They often go unnoticed, are treated as a nuisance or can make some people's skin crawl.

But for one Lowestoft man, looking closer at these tiny creatures reveals their intricate beauty that makes for a subject he will "never get bored with".

Jamie Thorpe has been taking photographs of wildlife and nature for 20 years and has recently switched his focus from birds to insects, creating detailed close-up images using macro photography techniques.

Mr Thorpe, 45, said: "Insects are such an interesting subject and it's something I won't get bored of studying.

"It's all the different colours and textures and there is a multitude of variety of species to find - no two insects look the same.

"It's the element of surprise as well. Each time you go out you never know what you might find."

Macro photography uses a special lens and editing techniques to produce photos of small subjects at larger-than-life sizes.

Mr Thorpe, who is a self-employed painter and decorator, started exploring this new hobby just before the first lockdown and soon became hooked.

"With the macro lens you see more than you would with the naked eye and you get these incredible images" he said, adding: "I decided to buy a new camera and macro lens just before the pandemic, which was a good decision in hindsight as the time off work gave me space to develop my skills.

"At that level of magnification the depth of field is so shallow that you have to stack several images on top of one another in order to fully focus on the whole of the subject."

Minsmere nature reserve and Carlton Marshes are frequent haunts of Mr Thorpe but there is a wealth of opportunity in his back garden too.

He added: "I used to spend six to eight hours waiting by a river to spot a kingfisher.

"With insects you don't need to go far, they are right on your doorstep.

"There is a lot more awareness today about how important insects are. I'd like to think my pictures will make people think differently about them and appreciate the beauty of insects."

Mr Thorpe's insect photography can be followed on Instagram under the name Bug_Ninja.