Богомол

In the soft glow of diffused light, a praying mantis stands sentinel on a withered flower, its long antennae twitching as it scans the air. The blurred backdrop of greens and golds suggests a late summer garden, where stillness is broken only by the faint rustle of leaves. This moment captures the creature’s predatory patience—its rapt attention, its body aligned with the stem, a perfect fusion of form and function. The dried seed head, once vibrant, now serves as a natural throne, emphasizing the cycle of life and decay. Photographer Cheplenko Aleksey frames the scene with a shallow depth of field, drawing the viewer into the mantis’s world of quiet observation and readiness.