The realm of insects is right in front of our eyes, filled with kaleidoscopic characters flaunting vibrant colors and dramatic action. But it’s so minuscule, it’s easy to miss. That’s why several years ago, photographer Takuya Ishiguro began altering his camera, adding a magnifying lens between the sensor and main lens. Such modifications are tricky to pull off, because mispositioning any of the components will ruin the image quality. But once he perfected the setup, he was able to capture the tiny but glorious lives of the insects around the lakes and fields of his home in Osaki, Japan. The new perspective left him with “a deep respect for nature’s inventiveness.”
Ishiguro found that the invertebrates displayed a remarkable sense of creativity as they harvested food, mated, and burrowed to build their homes. He came to see insects not as specimens but as “beings that live together with us.”
Artist Bios
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Takuya Ishiguro
Takuya Ishiguro is a nature photographer based in Japan focusing on the small and often overlooked lives that share our urban and rural environments. Working mainly with wide macro photography, he explores the hidden worlds of bugs, capturing their behavior, textures, and presence at a scale that invites viewers to slow down and look more closely. His work often takes place in ordinary spaces—gardens, parks, roadside vegetation, and forest edges—where he observes how wildlife adapts to human-shaped landscapes.
Through his images, Ishiguro aims to bridge the distance between people and the tiny creatures that live beside them. He believes that even the smallest animals can reveal important stories about resilience, coexistence, and the changing environment. By presenting bugs from their own perspective, he hopes to shift how we see them—from something easily ignored to something worth noticing and appreciating.
Organizations
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National Geographic
Representing one of the largest brands on social media with over 801 million followers and a billion impressions each month, National Geographic Content’s award-winning and critically acclaimed storytelling inspires fans of all ages to connect with, explore, and care about the world through factual storytelling. National Geographic Content, part of a joint venture between The Walt Disney Company and the National Geographic Society, reaches up to 402 million households in at least 170 countries and 30 languages across the global National Geographic channels (National Geographic Channel, Nat Geo WILD, Nat Geo MUNDO), National Geographic Documentary Films, and streaming services Disney+ and Hulu, in addition to being a global digital, social, and print publisher. Its diverse content includes Oscar- and BAFTA Award-winning film Free Solo; Oscar-nominated films Sugarcane, Fire of Love, Bobi Wine: The People’s President, and The Cave; Emmy Award-winning franchises Race Against Time and Secrets of; Emmy Award-winning series Animals Up Close and Trafficked With Mariana van Zeller; and Emmy-nominated series A Real Bug’s Life and Tucci in Italy, in addition to multiple National Magazine Awards, Pulitzer Prize finalists, and Webby wins. Visit nationalgeographic.com and natgeotv.com or explore Instagram, Threads, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, TikTok, and Reddit.
Seeing Life Through a Bug’s Eyes
Featuring: Takuya Ishiguro
Locations
View Location Details Washington Street and Prospect StreetWashington Street and Prospect Street
DUMBO, Brooklyn 11201
Location open 24 hours
The views and opinions expressed in this exhibit are those of the exhibition artists and partners and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of Photoville or any other participants and partners of the Photoville Festival.
