Gorgeous Macro Photos Detail the Beauty of Alien-Like Carnivorous Plants

Through macro photography, Joni Niemel is able to capture the minuscule beauty of things that we might normally miss. The Finnish photographer has recently turned an eye towards the carnivorous plant Drosera, which is more commonly known as a “Sundew” – a moniker referring to the droplets that collect on the plants, akin to a morning dew. Those condensation-like beads, however, aren’t from water. They’re the result of the plant luring, capturing, and digesting insects.

In Niemel’s gorgeous images, the extremely close vantage point allows him to highlight the tiniest parts of the Sundew, and their individual droplets shine with exquisitely-speckled details. Having such a shallow depth-of-field also abstracts parts of the composition. While the plant (or plants) are often in focus, the diffused areas bathe the portraits in brilliant greens, blues, and magentas.

“Sundews have always fascinated me, and I have been photographing these alien-like plants for several years now,” Niemel says. “My first first photo series Drosera was mostly bright and vibrant, so I wanted to have some contrast to that in my second series of Sundews. I think the colors and the mood of Otherworldly Blues reflect aptly the true nature of these carnivorous plants.”