And now for a hit of pure, unadulterated nightmare fuel...
A Lithuanian wildlife photographer graced us with a thoroughly fascinating but utterly horrifying close-up glimpse of an ant's face that basically ruined everyone on the internet's lives.
Photographer Eugenijus Kavaliauskas took the photo for submission to the 2022 Nikon Small World Photomicrography Competition, where it won the award for Oh My God Why Would You Make Anyone Look At This What Is Wrong With You Kill It With Fire!!!
Just kidding, obviously, but it was chosen as one of the competition's 57 "Images of Distinction," which is certainly one way to put it.
Anyway catch a glimpse of the horrorshow below if you feel like never sleeping again.
\u201cImage from a horror movie? Nope. That\u2019s the very real face of an ant. \nAn ant. \nNow you have to think about that all night.\u201d— Rebekah McKendry, PhD (@Rebekah McKendry, PhD) 1665988934
Listen, we warned you.
The competition focuses on microscopic photography capturing details that can't be seen by the naked human eye. Speaking to Insider, Kavaliauskas said he finds this kind of photography deeply meaningful.
"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."
That's great and all, but maybe in this case we should just assume this horror isn't visible to the human eye on purpose and respect "the Creator's" vision.
Anyway, Kavaliauskas went on to say while he understands this photo is horrifying, getting up close and personal with creatures like this doesn't bother him.
"When I first started with microphotography, I, too, thought all beetles looked a little like monsters, But now, I've gotten used to it."
Good for him.
But suffice to say the internet emphatically has not "gotten used to it."
This photo had people screaming like they were at a horror movie.
\u201cKill it with Fire has never been more appropriate!!! Are you kidding me? Just NO! Do you hear me? NO! \nI can never unsee this ant\u2019s face.\u201d— Heather Ford (@Heather Ford) 1666177042
\u201cNo, this isn't some alien monster out of a horror movie, this is an actual photograph of an ant using a magnifying lens. Nikon awarded it an 'Image of Distinction' this year. \n\nSleep well, my friends, and appreciate the blessings of size that your Lord has given you over this \ud83d\ude0e!\u201d— Dr. Yasir Qadhi (@Dr. Yasir Qadhi) 1666270638
\u201cHave a great day out there everybody. \n\n"This Macro Photo of an Ant\u2019s Face Looks Straight Out of a Horror Film" https://t.co/kEOfzycbLW\u201d— pourmecoffee (@pourmecoffee) 1666351607
\u201cWould you believe me if I told you this is the face of an Ant at 5x magnification\u2026 \n\nI\u2019m never going to look at ants the same again.\u201d— Skip (@Skip) 1666203650
\u201cEvery time I see that despicable close-up photo of an ants face\u201d— Vul-Geraghty (@Vul-Geraghty) 1666371396
\u201cHere we have the actual face of an ant. He just got off work and is stuck in traffic as usual.\u201d— GP McDaniel (@GP McDaniel) 1666314378
\u201cstill thinking about that close up of the ant\u2019s face like what purpose did that serve omg\u201d— esme (@esme) 1666293977
\u201cthat picture of a close up on an ant's face is, i think, one of the few images that can actually make me feel ill. i hate it so much\u201d— Wandering Doctor Mika (@Wandering Doctor Mika) 1666352261
\u201cCould have went the rest of my life happily never having to see an ants face\u201d— Nick Maraldo (@Nick Maraldo) 1666129584
For all this internet horror, Kavaliauskas unfortunately did not win the competition's top prize of $3000.
You can check out all the prize winners at Nikon's Small World competition website.
\u201cWithout further ado, it's time to reveal the winners of the 2022 #NikonSmallWorld competition! Take a look at this year's winning gallery. https://t.co/T53upNHL4x\u201d— Nikon Small World (@Nikon Small World) 1665496985
Kavaliauskas did win a piece of Nikon photography equipment with which to terrorize us next year.
So there's that.
