ECOLOGICAL PHOTOGRAPHY

I believe there to be 2 main obstacles to advancing the field of biomimicry. 

First, people do not take time to identify and study the species around them, which is necessary in order to draw from them secrets of their functions.

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Second, most proclaimed examples of biomimicry are connected to species that the majority of people do not typically encounter, which causes the field to seem distant and unfamiliar.

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These obstacles stifle the immense potential of biomimicry because they stifle the creativity of the community- of everyday people- who are the key to new discoveries. More innovations will spark when more people work towards sparking them. The question is then, how do we overcome these obstacles?

That is where this project comes in.

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By focusing on typical, recognizable species with which people interact daily, I aim to rekindle the magic and potential in the 'ordinary'. Photography is simply the way in which I do that. Not only does it provide accessibility to study species, it does so in a way that showcases their natural artistic qualities.

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Every creature and plant has the potential to inspire, if only we take the time to understand how.

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What is Biomimicry? 

Biomimicry literally means the imitation of life. This is derived from the Greek bios (life) and mimesis (imitation). Nature has already solved many of the problems we are grappling with. After billions of years of nature's research and development, failures are fossils, and what surrounds us is the secret to survival. It's like having the answers in the back of the book. 

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Drawing upon nature’s designs, one is able to find more efficient and sustainable ways of accomplishing a task, usually as the inspiration for innovation. This is based on the belief that we can find the solutions to all our needs as passengers on Planet Earth by learning from the plants, animals and natural processes that are all around us. Since all organisms currently living on this planet have been perfected through evolution, their functions have developed to be the most sustainable they could be, according to the ten unifying laws of nature:

• nature uses only the energy it needs and relies on freely available energy. 

• nature recycles all materials.

• nature is resilient to disturbances. 

• nature optimizes rather than maximizes. 

• nature rewards cooperation.

• nature runs on information. 

• nature uses chemistry and materials that are safe for living beings.

• nature builds using abundant resources, incorporating rare resources only sparingly.

• nature is locally attuned and responsive.

• nature uses shape to determine functionality.

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Drawing from nature, biomimicry not only makes our designs beautiful, but sustainable and effective.

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