Even when we’re in nature, it’s easy to forget just how full of life and beauty the surrounding world is—because most of it is too small to see! 20-year-old amateur photographer Sasi Kumar, from India, captures amazing macro shots of insects. And he does it all with his smartphone.

“Photography is about depth of feeling not depth of field,” Kumar shared his philosophy with Bored Panda. He explained just how important patience and passion are for a photographer to have, especially when it comes to macro photography. Scroll down for our full interview with Kumar!

Upvote your favorite photos taken by Kumar and let us know what you think of them in the comments below. And when you’re done with this article, check out our previous posts about macro photography here and here.

More info: Instagram

#1

Image credits: sasikumar_ksk

#2

Image credits: sasikumar_ksk

#3

Image credits: sasikumar_ksk

Bored Panda was very interested to hear what first drew Kumar to macro photography and what the biggest challenges that he faced along the way were. Here’s what he had to say: “At first, I was going with common photographs, but after some days, I thought of being unique and wanted to stand out.”

That’s when he decided to try taking macro photographs. “So I tried macros and I learned them in depth.” The photographer noted that he’s still got a way to go, but he’s learning more and more every day.

“The challenging thing in macro photography is that handling a phone with lenses is a bit difficult. If there is a minute shake that can be a photo-spoiler,” he said. “Photos could be bad and spoiled because of unexpected wind, shakes, sound, etc.” That means that patience is key.

#4

Image credits: sasikumar_ksk

#5

Image credits: sasikumar_ksk

#6

Image credits: sasikumar_ksk

Kumar told Bored Panda that he’s an engineering student who wants to be a software developer while moonlighting as a photographer. In his opinion, insects are “beautiful creatures” that “enhance the beauty of nature.” That’s why he chooses to photograph them.

#7

Image credits: sasikumar_ksk

#8

Image credits: sasikumar_ksk

#9

Image credits: sasikumar_ksk

Finally, we wanted to hear whether he had any advice for other photographers. Kumar was very humble and implied that he wasn’t yet at the level to be handing out advice. However, he explained how “macro photography is all about patience, passion, and lots of dedication.”

“It also includes learning from the spoiled picture. Never stop learning in this field. Every take for a single picture may lead to an extraordinary output later. Accept mistakes from previous pictures, take both negatives and positives from feedback, suggestions, and opinions.”

“Photos are not just meant for likes, they could depict an amazing story. Perspective is everything.“

#10

Image credits: sasikumar_ksk

#11

Image credits: sasikumar_ksk

#12

Image credits: sasikumar_ksk

Kumar takes his macro photos with two smartphones: a OnePlus 6t and a Redmi Note 3. He also uses various lenses that he clips on his phones to capture shots of insects going about their day.