Artistic macro photography?

[Anupam Basu]

I agree on all points and don't see a problem in your work. There is only a problem when one tries to pass something off as alive - and in macro photography that seems to happen a lot - especially with digicams and the infinite monkeys at typewriters approach (shoot-a-thousand-frames-and-one-will-be-in-focus) that they seem to encourage.

Best,
-Anupam

[DannL]

Might I humbly suggest some of the work from my own Angels and Insects series?

Bosaiya,

I wanted to say I have enjoyed your work indeed, for some time. Thank you for maintaining your web presence. "Your work specifically" has inspired some of my very own. I should hope to eventually obtain a level of "artistic talent and awareness" that rivals your own. So, watch out!

Dann

[Antje]

Would this qualify?

Cool. Yes, totally, IMHO.

Antje

[Bosaiya]

I agree on all points and don't see a problem in your work. There is only a problem when one tries to pass something off as alive - and in macro photography that seems to happen a lot - especially with digicams and the infinite monkeys at typewriters approach (shoot-a-thousand-frames-and-one-will-be-in-focus) that they seem to encourage.

Best,
-Anupam

That's always a problem whether in photography or otherwise. Part of the human condition, I think.

[Bosaiya]

Bosaiya,

I wanted to say I have enjoyed your work indeed, for some time. Thank you for maintaining your web presence. "Your work specifically" has inspired some of my very own. I should hope to eventually obtain a level of "artistic talent and awareness" that rivals your own. So, watch out!

Dann

The more the merrier, there's always room!

[Antje]

If you do not know it, I would highly recommend David Attenborough's series Life in the Undergrowth (along, of course, with Microcosmos mentioned before). It is simply stunning in terms of sheer photographic virtuosity but also in terms of beauty. There is a sequence of mating slugs, in episode III I think, which is the most beautiful, most passionate and most visually poetic sex scene I have ever encountered - and that includes humans! and hollywood's best shots! Now you probably think I am some hopeless insect nut, but do watch it - the smaller majority are beautiful. If we fail to capture that beauty, we need to try harder.

I absolutely agree. When I started with macro photography, I opened a whole new world for me. A world full of drama. Spider moms guarding their young, courting jumping spiders doing a flashy dance and then moving in with the female, hornets trying to chase me off with a wave of their front legs, weary young bumblebee queens trying to bring enough food home on rainy days, butterflies escaping birds with their sloppy flight acrobatics that somehow mostly do the trick - it's a richer world when you know what's going on in your backyard.

Antje

[darinwc]

I absolutely agree. When I started with macro photography, I opened a whole new world for me. A world full of drama. Spider moms guarding their young, courting jumping spiders doing a flashy dance and then moving in with the female, hornets trying to chase me off with a wave of their front legs, weary young bumblebee queens trying to bring enough food home on rainy days, butterflies escaping birds with their sloppy flight acrobatics that somehow mostly do the trick - it's a richer world when you know what's going on in your backyard.

Antje

I think thats my point.. There is alot going on in the micro world but %99.99 of the insect photographs i see are "look you can see the hairs on the head of this fly". The photos just dont stand on their own without a long description attached to them.

[Dan Fromm]

I absolutely agree. When I started with macro photography, I opened a whole new world for me. A world full of drama. Spider moms guarding their young, courting jumping spiders doing a flashy dance and then moving in with the female, hornets trying to chase me off with a wave of their front legs, weary young bumblebee queens trying to bring enough food home on rainy days, butterflies escaping birds with their sloppy flight acrobatics that somehow mostly do the trick - it's a richer world when you know what's going on in your backyard.

Antje

Antje, are you doing still photography or movies?

[Antje]

I think thats my point.. There is alot going on in the micro world but %99.99 of the insect photographs i see are "look you can see the hairs on the head of this fly". The photos just dont stand on their own without a long description attached to them.

I agree - but I also think that's because most people can't recognize for instance a threatening pose by an insect. Have a look at this one:



To me, it's perfectly clear that the ant is issuing a last warning to the lady bug. But how would you tell that to someone who can't read these animals?

In the light of the whole series: http://www.pbase.com/antjes/lady_bug
this might become more clear.

I actually think that it's easier with spiders. It's clear that this one is angry: Angry Spider while this one belongs to the most curious spider species you can meet: Curious Spider
And here I tried to show how vast a spider's realm is for that little critter: Vast More so if you are very small: Very small critter

To depict what happens and not what it looks like (and to make someone care about it) is the art of it, I agree. But with all things subjective, it depends a whole lot on who's watching. Being unable to see what moves an insect or a spider is to me almost as being blind to see what moves dogs.

Antje

[Antje]

Antje, are you doing still photography or movies?

Stills - and I know that's the point of it all, capturing what happens in just one picture.

EDIT: This is the defeated bumbler queen I was mentioning:

She fed on the shrubs there and took off later.

Antje