Meet Aliens on Earth: Macro Photographs of Insects by Igor Siwanowicz

Polyspilota aeruginosa, an African mantis. "I have always been fascinated by insects even from childhood," explained the 34-year-old Polish national. "You could say that I am sort of a public relations representative in service of creepy-crawlies. I think mantids are totally slick and sexy, and have style. I take 'weird' and 'bizarre' as positive adjectives." Photo and caption by Igor Siwanowicz via Blepharopsis.deviantart.com

Igor Siwanowicz is the photographer who captured all these incredible photos. Igor used macro photography techniques while taking shots. Macro photography is a technique, which allows photographers to take close-up shots of subjects. Though it once referred exclusively to photography, which rendered the subject in life-size on the negative, it has come to encompass almost all magnified photographic techniques.

Macro photography differs in many ways from other types of photography: it often requires specialized equipment and it requires that the photographer make a number of special considerations when planning their shots. Just take a look and imagine that how beautiful looking they are.

Wired: Jumping spider Phidippus regis. poor chump looks like a victim of caffeine overdose. Apart from the standard challenges presented by close up and macro photography in the form of camera shake, operating with a limited depth of field and ensuring enough light is available, Igor must also contend with the temperament of his subjects. Photo and caption by Igor Siwanowicz via Blepharopsis.deviantart.com

Posing - You're Doing It Ok: Acanthops, a South-American shriveled-up leaf mimick. Posing - an undisputable aspect of mantids' behavior, although you won't find it mentioned on their ethogram. "Animals are very unpredictable and uncooperative, and there is almost no way to force them into collaboration," he said. "One can use tricks though - moths and butterflies are very docile freshly after hatching. Most otherwise fidgety insects can be approached early in the morning, when the temperature is low and their metabolism hasn't kicked in yet." Photo and caption by Igor Siwanowicz via Blepharopsis.deviantart.com

Two color morphs of Deat's-head caterpillar at L4 stage: so, one wacko entomologist - if there are any other kind I didn't meet one yet - decided that the pose some threatened caterpillars assume resembles a Sphinx (half-woman-half-lion genetic chromosomal mutant disaster). That association gave name to the whole family of moths, "Sphingidae". Photo and caption by Igor Siwanowicz via Blepharopsis.deviantart.com

A large Brahmin moth - this one had wingspan of 16 cm. Igor cites his main influence as the works of the designer of the monster from the Alien films, HR Gige Photo and caption by Igor Siwanowicz via Blepharopsis.deviantart.com

Fierce predator posed to attack! Igor plans to release a book in the near future devoted entirely to praying mantids. Photo and caption by Igor Siwanowicz via Blepharopsis.deviantart.com

Theopompa servillei from Lars: Mantids are obsessively clean - the remains of their last meal on their grasping forelegs may attract mites, fungi and bacteria. It's like brushing ones teeth. Photo and caption by Igor Siwanowicz via Blepharopsis.deviantart.com

A week-old Kinyongia multituberculata (formerly known as Bradypodion fischeri). Photo and caption by Igor Siwanowicz via Blepharopsis.deviantart.com

A threatened giant phasmid Heteropteryx dilatata kicks like a mule; the threatening pose exposes long rows of spurs on insect's hind legs. Photo and caption by Igor Siwanowicz via Blepharopsis.deviantart.com

Hermit crab. Photo and caption by Igor Siwanowicz via Blepharopsis.deviantart.com

A rainbow Mangrove crab. Photo and caption by Igor Siwanowicz via Blepharopsis.deviantart.com

Idolomantis diabolica and its awesome pronotum. Photo and caption by Igor Siwanowicz via Blepharopsis.deviantart.com

Achrioptera fallax - a giant stick insect from Madagascar - posessed by christmas spirit. the ornament - the symbolism of witch eludes me, or maybe I'm trying too hard to attribute deeper meanings to a blown glass ball - was photoshoped in. Photo and caption by Igor Siwanowicz via Blepharopsis.deviantart.com

Dead leaf mantis Deroplatys desiccata showing colors in threat display. Photo and caption by Igor Siwanowicz via Blepharopsis.deviantart.com

Dorcus bucephalus, a large Indonesian stag beetle named after massive-headed, black-coated horse of Alexaned the Great, apparently. Photo and caption by Igor Siwanowicz via Blepharopsis.deviantart.com

Glasswing butterfly. Photo and caption by Igor Siwanowicz via Blepharopsis.deviantart.com

Idolomantis diabolica, an adult female. Photo and caption by Igor Siwanowicz via Blepharopsis.deviantart.com

Kinyongia multituberculata (formerly known as Bradypodion fischeri). Photo and caption by Igor Siwanowicz via Blepharopsis.deviantart.com

Rosette-Nosed Chameleon: Bradypodion spinosum - I call him Rudolph. Photo and caption by Igor Siwanowicz via Blepharopsis.deviantart.com

Cryptic: A tiny moss-dwelling mantis from Borneo. Photo and caption by Igor Siwanowicz via Blepharopsis.deviantart.com

armored combat weevil: Weevil, Cape Town. Photo and caption by Igor Siwanowicz via Blepharopsis.deviantart.com

stink bug on acid: An iridescent polychromatic jewel-mimicking stink bug (or true bug) from Borneo.Fancy. But stinks all the same. Photo and caption by Igor Siwanowicz via Blepharopsis.deviantart.com