Beauty Through the Microscope: Bugs Like You’ve Never Seen Them Before | Short Film Showcase

when I first started the project I

when I first started the project I started at home first specimens are

started at home first specimens are

started at home first specimens are photographs my boy it caught me in the

photographs my boy it caught me in the

photographs my boy it caught me in the garden the macro photography suited my

garden the macro photography suited my

garden the macro photography suited my working lifestyle at the time my

working lifestyle at the time my

working lifestyle at the time my commercial work is portrait photography

commercial work is portrait photography

commercial work is portrait photography essentially but I specialized in sport I

travel quite a lot so I needed a project

travel quite a lot so I needed a project that would always be there every time I

that would always be there every time I

that would always be there every time I came back from a trip and also I didn’t

came back from a trip and also I didn’t

came back from a trip and also I didn’t have a huge amount of space so I needed

have a huge amount of space so I needed

have a huge amount of space so I needed to shoot something small I wanted to see

to shoot something small I wanted to see

to shoot something small I wanted to see how I could take my commercial

how I could take my commercial

how I could take my commercial techniques of lighting into that world

initially Levon came to us and he had

initially Levon came to us and he had some photographs of people’s and flies

some photographs of people’s and flies

some photographs of people’s and flies and these kind of things and they looked

and these kind of things and they looked

and these kind of things and they looked amazing and then I showed him the files

amazing and then I showed him the files

amazing and then I showed him the files on the computer I went sumit into the

on the computer I went sumit into the

on the computer I went sumit into the picture zooming into the picture zooming

picture zooming into the picture zooming

picture zooming into the picture zooming into the picture until he saw the detail

into the picture until he saw the detail

into the picture until he saw the detail in the images I was immediately blown

in the images I was immediately blown

in the images I was immediately blown away by them at the way they were lit

away by them at the way they were lit

away by them at the way they were lit and the incredible amount of detail it

and the incredible amount of detail it

and the incredible amount of detail it was in the images but I thought well

was in the images but I thought well

was in the images but I thought well there are some other things that would

there are some other things that would

there are some other things that would look even better this is the second

look even better this is the second

look even better this is the second largest insect collection in Britain

largest insect collection in Britain

largest insect collection in Britain these ones here all dotted down the side

these ones here all dotted down the side

these ones here all dotted down the side and the specimens had to be interesting

and the specimens had to be interesting

and the specimens had to be interesting shapes or colors not too big not too

shapes or colors not too big not too

shapes or colors not too big not too small clean or cleanable in the tiniest

small clean or cleanable in the tiniest

small clean or cleanable in the tiniest amounts of dirt picked up in the

amounts of dirt picked up in the

amounts of dirt picked up in the photographs we probably rejected about

photographs we probably rejected about

photographs we probably rejected about 99% of the museum’s collection I had

99% of the museum’s collection I had

99% of the museum’s collection I had trouble finding one of those that wasn’t

trouble finding one of those that wasn’t

trouble finding one of those that wasn’t broken

broken

broken I’ll see you in a month it’s a real

I’ll see you in a month it’s a real

I’ll see you in a month it’s a real privilege for me to be playing with

privilege for me to be playing with

privilege for me to be playing with these things and it’s very trusting of

these things and it’s very trusting of

these things and it’s very trusting of the museum to lend me them working and

the museum to lend me them working and

the museum to lend me them working and shooting with microscope lenses turns a

shooting with microscope lenses turns a

shooting with microscope lenses turns a traditional photography process upside

traditional photography process upside

traditional photography process upside down for example I’ll just photograph an

down for example I’ll just photograph an

down for example I’ll just photograph an antenna and I’ll light that and tonight

antenna and I’ll light that and tonight

antenna and I’ll light that and tonight so it looks the best as it possibly can

so it looks the best as it possibly can

so it looks the best as it possibly can once I move on to the next section

once I move on to the next section

once I move on to the next section for example the eye the light will

for example the eye the light will

for example the eye the light will change completely and work my way across

change completely and work my way across

change completely and work my way across the whole body of the insect until I end

the whole body of the insect until I end

the whole body of the insect until I end up with 30 different sections each

up with 30 different sections each

up with 30 different sections each photograph individually work with

photograph individually work with

photograph individually work with microscope lenses inherently gives you a

microscope lenses inherently gives you a

microscope lenses inherently gives you a very very shallow depth of field and

very very shallow depth of field and

very very shallow depth of field and therefore we have to take many many

therefore we have to take many many

therefore we have to take many many pictures so I’ll program my closest

pictures so I’ll program my closest

pictures so I’ll program my closest focal point and then I’ll program my

focal point and then I’ll program my

focal point and then I’ll program my focal point that’s furthest away so the

focal point that’s furthest away so the

focal point that’s furthest away so the camera will then move forward on the

camera will then move forward on the

camera will then move forward on the rail automatically take a picture and

rail automatically take a picture and

rail automatically take a picture and then move forward again ten microns to

then move forward again ten microns to

then move forward again ten microns to give you an idea of how far that is the

give you an idea of how far that is the

give you an idea of how far that is the average hair on a human head is 75

average hair on a human head is 75

average hair on a human head is 75 microns so most my final image is made

microns so most my final image is made

microns so most my final image is made up of somewhere between eight and ten

up of somewhere between eight and ten

up of somewhere between eight and ten thousand images once I have those images

thousand images once I have those images

thousand images once I have those images I then process them through various

I then process them through various

I then process them through various techniques and flatten them down so I

techniques and flatten them down so I

techniques and flatten them down so I have one sharp image so from the start

have one sharp image so from the start

have one sharp image so from the start of the process of photograph the insect

of the process of photograph the insect

of the process of photograph the insect to the final image is anywhere between

to the final image is anywhere between

to the final image is anywhere between two and three weeks work James and the

two and three weeks work James and the

two and three weeks work James and the museum were excited to see these

museum were excited to see these

museum were excited to see these pictures I don’t think they’ve seen

pictures I don’t think they’ve seen

pictures I don’t think they’ve seen anything quite like them before

anything quite like them before

anything quite like them before certainly not at this scale and not in

certainly not at this scale and not in

certainly not at this scale and not in this amount of detail now when I saw an

this amount of detail now when I saw an

this amount of detail now when I saw an entomologist excited about these images

entomologist excited about these images

entomologist excited about these images and they see a lot of pictures of

and they see a lot of pictures of

and they see a lot of pictures of insects

insects

insects you know anyways onto a good thing

you know anyways onto a good thing

you know anyways onto a good thing it was obvious that they had to be

it was obvious that they had to be

it was obvious that they had to be exhibited somehow this exhibition will

exhibited somehow this exhibition will

exhibited somehow this exhibition will allow people to see part of the museum’s

allow people to see part of the museum’s

allow people to see part of the museum’s collection that they wouldn’t normally

collection that they wouldn’t normally

collection that they wouldn’t normally see and it also allows people to

see and it also allows people to

see and it also allows people to experience the collection in a new way

experience the collection in a new way

experience the collection in a new way for the micro sculpture project I’ll

for the micro sculpture project I’ll

for the micro sculpture project I’ll have around 25 images and they could be

have around 25 images and they could be

have around 25 images and they could be printed large I’m feeling excited but a

printed large I’m feeling excited but a

printed large I’m feeling excited but a wee bit nervous

to see the first one after two years

to see the first one after two years coming off this science it’s great the

coming off this science it’s great the

coming off this science it’s great the exhibition is going to be a special

exhibition is going to be a special

exhibition is going to be a special experience for me I’ve got to know these

experience for me I’ve got to know these

experience for me I’ve got to know these little creatures quite well I’ve looked

little creatures quite well I’ve looked

little creatures quite well I’ve looked every single part of them for many many

every single part of them for many many

every single part of them for many many hours and to see them up being enjoyed

hours and to see them up being enjoyed

hours and to see them up being enjoyed by the public could be a nice experience

that is one big insect look at detail in

that is one big insect look at detail in there

there

there I just can’t believe how this image has

I just can’t believe how this image has

I just can’t believe how this image has come out the colors the saturation the

come out the colors the saturation the

come out the colors the saturation the vibrancy I’ve never seen anything like

vibrancy I’ve never seen anything like

vibrancy I’ve never seen anything like that before

that before

that before you see these structures you see lots of

you see these structures you see lots of

you see these structures you see lots of diesel and think that wire insects like

diesel and think that wire insects like

diesel and think that wire insects like that I hope that the exhibition will

that I hope that the exhibition will

that I hope that the exhibition will inspire future generations of

inspire future generations of

inspire future generations of entomologists to discover these things

entomologists to discover these things

entomologists to discover these things and come up with some more answers I’m

and come up with some more answers I’m

and come up with some more answers I’m nervous I’m excited to see the reaction

nervous I’m excited to see the reaction

nervous I’m excited to see the reaction from this so see the actual specimens

from this so see the actual specimens

from this so see the actual specimens themselves and then their their

themselves and then their their

themselves and then their their photograph at that size hopefully will

photograph at that size hopefully will

photograph at that size hopefully will be a unique experience whether the

be a unique experience whether the

be a unique experience whether the exhibition will be the end of this

exhibition will be the end of this

exhibition will be the end of this project I don’t know I’ve got a feeling

project I don’t know I’ve got a feeling

project I don’t know I’ve got a feeling it might only get a start

it might only get a start

it might only get a start you