discoverer," he told the outlet.

"I am fascinated by the Creator's masterpieces and the opportunity to see God's designs."

When asked about how the ant looked so frightening under the microscope, he told Insider that he believes there aren't any "horrors" in mother nature.

"When I first started with microphotography, I, too, thought all beetles looked a little like monsters, But now, I've gotten used to it," he added.

Despite how creepy the image is, it did not get the contest's top prize.

For Kavaliauskas' photo of the ant, he won one Nikon item valued at $35.

The top honour was a $3,000 cash prize that went to Grigorii Timin and Michel Milinkovitch of the University of Geneva's department of genetics and evolution.

The pair captured a giant Madagascar day gecko's front paw in magnificent, fluorescent detail.

According to Nikon, the photomicrography contest is open to anyone who loves microscopy and photography. This year was the 48th time the competition was held.

The winning images were chosen from 1,300 submissions and announced on 11 October.

The 2023 competition is taking submissions which must be sent in before 30 April 2023.

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