Emirati who documents smaller kingdoms of the world

Yousef Al Habshi's passion is for macro photography.

An Emirati man's curiosity has led him to discover the macro through the lens.

Yousef Al Habshi presents images of unique insects from around the world at Xposure International Photography Festival being held at the Sharjah Expo Centre.

Speaking to Khaleej Times, Al Habshi said: "I was curious to enter this wide world when I acquired the first lens, and then revealed my desire to succeed and master my artistic tools, to arrive at a semi-perfect image that reveals even a small and subtle part of this vast and very delicate world, which has remained far from the eyes of many.

Yousef Al Habshi's passion is for macro photography, and he sees the invention of cameras as the beginning of a new era for mankind. "We can't really measure the massive impact of cameras in our lives. Space science was made possible by lenses. Cameras made it possible for us to document our findings and discover weird and intricate things. They also helped us document news stories with pictures that fortify the story with visual credibility. I still recall pictures that changed history. Without photography, big events or moments in history would have faded into obscurity.

"When I notice someone closely viewing my macro picture of an eye of a bee or a fly with an astonished expression on their face, I get immense joy knowing that I provided them with something new; something they hadn't really thought of before," he said.

"There is so much detail and density in small things. Curiosity, which I view as a pillar of creativity, made me explore and document these macro things, bringing the small and invisible to the naked eye."

Speaking of the challenges in macro photography, Al Habshi said: "There are many challenges in this line of photography, be they physical or technical. For example, the more we zoom in on an object, the more the details become blurry. Finding accurate and scientific information about a creature may be the biggest challenge we face. Such information helps us understand the nature of the species and the proper way to take photographs. We also face challenges in lighting and vibration, which play a big part in a photo's overall composition."

Al Habshi was the first Arab photographer to win the "Small World" competition of the 44th World Microscope in the US. He competed with scientists and photographers from 89 countries, who presented more than 2,500 microscopic pictures.