Christopher Marley’s graceful photographs of exotic insects are stunning works of art. After a childhood fraught with fear of all creatures skittering about on more than four legs, Marley has spent much of his adult life studying bugs with increasing fascination. He makes frequent forays to locations far removed from his Oregon home to select the most beautiful and extraordinary species on Earth.

Here, four of Marley’s exquisite portraits and assemblages—a wasp and a frog-leg beetle, both from Borneo; damselflies from Malaysia and Thailand; and stag beetles from Borneo, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Myanmar—are transformed into elegant embossed images. These and many more are showcased in full color in Pomegranate’s 2008 book Pheromone.