Terrifying close-up of ant's face wins Nikon's photo competition prize

A seriously scary photo of an ant's face won a prize at the Nikon competition and we can't stop looking at it.

Right, there's up close and personal and then there's a horror-film-like shot of an insect's face that makes you rethink wanting an ant farm.

Still, it seemed like a natural shot for photographer Eugenijus Kavaliauskas, who lives next to a forest and had the perfect opportunity to capture his well-placed entry for the 2022 Nikon Small World Photomicrography Competition.

Moviestore Collection Ltd/Alamy Stock Photo

Look, for some reason, we thought ants were cute. They're small, they're super strong, and our beloved Paul Rudd plays a superhero with their powers.

But it seems we've never been more wrong because an up close look at an ant is all the Halloween inspo we need.

However, some disagree. Namely, Kavaliauskas, who wasn't freaked out by the photograph at all and instead told Insider: "There are no horrors in nature.

“I’m always looking for details, shadows, and unseen corners. The main goal of photography is to be a discoverer.

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

We'll agree to disagree, just look at it:

Unfortunately, Kavaliauskas didn't win first prize at the annual competition that's been running for 48 years.

That honour was afforded to Grigorii Timin and Michel Milinkovitch from the University of Geneva, who shared a close-up of a gecko's foot.

Even so, Kavaliauskas' photo caused a stir on Twitter, with people freaking out about how thw ant's face looks.

One person said the photo was in the spirit of spooky season: "Ant-Man but make it a horror movie."

However, one said it was actually just the angles that made the ant appear super scary: "It's crazy how unsettling the right angles can make something."

Another elaborated further, explaining that those glowing red dots aren't eyes, they're antenna bases.

Twitter

"When you realize its eyes are where the arrow is pointed, you can see it looks more like an actual ant. The red circles under the antenna are not its eyes. Not as creepy as it appears."

Either way, we won't be watching Antz the same way again.

One even said that the photo "Kinda reminds me of Hopper from A Bug's Life," and successfully ruined another treasured childhood film.

What do you think of the photo?

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