Lichens are symbiotic partnerships between fungi and algae. They are a shining example of nature's creativity, turning rocks bright orange, lemon yellow, gray-green, and ink-black.

After years of chasing grand landscapes, photographer Zhang Zhengguo of Otog Banner set aside wide-angle views and turned to macro photography. In these macro images, tiny organisms become pure abstract paintings.

Lichens grow extremely slowly; every patch takes years to form. Their random spread follows a precise symbiotic order: fungi build the framework and absorb water, while algae carry out photosynthesis.

Crustose lichens look like cracked ancient earth, foliose lichens like miniature pine forests, and fruticose lichens like tiny coral reefs. With a shallow depth of field, their three-dimensional texture contrasts beautifully with the rough stone.

Lichens are able to survive extreme cold and drought, dissolving rock into soil with microscopic acids while growing stubbornly at a rate of just "centimeters per century".

For Zhang, giving up grand scenes is also a way of settling his photographic mind. The series suggests that we do not need to travel far to find wonders. If we are willing to bend down and magnify, every inch of an insignificant rock may contain a vast universe. Learning to "see" the small is the true power of photography.

About the photographer:

Zhang is a member of the China Photographers Association, a council member of the Inner Mongolia Photographers Association, vice-chairman of the Ordos Photographers Association, and chairman of the Otog Banner Photographers Association.

Text/Photos: Zhang Zhengguo