A few years ago, my work required me to stay in the Sumatran jungles of Indonesia. While work kept me busy during the week, I had to find some activity to fill my weekends. As you may imagine, the middle of a rainforest is not the best place for street photography. I also tried to hunt for mammals like monkeys and gibbons with my super zoom, but I realized that such activity requires an extreme amount of patience and time. So I started focusing on the world beneath our feet — the world we usually pass by without noticing. Once you shift your focus to this micro world, with the help of a macro lens, a huge world opens up and you start seeing life everywhere. It is therapeutic in every way. So here are some shots, taken with the Fujifilm Fujinon XF 80mm F2.8 R LM OIS WR.
You don’t need a rainforest for this, though. The truth is, you don’t even need to leave your backyard. That patch of grass by your doorstep, the flowerbed you walk past every morning without a second glance — zoom in close enough, and it becomes its own wilderness, full of lives you never knew were there. All it takes is a macro lens and a little patience to notice what’s always been right in front of you.