Photographer takes horror movie-style portraits tiny parasites who look like they are smiling

These images may look like something out of a vintage horror movie – but they are actually real-life portraits of the faces of PARASITES.

Photographer Marcus DeSieno has snapped more than 20 distinct species for the bizarre project inspired by a childhood fear of tiny creatures.

Marcus – who snapped the project for artistic reasons rather than scientific – began the fascinating look at parasites in the winter of 2013.

Marcus DeSieno has snapped more than 20 distinct species of the parasites

Inspired by a childhood fear of tiny creatures, Marcus began looking at the parasites in 2013

He began with more basic creatures, such as tapeworms and ticks, before moving on to less-well-known parasites.

Marcus, 25, from Tampa in Florida, USA, takes the parasites to a laboratory at the University of South Florida.

He uses microscope to enhance his subjects up to 300,000 times before taking the picture – which can take up to a whole day.

Once the artist has an image he is satisfied with he works in a darkroom experimenting with different dry plate formulas until getting a vintage-looking work that compliments the parasite’s appearance.

Marcus, 25, takes the parasites to a laboratory at the University of South Florida.

He said: ““What you see looks like a face but in reality a tick’s eyes are on the back of its body.”

He said: “I’m an artist, not a scientist so I use photography as a tool to explore and investigate the world around me seeking the unseen.

“The original parameters of this project were to confront a deeply ingrained childhood fear of these invisible monsters through the process of collecting and cataloging them with photography.

“As an artist I don’t need to confine myself to scientific accuracy.

“What you see looks like a face but in reality a tick’s eyes are on the back of its body.

“I’m more interested in having people see a face and relate to an alien subject.”