The Beauty of Pang Way's Praying Mantises

Preying mantises come in all shapes, sizes, and colors. They are masters of camouflage, and the orchid mantises (Hymenopus coronatus) that live among colorful flowers are gorgeous, delicate little creatures. But they are also skilled predators, waiting for the insects that come to pollinate those flowers. Amateur wildlife photographer Pang Way captures the beauty of the preying mantises of Malayasia's rainforests in all their glory.



How does Way get these photos? He uses a macro lens and a soft lighting box, but that's just the technical aspects. The magic is in how he finds these insects and gets them to look at the camera and pose for him. Maybe he takes a hundred photos for each one he keeps, but it seems like magic anyway.



Way doesn't just photograph preying mantises. He aims to document many different species of insects and arachnids as they face the destruction of their environment. See an extensive collection of Pang Way's mantises at Design You Trust. -via Nag on the Lake