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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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AnnieLaurie Burke 5 years ago
I think this is actually the eye of a LLAMA. The word LAMA is an honorific for a Tibetan spiritual leader, as in Dalai Lama. While some sources accept LAMA as the spelling for the animal, that's sloppy American-speak (along the lines of saying "he gave a gift to Jim and I"), and it is pronounced Ya-ma. Can't we have a little consideration for other languages and their speakers?
Heather Jerrie 5 years ago
Those flaps shade the eye from bright sunlight. They even fit together like fingers when the iris contracts, so light only comes in at each end!
Heather Jerrie 5 years ago
Apparently those folds shade the eye from bright sunlight. They even close together like fingers, so light just comes in at each end.
katboxjanitor 5 years ago
That is surreal, I love looking at animal eyes and their faces as well.
Pauline Bennett 5 years ago
Amazing - I wonder if the inner folds prevent dust from entering the eye.
Niki Colemont 5 years ago
How is this even posibble? This is the strangest thing i have ever seen in photography ! Well done man
Scyth 5 years ago
Protein structures are very different and can be anything and beautiful. It is truly fascinating, especially if you have an interest in biology like I do.
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Jeannette Treusch 5 years ago
Only in English. In Spanish (like spoken in South America, where these animals live), it's Lama.
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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
"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."
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.
#6
Nylus Crocodile
#7
Tokay Gecko
#8
Rockfish Eye
#9
Blue-Yellow Macaw Parrot
#11
Camel
#12
Hippo
#13
Ray
#15
Chinchilla
#16
Chimpanze
#17
Anolis Lizard
#18
Gecko Eublepharis
#19
Cat
#20
Black Rabbit
#22
Blue Crayfish
#23
Discus Fish
#24
Husky Dog
Denise Mclean 5 years ago
Nice Eye, looks like a planet with some kind of burst or radiation all around it .
#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 
#26
Coral Zebra Fish
#27
Garden Boa, Python
#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
#29
Siam Cat
#30
David's Deer
#31
Raven
#32
Flying Possum
#33
Snail
#39
Owl
#40
Kramer's Parrot
#44
Siam Cat
#47
British Short Hair Cat
#48
Duck
#59
Fish
#74
Snake: The Garden Boa
Add New Image
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.
Ezigma 5 years ago
Absolutely amazing. I've always been oddly attached to eyes. There's so much depth and meaning in them.
Jessica Cifelli 5 years ago
I find it interesting that all the herd type animals have similar sideways irises, but with subtle differences. The underwater fish eyes just look alien along with the close up snake eyes. Also neat is that the nocturnal animals have eyes that look like solar eclipses. Simply fantastic.
Jennifer Richelieu 5 years ago
Almost looks like we are looking through a telescope into mysterious space. Excellent photography.
BERCH PAPIKYAN 5 years ago
Another amazing accomplishment by an Armenian artist. The talented Armenians have been making an impact in the world for millennia.
Faith Nicole 5 years ago
Love this post..I have a weird thing for eyes so this was pretty awesome to look at
Christa Croft 5 years ago
Eye c what he was trying 2 do! No, we r the stuff of stars n no place do u c that clearer than in the eye!
Dorothy Cloud 5 years ago
I never ever thought there could be so many different eyes. I understand that distinct living environments would make a difference, but so, so different!
Ceredwyn Ealanta 5 years ago
I wonder if the more wrinkled look on the horizontal pupils is because smooth constriction and expansion is easier on a circular pupil?
Douglas Campbell 5 years ago
Very nice, although the textured lighting lens pretty much ruined it.
SeidWolf 5 years ago
Well i can see some of the technique. For one, an led light with a comb filter to produce tightly focused light. Its placed at a severe angle relative to the eye in order to maximize texture and dimensionality with longer shadow. Camera looks like its 60-90deg feom the light (which is why the light glare is often visible). I have to say i definitely like tge shots where light glare isnt visible. 👍
Isabella R.W. 5 years ago
Very fascinating, but I wonder how he/she was able to get a picture so close to the animals eyes.
Scott Hollingsworth 5 years ago
Tell me how God (the creator of the universe) is not real and all this happened my chance (in the face of entropy)! Just think of how complex the eye is and multiply that exponentially by the entire organisms that is functionally the same but infathomable in there differences. Think about that in an independent vacuum of evolution.
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.
Ezigma 5 years ago
Absolutely amazing. I've always been oddly attached to eyes. There's so much depth and meaning in them.
Jessica Cifelli 5 years ago
I find it interesting that all the herd type animals have similar sideways irises, but with subtle differences. The underwater fish eyes just look alien along with the close up snake eyes. Also neat is that the nocturnal animals have eyes that look like solar eclipses. Simply fantastic.
Jennifer Richelieu 5 years ago
Almost looks like we are looking through a telescope into mysterious space. Excellent photography.
BERCH PAPIKYAN 5 years ago
Another amazing accomplishment by an Armenian artist. The talented Armenians have been making an impact in the world for millennia.
Faith Nicole 5 years ago
Love this post..I have a weird thing for eyes so this was pretty awesome to look at
Christa Croft 5 years ago
Eye c what he was trying 2 do! No, we r the stuff of stars n no place do u c that clearer than in the eye!
Dorothy Cloud 5 years ago
I never ever thought there could be so many different eyes. I understand that distinct living environments would make a difference, but so, so different!
Ceredwyn Ealanta 5 years ago
I wonder if the more wrinkled look on the horizontal pupils is because smooth constriction and expansion is easier on a circular pupil?
Douglas Campbell 5 years ago
Very nice, although the textured lighting lens pretty much ruined it.
SeidWolf 5 years ago
Well i can see some of the technique. For one, an led light with a comb filter to produce tightly focused light. Its placed at a severe angle relative to the eye in order to maximize texture and dimensionality with longer shadow. Camera looks like its 60-90deg feom the light (which is why the light glare is often visible). I have to say i definitely like tge shots where light glare isnt visible. 👍
Isabella R.W. 5 years ago
Very fascinating, but I wonder how he/she was able to get a picture so close to the animals eyes.
Scott Hollingsworth 5 years ago
Tell me how God (the creator of the universe) is not real and all this happened my chance (in the face of entropy)! Just think of how complex the eye is and multiply that exponentially by the entire organisms that is functionally the same but infathomable in there differences. Think about that in an independent vacuum of evolution.
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