He has been photographing precious and mesmerizing Plankton for 20 years!

 

Japanese underwater photographer Ryo Minemizu has dedicated his 20-year career to capturing some of the smallest organisms in the sea—plankton. Shooting primarily in the shadow of Mount Fuji in the Osezaki sea and off the Okinawa coast, Minemizu goes deep underwater to discover the beauty and diversity of these microscopic creatures.

Minemizu’s work focuses on the beauty and complexity of plankton, tiny plants, animals, and other organisms measuring 2mm to 40mm (0.08-1.57in) that float and drift through the bodies of water on our planet, unable to swim against currents.

At one time specialising in shooting for science journals, Minemizu decided to take his images to a wider public and in 2016 entered  and won the Nikkei National Geographic Photo Award. His new series, Jewels in the Night Sea, is now going on show in the Canon Galleries in Tokyo, Nagoya, and Osaka, and has also been published as a book

Unknown a larval Gymnapogon

Unknown a larval Gymnapogon

Batesian mimicry, larval fish of Soleichthys

Batesian mimicry, larval fish of Soleichthys

Larval Tripod fish

Larval Tripod fish

The Paralepididae

The Paralepididae

Hyperiidea on Nausithoe jellyfish

Hyperiidea on Nausithoe jellyfish

Larval Barred soapfish

Larval Barred soapfish

The paddle of zoea larva of Lysmata

The paddle of zoea larva of Lysmata

Larva of Pleurobranchaea

Larva of Pleurobranchaea

Megalopa larva of Eplumula phalangium © Ryo Minemizu/ Canon Japan Marketing touring exhibition.