MY BUTTERFLY
Butterfly meets globalization
The cause of the dramatic decline of pollinators is the depletion of natural habitats through clearing, cultivation and agriculture, pesticide use, climate change. Tropical butterflies fly towards their downfall because rainforests are being replaced by palm oil plantations, for e.g., pizza, chocolate bars and skin creams.
Beside their biological functions in ecosystems, butterflies play a social and cultural role in human life. They are inspiration in art, music, religion, and technology. So, their health is directly linked to our own well-being.
The photographic concept of this series is closeness. The images are an analysis of what visually makes a butterfly: eyes, proboscis, antennae, wings, scales, hair, faces. In other words, this work is an exploration of the butterfly's body in all its glory.
The technical approach to this topic is focus stacking. With support of a computer-controlled high-precision motorized rail multiple exposures were made. Afterwards the frames were stacked together using a special software. The result of this procedure are photographs with an enormous depth of field.