A Magical Miniature World Of Snails

April 16, 2014 5:57 AM

Talented Ukrainian nature photographer Vyacheslav Mishchenko has an eye for taking photos that bring small natural worlds up to our level, showing us how the world might look if we could see it through the eyes of an ant, snail or lizard.

Mishchenko’s interest with the miniature natural world around us began early on in his youth. “As a child, my father taught me to hunt mushrooms near my home and we would always come across all manner of bugs and creatures,” he told dailymail. “As I got older and my interest in photography grew, I decided I wanted to catch these magical scenes on camera.“ Mishchenko shoots his unwitting models in their natural habitats, but whether or not they even realize that they’re being made to model for a photo shoot is unclear. His photography feature snails enthralled by drops of water or kissing and insects stretching across gaps of water in setups that are nothing less than picture-perfect. Unsurprisingly, Mishchenko has a colorful of history and has worked with a wide variety of art forms – he lists woodworking and painting as other artistic interests of his as well. It’s definitely worth paying this Renaissance man’s website a visit and checking out the rest of his work! And if you like his images, be sure to check out Thomas Shahan’s macro photography of jumping spiders as well (Previously).

posted by Blasdelb (22 comments total)

You had me up until the whole macro pictures of spiders thing.
posted by signal at 6:00 AM on April 16, 2014

"They probably just want to hug you!"

with their numerous spiny limbs.
posted by Jacob Knitig at 6:02 AM on April 16, 2014

The spiders are, of course, eldritch horrors, because that's what they are, but the snails are super adorable.
posted by Bulgaroktonos at 6:03 AM on April 16, 2014

These were neat, though I thought they were going to be pictures from the snail's POV.

Jumping spiders are amazing creatures. More on their epic drum solos.
posted by jquinby at 6:09 AM on April 16, 2014

Isn't it so that if one could see through the eyes of a snail, light and dark would be pretty much the long and the short of it?

But these are some stunningly beautiful close-ups.
posted by three blind mice at 6:20 AM on April 16, 2014

Yeah, Mr. Pterodactyl told me to check out the link and I was skeptical but those snail pictures are lovely and it's exciting to see documented proof that they are living in an enchanted paradise. I am very happy for them.
posted by Mrs. Pterodactyl at 6:26 AM on April 16, 2014 [4 favorites]

Apparently these are not staged or manipulated, but they are just so perfect! Some of the best photos I've seen in a while. They look unreal.
posted by dellsolace at 6:27 AM on April 16, 2014

it's exciting to see documented proof that they are living in an enchanted paradise

Until they graze the enchanted paradise down to the dirt with their ravenous snail appetites! Will no one think of the poor berries?
posted by GenjiandProust at 6:30 AM on April 16, 2014

jumping spiders are quite fearless

And ADORABLE!
posted by blurker at 7:56 AM on April 16, 2014

The snail shots, while spectacular, really do look staged to me. Where are you seeing that they're not, dellsolace?
posted by blurker at 7:57 AM on April 16, 2014 [1 favorite]

I love these! So pretty. I think this is my favourite snail* one. Don't you just hate it when your umbrella blows inside out?


*I'm refusing to look at the spiders one because spiders
posted by billiebee at 8:00 AM on April 16, 2014

This is really good, evocative photography.
posted by mazola at 8:08 AM on April 16, 2014

I'm afraid I found them overly twee and they felt *really* staged. I call shenanigans on the claim that he just finds these "scenes" in nature and captures him. I mean, come on--two perfect ripe cherries floating side by side, each of which just so happens to have a tiny snail on the stem?
posted by drlith at 8:15 AM on April 16, 2014 [2 favorites]

Snails really don't get the credit that they deserve. I used to have some giant African land snails as pets, and they really were cute: slowly roaming around the tank, an occasional languid wave of a lettuce leaf, and, if you put them on your hands, a few determined but ultimately just tickly attempts to devour you alive. These photos are great, thanks!
posted by metaBugs at 8:20 AM on April 16, 2014

A l'enterrement d'une feuille morte
Deux escargots s'en vont
Ils ont la coquille noire
Du crêpe autour des cornes
Ils s'en vont dans le soir
Un très beau soir d'automne
Hélas quand ils arrivent
C'est déjà le printemps
Les feuilles qui étaient mortes
Sont toutes réssucitées...

Jacques Prévert

I failed to win a school French poetry reciting contest with this famous verse about a pair of snails very slowly attending the funeral of a dead leaf by the gorgeously surrealist poet/screenwriter Prévert (1900-1977), but I still remember & love it! (Translation by one Gary Bachlund...)

Two snails went to the burial of a dead leaf.
They had black shells with crêpe on the horns.
They left in the evening, a beautiful evening in autumn.
But when they arrived, it was already spring.
The leaves which were dead were all resurrected,
and the two snails were very disappointed...
posted by Jody Tresidder at 8:53 AM on April 16, 2014 [6 favorites]

I imagine their world more like this sunny snails.
posted by boilermonster at 9:40 AM on April 16, 2014

Gorgeous. Thanks, Blasdelb.
posted by soundguy99 at 9:46 AM on April 16, 2014

love it! i also enjoyed several of the other photo collections at the first link.
posted by moss free at 10:37 AM on April 16, 2014

drlith, the second link shows more pics from that floating cherry scene.

Still I agree that two cherries floating side-by-side is improbable, but I want to believe, dammit! :)
posted by bitteroldman at 11:32 AM on April 16, 2014 [1 favorite]

I'll never see a snail in the same way again. Thank you for a great post.
posted by aryma at 9:43 PM on April 16, 2014

The spiders are, of course, eldritch horrors, because that's what they are, but the snails are super adorable.

Spiders are adorable too when they wear waterdrop hats.
posted by homunculus at 9:43 PM on April 18, 2014 [1 favorite]

The snails are extremely cute - heaps more shots on his Facebook page and I actually don't care if they're staged or not. They're just gorgeous.

I made myself look at the spider ones - I really do not like spiders - and was impressed. Turns out they are much less scary when they look more like furry mammals that could be extras from the bar scene in Star Wars. I will try very hard to remember that the next time a real live one freaks me the hell out.
posted by Athanassiel at 4:48 PM on April 23, 2014