“I Never Really Thought of Insects as Beautiful Creatures or Worth Photographing” – Nigerian Dara Ojo on Becoming a Macro Photographer

In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Dara Ojo was stuck at home in China, like everyone else in the world. He had recently picked up photography, and that allowed him to explore and pay close attention to his immediate surroundings.

One day, he started paying closer attention to the tiny creatures around him and was amazed by what he was seeing. There were colours, patterns, behaviours and details that he had never noticed before. It felt like discovering an entirely different world that had been right in front of me all along.

That was how Dara self-taught himself macro photography, and the seemingly small curiosity during the pandemic has grown into a journey of documenting biodiversity across Nigeria, Canada, Costa Rica, Mexico, Ecuador and beyond. His work has travelled globally and has been featured in international publications.

There are many photographers in Nigeria, but seeing that macro photography is not often explored by Nigerians, we sat down for a brief conversation with Dara, where he shared what inspired his form of photography, what documenting biodiversity in different environments has taught him about nature and his forthcoming first photography book, Tiny Titans: The Silent Keepers of Our Ecosystem.

Hey Dara, how are you feeling?

I feel good. I feel blessed. Thank you for having me.

What do you think inspired or attracted you to macro photography?

Growing up in Nigeria, I never really thought of insects as something beautiful or worth photographing. Like many people, I saw them as creatures you either avoided or tried to get rid of. But once I started looking at them through my camera, my perspective completely changed.

What fascinated me most wasn’t just how they looked, but how they lived. I started asking questions. Why does this spider behave this way? How does that tiny insect survive? What role does it play in nature?

The more I discovered, the more curious I became. Six years later, that curiosity has taken me from photographing tiny creatures around my neighbourhood in China to exploring rainforests and other ecosystems across different continents. And the interesting thing is that I still experience that same excitement whenever I discover something new. I don’t think that feeling will ever go away.

The excitement. How can you describe it? When taking a shot, what do you feel that you hope people also feel when they encounter the photo?

Wonder. That’s probably the best word to describe it.

Sometimes I’m photographing a creature, and I genuinely cannot believe what I’m looking at. It might be the incredible colours of a jumping spider, the delicate patterns on a moth’s wings, or an insect doing something I’ve never witnessed before. There have been moments when I’ve found myself laughing out of excitement because nature has surprised me again.

That’s the feeling I want people to experience when they see my photographs.

I know some people might initially feel uncomfortable looking at a spider or another creature they’re afraid of, and that’s perfectly understandable. But if they can look at that photograph for a few more seconds and begin to notice something fascinating rather than frightening, then I feel I’ve accomplished something.

I’m not necessarily trying to make everyone love insects or spiders. I just want people to become curious enough to see them differently. Because sometimes, curiosity is all it takes to change how we treat the natural world.

As someone who has photographed in different parts of the world, how has documenting biodiversity in different environments shaped your perspective on nature? 

One of the biggest things I’ve learned is that extraordinary biodiversity isn’t limited to the places we traditionally associate with wildlife photography. I’ve photographed in China, Costa Rica, Mexico, Ecuador, Canada and Nigeria, and every environment has taught me something different.

In the rainforests of Costa Rica and Ecuador, I’ve encountered creatures with some of the most remarkable adaptations I’ve ever seen. In Canada, I’ve spent countless hours photographing tiny wildlife in places people walk past every day. Even a small garden can be home to an incredible diversity of species.

But returning to photograph in Nigeria was particularly meaningful to me.

What do you think people might be surprised to learn about Nigeria’s insect life and biodiversity?

I think many Nigerians would be surprised by just how much biodiversity exists in our own country. Nigeria has an extraordinary range of habitats, from tropical rainforests in the south to savannas in the north, supporting an incredible variety of life.

When people think about African wildlife, the conversation often centres on lions, elephants and other large animals. But there’s an entire world of smaller creatures that rarely receive the same attention.

During my time photographing in Nigeria, I encountered some fascinating species, including the praying mantis that eventually became the cover of my book.

And that’s something I find particularly special. After travelling across different continents and photographing so many remarkable creatures, the photograph chosen to represent my first book came from Nigeria. It reminds me that we don’t always have to travel halfway around the world to discover something extraordinary. Sometimes, we simply need to pay closer attention to what’s around us.

Let’s talk about the book

Yes! Tiny Titans: The Silent Keepers of Our Ecosystem. My first photography book.

Tell us about it and what you hope people take away from the book?

This book means a great deal to me because it represents six years of curiosity, exploration and learning. It brings together around 120 of my photographs from different parts of the world, alongside stories about the creatures I’ve encountered and the important roles they play in nature.

I wanted to create something that people could enjoy visually, but that would also encourage them to think differently about creatures they might normally overlook.

These tiny animals are doing some of the most important work on our planet. They pollinate plants, recycle nutrients, help control populations of other organisms and provide food for countless species. Without them, the ecosystems we depend on would look very different. Yet many are misunderstood, feared or simply ignored. What makes the book particularly meaningful to me is that it also tells a personal story. It follows my journey through different countries, including Nigeria, where I grew up, and Canada, where I now live.

I’m also incredibly honoured that Dr John Acorn, a respected Canadian entomologist and science communicator, wrote the foreword.

I hope someone picks up the book because they find the photographs interesting, but finishes it with a greater appreciation for the natural world, so that the next time they encounter a spider in their house or an unfamiliar insect in their garden, instead of immediately reaching for something to kill it, they’ll stop for a moment and take a closer look.

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Dara Ojo’s Tiny Titans: The Silent Keepers of Our Ecosystem will be published on November 10, 2026, and will be available internationally. It will have public book launches in Edmonton on November 25 and Toronto on December 2, with additional events being explored for New York in March 2027 and Vancouver in April 2027. You can pre-order the book here.

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