A glimpse into another world: The pictures of the week

We often see small creatures, but we rarely see the world they live in. It is very different from ours. Macro photography gives us a little insight and gives us an idea of how big everything around these animals is.

In the picture The little one with the chewing gum by BerndBA , it looks as if the fly has a piece of chewing gum in its mouth and is making a bubble out of it. This phenomenon is actually called a digestive bubble and has been observed in various insects. The exact reason for this behavior has not yet been conclusively clarified.

In terms of design, the composition leaves nothing to be desired. The soft light brings out the fine details of the insect's body and the texture of the wood on which the animal is sitting provides structure.

In the photo Die Welt steht Kopf by Hermi1, there are several small parallel worlds. The drops in which the house is reflected look like individual universes that exist side by side. The photographer had to look very closely to see these details. The soft color gradient in the background isolates the main motif and thus exposes it.

The photographer explains: "This picture was taken in unfavorable weather for photographers. At first it was humid and the planned insect macros didn't work out. After a heavy downpour, it was dripping everywhere. A branch, weighed down by the many drops, was hanging low. In the camera's viewfinder, I then discovered the 'upside-down' world in the drops!"

"Since mid-April, I have been walking to a moorland lake in the Burgwald forest every weekend to experience the progress of the vegetation there and to record the first dragonflies early on. In addition to my telephoto lenses, I always take my EF 100mm macro lens with me so that I can also take good pictures of larvae and the like. When I sat down next to a shrub for a short break to eat, I noticed some leaves on the shrub that were covered with small insects," says Burkhardt Schaaf (bS_mr) about his shot entitled Im Szenetreff.

You have to look twice to recognize all the small insects, of which you usually only see the black legs.

Sonnenbad ("Sunbathing ") by bild0815 impresses above all with the razor-sharp image of the yellow dragonfly. This color perfectly complements the green and pink that form a smooth transition in the background. From the legs to the fine hairs, the details of the long body are clearly visible and are fascinating on closer inspection.

A stack of around 30 images resulted in the photo young grasshopper 2 bykhan. Here, too, it is the details that are fascinating, but not only those on the animal's body. The drops on the plant are an element that enlivens the picture and also casts light on the animal. The yellow coloration of the legs in particular catches the eye and draws the viewer's attention.

The photographer says about the approach to photographing such a motif: "To catch young grasshoppers in their morning stupor, it is necessary to get up early. As a nice side effect, there are usually drops of water in the pictures. Most of the time I don't see any locusts at all when I arrive at the slope. I always stop somewhere and look around until I spot one. In this case, a small dark dot on a blade of grass turned out to be a worthwhile motif on closer inspection.

A small ladybug climbs up the blade of grass, according to the title by gallery photographer Igfokus, headfirst into happiness. The animal's red shell is the splash of color against the dark background, which contrasts with the green and pink of the plant. The stem of the flower also leads the eye through the composition to the main motif. All of this evokes springtime feelings.

Our photo week began with a fly and ends with a fly by Carl-Peter Herbolzheimer. This specimen seems to be drinking the remains of the last downpour. It is beautifully framed by the dark surroundings and a blurred plant in the foreground, which gives the composition additional depth.

You can find an overview of all this week's images here:

(cbr)