I photograph insects and flowers and other tiny, often-overlooked things because I would like people to really SEE how beautiful they are. I would like to think my images capture the individuality of each of these subjects. I attempt to create portraits of these individuals that express their character. By portraying them in this way, I hope to enhance appreciation for their beauty and a sense that they are fellow living things with an important place in our lives.
I sometimes think that my photography is an excuse to visit
magical places (often my back yard!) and sit quietly
observing the "bugfolk." I suppose it is a form of
meditation. It is pleasant to know that being able to see
wild animals in natural habitat is as close as just outside
my door! Their lives have the same drama and the same
heroic quality as animals featured in nature
programs--they're just played out on a miniature stage. It
is the sense of wonder at these tiny beings and their
individuality I would like to convey to people who may have
been too busy to notice it before. The brief lives of these
beautiful little creatures can, if we let them, remind us
of just how precious life really is in all its variety and
form.
Appreciation of insects
isn't a new phenomenon and it isn't limited to scientists
or eccentrics! Here is a poster I presented at the
Entomological Society of America meetings Cultural
Entomology session that may inspire you to look into how
insects were regarded by writers in the 18th and 19th
centuries.
