Lithuanian macro photographer Eugenijus Kavaliauskas took a shocking close-up photo of an ant that stunned onlookers.
The photo, which was originally sent in as a submission to Nikon’s Small World microscopy competition, zoomed into the little bug’s face to reveal a menacing, monster-like mug.
People all across the internet freaked out over the results — with many social media users reacting in awe and terror at the viral photo.
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In an exclusive statement to Fox News Digital, Kavaliauskas said that Nikon’s contest "created a miracle" for him.
"I have won a number of competitions, but I have never experienced and received this kind of attention before," he said in comments to Fox News Digital.
"In fact," he said, "it is more surprising than the ant portrait."
(The intricate snapshot of the ant that has stirred up so much conversation and shock on social media didn’t place in the Small World competition.)
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As a photographer and an artist, Kavaliauskas detailed the ways in which he aims to unveil the "unseen" in his work.
"I am looking for the unseen angle," he said.
A close-up of a flea in black and white, as taken by Lithuanian photographer Eugenijus Kavaliauskas. He revealed his goals for these photos to Fox News Digital. (Eugenijus Kavaliauskas)
"It doesn't matter if it's a portrait of a human being or an ant — it's only the angle of view and the light that is emitted," he said.
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The artist explained that a photo has the potential to be "banal and uninteresting" without the "play of light," just as the light manipulated the ant’s appearance.
"When the ant's eyes entered the shadow zone, everything immediately changed and people's imaginations immediately woke up," he said.
"People are frightened by the unknown, the new and the hidden," he also said.
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When he first began photographing the micro world, Kavaliauskas acknowledged that people were scared by his work — which eventually developed into a greater appreciation for nature, he said.
"Many insects are not as pleasing to the eye as a cat, but it all depends on your point of view," he said.
"Everything is harmonious in nature," he also said.
"It's just that we humans, because of our ignorance, often find it difficult to accept new things."
"People are frightened by the unknown, the new and the hidden."
"Probably, if I had the opportunity to walk on another planet, I would find many things unacceptable," he went on.
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"But that is the nature of the unknown."
Kavaliauskas said he hopes his ant photo will inspire both nature photographers and many other people to "take a closer look at the world around us."
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"There is an undiscovered world at every turn," he said.
A close-up of a flea in black and white, next to a European hornet (Vespa crabro) — which is the largest eusocial wasp native to Europe. (Eugenijus Kavaliauskas)
"It could be underfoot, in the water, on a leaf of a plant, underneath it — and so on, and so on," he told Fox News Digital.
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