Sometimes it is hard to understand why man needs to venture out into space to look for alien life forms. The truth is, there are still a lot of undiscovered lifeforms in the planet and a closer look at them will confound anyone. Many of them are not only alien looking, the way they were built are fantastically interesting.
In the Sultanate, it is hard to estimate how many species of insects are in existence. They are, after all, the most common and widespread species in the Arthropods Division.
Nearly 1 million species of insects have been discovered so far, but scientific estimates and research indicate more than 10 million species ‘ according to the report of The British Daily Express newspaper as a part of the National Insect Week organized by Britain’s Royal Insect Society yearly in June.
While scientists do most of the research in naming and identification, photographers who delve into the macro genre are helping out heaps in bringing the interesting details of these insects into the world.
In simpler description, macro photography (or photomacrography or macrography) is an extreme close up photography. Although not as powerful as looking at things through a microscope, the concept is almost similar as one is able to look at small subjects and living organisms and blow them up to greater than life size.
Muhsin Al Hinaei is a young Omani photographer who’ve dedicated his time learning the ropes of macrophotography. He has been pursuing this particular genre of photography for years now and his dedication and commitment to getting great photographs of insects resulted to winning some local and national awards.
A quick look of his collection of macro photographs will reveal what our naked eye had been missing. They show that insects are very strange and frightening and although many of them share common characteristics, there separate features always given an impression that they are of alien origin.
Take for instance a photograph of a spider (Page 28 cover photo). What many knows is that spiders have 8 eyes but it is hard to imagine how this eyes function and how they are arranged. By looking at Muhsin’s macro photograph, it is easy to distinguish how these eyes are positioned in such a strange, small body.
Beetles, bees, wasps, ants, locusts, damselfly cockroaches and beetles, even other spiders are just the most known insects and they all have their remarkable features. And every time Muhsin put them under his lens, he learns something new.
Beginnings
Muhsin shared that he got interested with macro photography just a few years back.
“I started macro photography in 2014. I really find the techniques remarkable and that curiousity led to why I gave it a try,” he shared.
“In the beginning, it was all about regular small insects I find around me, and flowers too. But then I got attracted with the details that I’m seeing. This type of photography enables you to see small creatures and their very tiny and unique details,” he said.
‘The more I look, the more it makes me think of the power of God and his creation. What I am taking photography of is often cannot be seen by the naked eye,” he added.
“I become happy when people ask me, everytime they see one of my photos if it’s real or does it exist here in Oman,” he said.
As how he got into this genre, he shared that it was his uncle who gave him encouragement.
“My uncle, Abdulrahman Mohamed Zaher al Hinai, was an inspiration. He lent me some of his equipment and taught me how to use the cameras. Eventually, I discovered other photographers he specialize on this genre on the internet and the social media. I follow their works and eventually have to do my own reading and learning,” he shared.
Challenges and the future
Delving into macro photography is a challenge in itself. Other than having the right tools, Muhsin shared that dealing with tiny creatures is really difficult.
“You need to know where they live, when they appear. You also have to contemplate on what their good angles are and how to beautifully have them come out on photo. You also have to do a lot of light adjustments among other things,” he said.
He pointed out that you are also slowly becoming a better researcher and animal life advocate.
He shared that you have to go to them to get their photos thus studying where they live, what time of the year to come, which time of the day, which seasons of the year and what is their mating schedule — all these one have to consider.
As an emerging macro photographer, Muhsin shared that he hopes he can eventually launch his own exhibition and that his photos will become the go-to reference used by students, researchers and scientists in the country.
“I hope in the future to be one of the Sultanate’s representatives in this type of photography and even photography in general,” he said.
One of his bee portraits has recently won in the International Arab Competition.
“I am learning from my mistakes. Capturing photo especially in this particular genre is about trial and error and figuring out how you can avoid the mistakes you’ve previously done. I’m still learning and I am trying to master other techniques. I hope one day I can also publish my own book on the subject, he said.
Text by Siham Al Saidi
Photos by Muhsin Al Hinaei
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