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Armenian Photographer Captures Just How Unique Animal Eyes Are (30 Pics)
Few people get a chance to photograph animals such as hippos, hyenas, or crocodiles. Suren Manvelyan, however, has managed to get so close to them, he even captured insanely detailed close-ups of their eyes.
Some of these macro shots look like landscapes of distant yet-to-be-discovered planets while others remind some sort of a portal to another dimension. But they all prove that the eyes really are the windows to the soul; analyzing the images you can't help but experience profound sensations, as if you're uncovering deeply personal secrets.
More info: surenmanvelyan.com | Facebook | Instagram
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#1
Lama
Steve Barnett 5 years ago
That's not an eye: It's a beautiful lake somewhere, probably in South America? (Sorry, trying to be funny. Again, I've already got my coat)
Monika Soffronow 5 years ago (edited)
"Like all other ruminants, the pupil is oval shaped with the horizontal axis being the longer one. The difference comes with structures called ‘iridic granules’ or ‘corpora nigra’. These are dark lumpy masses coming off the iris at the top and/or bottom of the pupil margins. They are thought to shade the eye from bright sunlight." https://animalcorner.org/llama-anatomy/#:~:text=some%20are%20not.-,Llama%20Eyes,the%20back%20of%20the%20eye).
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"I began thinking about this series after I completed a similar one about the human eye," Manvelyan told Bored Panda. "After the first project, I had really improved in shooting eyes in any conditions, and eventually settled on the idea to photograph animal eyes."
Manvelyan captured animals pretty much everywhere he could find them, from his backyard to zoos, oceanariums, and so on. "Sometimes, people even contact me, asking to shoot the eyes of their pets."
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#2
Husky Dog
Delonnie Torres 5 years ago
a husky dog is a snow dog right,well this eye looks like a snowflake my mind is blown!
"The eyes of every animal is the result of it adapting to its living conditions. That's the reason why there are so many eye types. Water animals have completely different eyes than those living on earth, too. I think this is what makes the animal eye series so interesting to the viewer."
Manvelyan also started a game with his online followers. When he would upload a new photo, he'd ask his Facebook and Instagram fans to guess what species the eye belongs to. "Interestingly, it can become quite a tough challenge."
#3
Alaskian Malamut
AzKhaleesi 5 years ago
it looks like a volcano in the middle of a deserted island ..... gorgeous
Being so close to animals, however, is a challenge of its own. For example, Manvelyan spent an hour with a llama in her cage, trying to make her familiar with him and to allow him to get within the required distance for the right shot. "I would like to stress that all animals included in the series were alive and no animal was hurt in any way during shoots," the photographer added.
He wouldn't disclose any technical aspects of these shoots as he spent a lot of time and effort perfecting the setup for this particular series, but said the most interesting part of it all was realizing that nearly all people have the same eye structure. "It doesn't matter if you are young or old, white or black."
#4
Long-Eared Owl
Marissa Wyatt 5 years ago
wow, the texture on the eyes looks strange. this is so beautiful and i appreciate the person that took these greatly.
Matthew Greene 5 years ago
Pretty sure that's a reflection of the light used.
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Cybele Spanjaard 5 years ago
The colours of different species is so interesting, nocturnal versus daylight.The photo capturing the tiny blood vessels in this owl's eyes is amazing.
Kimberley Thomas 5 years ago
The orange looks like knitted or crocheted. Or maybe toasted cheese.
#5
Horse
Darwinist 5 years ago
The line shape is so the horse can see side to side and even a little bit behind to see dangers.
Load More Replies... Pauline Bennett 5 years ago
I knew the pupil of a horse was not round, and kind of oblong I can't figure out what the two knobby thing in the middle are of course most horses eyes are brown. Just amazing.
Rcatheron 5 years ago
Corpora nigra, or inner eyelashes, sort of. The help block the sun, kind of like an awning.
Load More Replies... Monika Soffronow 5 years ago
Hah! I hadn't realized until now that horses are extraterrestrial. My bad.
Kat Rogers 5 years ago
I see something like a Mountain Scape~ Maybe the horse wants to go out for a ride.
katboxjanitor 5 years ago
This shape of the iris is what gives horses and their cousins the wide-angle of vision necessary for their survival as prey animals. I have read the description of their eye structure, but SEEING it as art!!!
#6
Nylus Crocodile
Monika Soffronow 5 years ago
No, sir, that is not what I want to be the last thing I will ever see.
Tracy Flavelle 5 years ago
Stunning colour and looks like a pic of the surface of a swamp covered with water plants. Stunning!
#7
Tokay Gecko
Darwinist 5 years ago
It is supposed to ascorbe light like a black hole for maximum sight.
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Monika Soffronow 5 years ago
There is a little gecko who has made his home in the compost I have going in a cardboard box on my kitchen balcony. He makes a fast getaway every time I add something and he is growing bigger. Now I know what his eyes look like when he stares at me. I call him Oscar.
DraconicLightning 5 years ago
Isn’t it Tokay Gecko? Also, it’s amazing how small scales get (looking at the left and top of eye)
katboxjanitor 5 years ago
Wow, the iris and the skin surrounding the eye are fascinating. Kind of like a bay door opening in a SciFi movie!
Cybele Spanjaard 5 years ago
Scales seem to extend to the iris structure with interesting shape of the retina
Teri Campisi 5 years ago
It looks like dry leather that is very thin in the center and ripped!
#8
Rockfish Eye
Cybele Spanjaard 5 years ago
I assume fish do not adjust their sight easily under water. Colours are lovely
Melannie Banuelos 5 years ago
it looks like Jojo Siwa threw up in its eye but its very pretty i got to say
#9
Blue-Yellow Macaw Parrot
AzKhaleesi 5 years ago
awww I have a blue and gold macaw I need to look at her eyes more often lol.
Tracy Flavelle 5 years ago
I so miss my blue and gold macaw Ra. I love staring into her beautiful eyes...what gentle soul she was😔
#10
Porcupine Fish
Pauline Bennett 5 years ago
Fish or some fish seem to have a bubble over there eye. It's like there staring at you.
Johanne Trudeau 5 years ago
The eye looks angry or a heart depending on which you see first...
#11
Camel
Denise Mclean 5 years ago
Camels, Lama, Alpaca's all have Beautiful Eyes and Eyelashes. To me their eyes make there whole face really special !
Cybele Spanjaard 5 years ago
I wonder what the unusual excess pointed parts do. Filter out sand or other desert fine objects? The horse has two upper extensions a little similar idea but different design
#12
Hippo
Marilyn Holt 5 years ago
Amazing. I would love to have some scientific descriptions to go along with these photos. How and why the eyes are the way they are.
Monika Soffronow 5 years ago
Nope. I am not going to say what came into my mind. I am not. Joking aside, this must be in bright sunlight out of the water. I suppose it needs to take in a lot of light in order to see well in mucky river waters.
katboxjanitor 5 years ago
I think the pupil is contracted because of the relatively direct light used to take this image - the pupil is probably more relaxed underwater and walking around on land. OR that is really an ewok looking out from the control room of their personnel carrier.
#13
Ray
Ziusudra Dahmer 5 years ago (edited)
Not a canopy, its a way in which to direct focus.
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#14
Crane
CCTheVampire 4 years ago
Somehow, I read that as the eye of Sharon... Nightmare fuel.
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Martz Migraña 5 years ago
Is it weird feeling the urge to lick that eyeball?, Asking for s friend 😬
Cybele Spanjaard 5 years ago
VERY bright colours. Nature must have had a purpose when creating so many different eyes as well as bodies of our planet's live creatures.
#15
Chinchilla
Johanne Trudeau 5 years ago
I was going to say the same thing...Hahaha!!!!
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#16
Chimpanze
Monika Soffronow 5 years ago
"Ever since researchers sequenced the chimp genome in 2005, they have known that humans share about 99% of our DNA with chimpanzees, making them our closest living relatives." https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2012/06/bonobos-join-chimps-closest-human-relatives
#17
Anolis Lizard
Cybele Spanjaard 5 years ago
Into the void..extraordinary, even to the scales or reflections of inner ones on the iris
#18
Gecko Eublepharis
#19
Cat
Kat Rogers 5 years ago
There are a number of Cat Eye Shapes~ There's no indication of the color of the cat... THIS Person is Not a Cat Lover. lol
Teri Campisi 5 years ago
My cat has eyes that shape.I think she us part Siamese. I know she is part Munchkin!
#20
Black Rabbit
#21
Fennec Fox
Pauline Bennett 5 years ago
This is the strangest so far they see exceptionally well. I looks muscular and cunning.
Catherine Brady 5 years ago
Amazing contrast between earthy and metallic textures with an asymmetrical pupil.
#22
Blue Crayfish
#23
Discus Fish
Cybele Spanjaard 5 years ago
This red is stunning. I wonder if there is a purpose in the colours in eye of all creatures?
#24
Husky Dog
Denise Mclean 5 years ago
Nice Eye, looks like a planet with some kind of burst or radiation all around it .
Avery S Alberico 5 years ago
The Eyes seem to reflect their ideal environment, like, the husky likes tundra, but there is a bit of a different breed, so this dog also likes the dirt or mud
FireStone Beware 5 years ago
I love Huskies. And their eyes. They all have blue, brown, blue-brown, or one of each colored eyes and they look absolutely stunning.
Teri Campisi 5 years ago
#2 was also a Husky but this one looks like it may have a bruised blood vessel or something
Hope Cochran 5 years ago (edited)
Nope. That's the way some of their eyes are
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#25
Armenian Muflon
juice 5 years ago
i didn't know what that was so i looked it up. it's a type of wild sheep 50d8531e88bd0.jpg 
Pauline Bennett 5 years ago
What a large pupil the iris looks kind of coarse, but i imagine it is soft. I some how looks sad.
#26
Coral Zebra Fish
#27
Garden Boa, Python
Cybele Spanjaard 5 years ago
Reptiles have similar colours but varied design. This one appears very unlike many.
Colin Mochrie At Its Finest 5 years ago
Came i to the comments to see how many times "butt was said"
#28
Tiger Python (Non Albino)
Ninja Kitty 5 years ago
HOW DID YOU GET SO CLOSE TO THIS BEAUTIFUL TIGER PYTHON WITHOUT IT HURTING YOU -cough- but that's a really Cool looking eye
Chelle R. 5 years ago
That's exactly what I was wondering too especially since the 1st picture of a snake didn't strike!!
Load More Replies... #29
Siam Cat
#30
David's Deer
Lorraine R 5 years ago
Père David's deer (Elaphurus davidianus), native to China, were extinct in the wild until the 14th Duke of Bedford donated several to China from a herd built up by his great-grandfather.
Load More Replies... Cybele Spanjaard 5 years ago
This reminds me of a fringe on a mat, some stitching showing as well
Denise Mclean 5 years ago
Looks like a someone made the material ready now for the zipper to be put in.
Robin Syr 5 years ago
There seems to be a big difference between the land mammals. Predators have very different eye formations than prey.
Demongrrrrl 5 years ago
Predators' eyes look straight ahead, to focus on what they are hunting. Prey animals' are farther apart, which makes it easier to watch for predators trying to sneak up on them.
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Raven
#32
Flying Possum
#33
Snail
#39
Owl
#40
Kramer's Parrot
#43
Macaca Rezus
#44
Siam Cat
Scyth 5 years ago
This is a little weird. Maybe it looks like that because it is distorted by the refraction.
Laura Lawson 5 years ago
This is a side view rather than the front on view of the others.
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#47
British Short Hair Cat
#48
Duck
#59
Fish
#61
Gofer
#74
Snake: The Garden Boa
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What do you think ?
Oskar vanZandt 5 years ago
A lot of these are so alien yet so familiar too- there's no mistaking that all of these are eyes.
Monika Soffronow 5 years ago
What fascinates me more than anything else is how similar all these forms of life are. Usually two eyes, a heart on the left side, four limbs, etc. And then there are humans that still prefer to be willfully ignorant and to dismiss science altogether. I doubt there is any longtime hope for mankind.
Oskar vanZandt 5 years ago
A lot of these are so alien yet so familiar too- there's no mistaking that all of these are eyes.
Monika Soffronow 5 years ago
What fascinates me more than anything else is how similar all these forms of life are. Usually two eyes, a heart on the left side, four limbs, etc. And then there are humans that still prefer to be willfully ignorant and to dismiss science altogether. I doubt there is any longtime hope for mankind.
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