It was an ordinary day. Going through my email when I came across an email sent to me from National Geographic. It was titled "Seeing A Wondous Microworld Come To Life" which was presented by Whitney Johnson, Director of Visual and Immersive Experiences. The email featured five photographic frames of unbelievable micro photographs. Three of the frames featured two images. The images are so fantastic that I thought I should share them with you. I have loved the art of photography my entire life and even taught the art of photography in high school for over 30 years. Not once did I think you could take photographs as interesting and dramatic as the photos I have included with my story. The lenses that are made today are so much more sophisticated than anything available when I taught photography. I can imagine the cost of this technology and for most of us, if we don't take macro photographs as a living, the cost is more than likely prohibited. The email went on to tell me that there's a world you cannot see, but photographer Eduard Florin Niga has dedicated himself to bringing it you us. The photographs are of ants. Yes, ants! And after seeing his photographs about our world's microscopic wonders, you may not ever look at ants the same way again. Amen! In today's world, we think of ants as machine-like, unthinking workers and collaborate drones, but they show an amazing variety and distinctiveness which can be seen in the photographer's new book. The Gigantiops destructor, the tough looking critter with the two claw-like antennae pictured here, lives in South America and has the largest eyes, relative to head size, of any known ant species.
The photographer learned "how phenomenal their societies are and how much more sophisticated and interesting than ours." Examine the above photograph and you will agree.
The following micro-photographs show the Diacamma Rugosum, (left) a native to Borneo which is one of the only ant species to lack a queen. Instead, workers compete in long tournaments to determine who will be allowed to lay eggs. On the right is the Saharan silver ant which is one of the fastest ants in the world and can move its small body nearly three feet a second.
The image above left shows the Gnamptogenys bicolor, found in China and nearby countries. It has irridescent pockmarks on its head that may help serve as a form of camouflage. On the right is a leaf-cutter ant that farms fungus in underground chambers.
The left side of the photograph above is a Maricopa harvester ant found abundantly in Arizona and nearby states. These ants have potent venom, stronger than that of honeybees, which can cause intense pain. On the top right is the Polyrhachis beccarii worker, naive to Southeast Asia, covered in golden hairs.
 |
This guy is known as Darth Vader, the giant ant, Cepjhalotes stratus, which sometimes is called "the Darth Vader of the ant world." Its flat, broad head helps it glide between treetops in South American rainforests. As you can see, the photography is amazing. Would love to try using his macro lenses that he used to take these photographs. I so much enjoy when I get my emails from National Geographic. I never know what to expect, but am never disappointed. It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy. |
No comments:
Post a Comment