The invisible beauty of flowers.

(Source: Dailymail)

These cutting-edge images reveal the usually invisible beauty of flowers, zooming right in on their vibrant colours and quirky textures. Japanese artist Susumu Nishinaga uses a scanning electron microscope to delve into the fabric of petals, leaves and pollen, creating a stunning collection of plants from sunflowers to pansies.

The Japanese artist then 'colours the images in' using a computer to show off remarkable textures that cannot be seen with the naked eye. Mr Nishinaga said: 'Almost everything on earth has been captured by photographers, but there is unknown beauty still waiting to be discovered in the micro world. The eye-opening collection includes geranium pollen, aubergine flower petals, pansies, lilies and the hibiscus plant.

Mr Nishinaga originally trained as a graphic designer at university. Whilst there he visited a lab and saw a scanning electron microscope being used first-hand. He was allowed a go on the machine and became hooked.

The high-cost equipment is able to produce images of the tiniest particles by scanning it with a focused beam of electrons. Mr Nishinaga has since had many books published and exhibitions commissioned in his native Japan.