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What do you call a photographer who can’t stop fantasizing about rare macro critters? Well, for Marcelo Johan Ogata, his nickname “Bug Dreamer” is especially appropriate.

Marcelo has taken his experience photographing land critters—grasshoppers, spiders, praying mantis, and butterflies—to the underwater realm. In his images, you’ll see the same studio-like attention to detail to focus on patterns, contrast, and behavior. What else would you expect from a “bug dreamer” both underwater and above?

In 2013, he founded a project of the same name with the goal of sharing detailed, up-close images of rare critters, not only for fellow photographers, but also marine biologists and the non-diver. To date, he has explored more than 35 countries and photographed hundreds of subjects for the project.

Of course, along his travels, Marcelo has stumbled upon some pretty awesome non-macro subjects—from mantas and turtles to pristine reef scenes. Among his favorite recent destinations, two unlikely spots stand out with fantastic imagery: Mabul, Malaysia and Okinawa, Japan.  
 

Marcelo prides himself on being a macro photography fanatic, like with this beautiful nudibranch
 

Kiss me! A boxfish hovers against a black background
 

A small pufferfish hides inside a sponge
 

This mantis shrimp has fantastic coloration, making it a great macro subject
 

Marcelo was fortunate enough to capture this flatworm floating in the middle of the water column
 

It’s not all about the small stuff: Here, Marcelo captures an image with a nurse shark and southern stingray in a seagrass bed
 

A manta ray swoops overhead
 

The iconic shape of a turtle makes for a great silhouette subject
 

Marcelo gets ready to enter the water to take some sweet macro snaps
 

For more of Marcelo’s work, make sure to visit www.BugDreamer.com and follow his imagery on Instagram or Facebook.