When he is not busy with his long-term documentary projects, Romanian photographer Remus Tiplea turns his camera towards a subject close by. These damselflies – real-life versions of Pixar insect cartoons – have been photographed in his backyard in Negresti-Oas, Romania.

Damselflies are not rare. They live on every continent except Antarctica and it seems they have been around for more than 250 million years. What is rare is this face to face encounter with them. Tiplea’s photos focus on this insect we hardly ever notice exists, and the result is not only surprising and heart-warming, but also a reminder of what magical things one can see in our own garden, if we take a close enough look.

All photos © Remus Tiplea