For Thai photographer Visarute Angkatavanich, watching Siamese fighting fish drift and dart for hours on end is a tranquil escape from the structure of commercial photography.

“Every element in the photo has to have reasoning – why this color, why use a girl or boy in the ad,” Angkatavanich told Raw File. “But when it comes to a hobby or fine art, I have my own right to do anything I want with no explanations, just do what I like to see.”

Angkatavanich uses a macro lens and a Nikon D800 to capture time-frozen portraits of bettas in motion. After carefully tending to the water and glass until both are crystal clear and dust-free for macro shooting, Angkatavanich “finds a good seat” and clears his mind as he patiently composes his images.

“If you think about other things, you’ll miss the moment,” Angkatavanich said.

Obviously, a big part of Angkatavanich's process is going to the pet store, which he likens to going to a modeling agency. He says he’s not always star-struck by the most expensive fish and instead looks for the most photogenic. Once a photo shoot is wrapped up, he adds the fish to his collection.

Angkatavanich’s images are undeniably dazzling; a hyper-focused macro series like this is rarely a dud. There’s a lot to be said for the patience, concentration and creativity this type of project requires.

Do you have an ongoing macro series you’d like to share? Tweet us at @DuggalNYC.

All images © Visarute Angkatavanich