I’m generally awestruck by the beauty of nature wherever I go, but sometimes a photographer highlights this beauty by allowing us to see nature through a different lens.
Bert Myers takes x-ray photographs of common plants, shells, and natural artifacts. He gives an exquisite peek into the architecture of the natural world.
See more on his site.
Scott Marr’s works are not only aesthetically compelling, but meticulously created with elements of nature. No oils and acrylics for him; all materials are taken from his outdoor surroundings.
Scott Marr uses natural pigments collected from the bush and farmlands including ochres, bark, charcoal, sap, flowers, berries, and the medium of fire to burn drawings (pyrography) onto paper and wood. Based on a love for drawing, Marr’s artwork looks into the world of what he calls “bio metamorphics” symbiosis, energy, or the “alchemy of nature”.
How beautiful, to use nature as a palette.
I’ve had this collection of pictures on my desktop for what feels like eternity. They are from my last shopping excursion in NYC. I think they give a fairly good idea of what my little eyes like to drink up along my travels. Here are a few of my favorite oddities hot spots.
Giant Robot is PACKED with adorable kitsch and random imported goodness. They also have art displays in the front of the store.
Atomic Passions looks like grandma’s attic…if you happen to have the most awesome grandmother in the history of the world.
Ah, Obscura…a favorite indeed. These antique acquisitions are nothing short of impressive. Wall-to-wall, floor-to-ceiling, the place is overflowing with amazing things to look at. My imagination gets lost in the stories contained in these pieces.
I never tire of looking around Evolution, which I’ve posted about before. On this particular day, the upstairs section was closed, so I missed checking out the incredible taxidermy specimens (which, for my own sanity I MUST believe died of natural causes…don’t ruin it for me).
Clearly, I like densely packed displays of meaningful objects! So beware, if I ever ask you to go “shopping,” I won’t be referring to 5th Avenue boutiques…there will be antiquated medical instruments and rotting dolls involved. Usually, anyway. I also like bookstores. 🙂
I’ve had Kate MacDowell bookmarked for a while, and I’ve looked at her gallery at least three or four times this week.
Her sculptures are stunning blends of anatomy and nature. Slightly macabre, always thought provoking…
AND, some can be illuminated for extra effect.
See the gallery here.
Jenny Lee Fowler is offering custom hand cut leaf silhouette portraits on her etsy site.
This delicate concept appeals to me; the ephemeral human form depicted with an even more fleeting captured slice of nature.
Memento mori!
More (and other portrait types) on her Etsy site.
I’m heading up to San Francisco for a long weekend in the near future, and while think of things to do, “flying over the area” never crossed my mind as an activity option. After reading about the salt ponds I’m rather tempted.
The palette of colors that makes the salt ponds such a vibrant sight reflects a complex ecosystem. Colors in salt ponds range from pale green to deep coral pink, and indicate the salinity of the ponds. Microorganisms create these spectacular colors, changing their own hues in response to increasing salinity.
In low-to mid-salinity ponds, green algae proliferate, lending the water a green cast. As the salinity increases, an algae called Dunaliella out-competes the other microorganisms in the pond, and the color shifts to an even lighter shade of green. In mid-to high-salinity ponds, high salt concentrations actually cause the Dunaliella to produce a red pigment.
Millions of tiny brine shrimp in mid-salinity ponds contribute an orange cast to the water. Halophilic (salt-loving) bacteria such as Stichococcus also contribute red tints to high-salinity brine. Weather can affect the colors of the ponds. When wind creates choppy conditions, the colors appear murkier. Heavy rain can dilute the brine, causing the colors to shift toward the hues found in lower-salinity ponds or even turn the water clear.
It’s almost as if nature intended to provide an artistic areal view of the bay.
Ah, the stuff of killer allergies…yet pollen looks so beautiful in an alien way.
Environmental Graffiti has a great post of microscopic pollen photography.
More photos and info here.
Sometimes nature puts photoshop to shame with its beautiful formations. Mark Shandro’s flickr photos feature an incredible iceberg that anyone nowadays would mistake for a digital manipulation.
The photo was taken at Los Glaciares National Park and rises about 12 feet above water.
Another beautiful shot…
Shandro has many gorgeous nature sets, if you’d like to explore.
You’ve got to check out this collection of Slime Mold photography. These fungi-like organisms grow exclusively on dead plants and soil (rarely larger than a centimeter or two).
These little structures are amazing!
Check out the rest here.
Skull-A-Day posted this wonderful submission from tsukinoblossom taken at the Montreal Orchid Expo.
Isn’t it wonderful when nature paints these tiny pictures for those who care enough to look closely?
Traditionally, orchids symbolize love, beauty and refinement. How interesting to throw a dash of the macabre into the mix.
See the rest of the orchid set here.
SheWalksSoftly 