So easily overlooked, most of the time I completely forget they are there. But if I take the time to look a whole world of photographic opportunity reveals itself.

This is a collection of tiny critters that I’ve stumbled upon while scrambling through natural areas mostly in southern New Jersey.

Spiders and snails, bees and butterflies, crickets and caterpillars. To shoot these less-than-pint-size invertebrates requires a specialized macro lens and often additional lighting.

I don’t mount my macro lens onto my camera nearly enough but when I do, it is always so much fun.

Crawling through the tall grass, staring at the ground or waiting for a tiny flying insect to land in just the right spot can be such a challenge, but very rewarding.

If you ever get the chance, I highly recommend taking a few extra moments to slow down and really look for these amazing animals. You’ll be pleasantly surprised if you do.

Ray Hennessy is a professional wedding and portrait photographer based in Clementon, NJ. Nature photography takes up swathes of his spare time. He edits the Wild Life collection on Medium. Follow Ray on Flickr, 500px, Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.