After a rainy warm day, you’ll see snails everywhere in your garden. We never pay too much attention to them, and often times end up stepping on them because of our carelessness. I’ve never heard of someone who thinks of them as beautiful, photogenic creatures until Poland-based photographer Katarzyna Załużna captured that mystical beauty around them, making snails a stunning subject in fine art photography.

Using an exquisite bokeh effect, she lends an otherworldly charm to these intimate dreamlike scenes with an artistry that is quite remarkable. “They are graceful and communicative, establishing contact with humans in their primitive way,” says Załużna “This is what delights me most in them.”

It’s also interesting that it takes quite some skills to be able to take a nice shot of these critters. “Capturing the right moment is the foundation for a magical photo. I look for a long time before I start photographing. Often the snail in nature is in an unattractive place (on the ground, an ugly stick), but then I move it to another lovely plant. It takes a lot of work to get a beautiful shot. It’s not like I go outside, snap a picture and it’s done. That would be too easy. The effect would not be stunning. I like to show nature in a poetic way,” Załużna explains.

h/t: Katarzyna Załużna: Website | Instagram | Facebook

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Katarzyna Załużna: Website | Instagram | Facebook