TED2017
Levon Biss: Mind-blowing, magnified portraits of insects
Filmed:
Readability: 3.7
1,226,599 views
Photographer Levon Biss was looking for a new, extraordinary subject when one afternoon he and his young son popped a ground beetle under a microscope and discovered the wondrous world of insects. Applying his knowledge of photography to subjects just five millimeters long, Biss created a process for shooting insects in unbelievable microscopic detail. He shares the resulting portraits -- each comprised of 8- to 10,000 individual shots -- and a story about how inspiration can come from the most unlikely places.
Levon Biss - Photographer
With his "Microsculpture" series, Levon Biss photographs the incredible details of insects. Full bio
With his "Microsculpture" series, Levon Biss photographs the incredible details of insects. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
00:12
So, I had been a photographer
0
919
2797
00:15
for 18 years
1
3740
1434
00:17
before I began the Microsculpture Project.
2
5198
2394
00:19
And in that time,
I had shot global ad campaigns,
I had shot global ad campaigns,
3
7616
3378
00:23
I had the opportunity to photograph
some of my generation's icons,
some of my generation's icons,
4
11018
4181
00:27
and I was traveling the world.
5
15223
1656
00:29
I got to a point in my career
that I dreamed of getting to,
that I dreamed of getting to,
6
17428
3818
00:33
and yet, for some reason,
I still felt a little bit unfulfilled.
I still felt a little bit unfulfilled.
7
21270
3673
00:36
Despite the extraordinary things
I was shooting and experiencing,
I was shooting and experiencing,
8
24967
4189
00:41
they'd started to feel
a little bit ordinary to me.
a little bit ordinary to me.
9
29180
2900
00:44
I was also getting concerned
10
32104
1527
00:45
about how disposable photography
had started to feel in the digital world,
had started to feel in the digital world,
11
33655
4126
00:49
and I really wanted to produce images
that had a sense of worth again.
that had a sense of worth again.
12
37805
3859
00:53
And I needed a subject
that felt extraordinary.
that felt extraordinary.
13
41688
2399
00:57
Sometimes I wish
I had the eyes of a child.
I had the eyes of a child.
14
45774
2358
01:00
And by that I mean,
I wish I could look at the world
I wish I could look at the world
15
48156
2544
01:02
in the same as I did
when I was a small boy.
when I was a small boy.
16
50724
2253
01:05
I think there is a danger,
as we get older,
as we get older,
17
53473
2069
01:07
that our curiosity becomes
slightly muted or dulled by familiarity.
slightly muted or dulled by familiarity.
18
55566
5079
01:13
And as a visual creator,
one of the challenges for me
one of the challenges for me
19
61206
2719
01:15
is to present the familiar
in a new and engaging way.
in a new and engaging way.
20
63949
3086
01:20
Fortunately for me, though,
I've got two great kids
I've got two great kids
21
68805
2499
01:23
who are still curious about the world.
22
71328
1990
01:25
Sebastian -- he's still curious
about the world, and in 2014, in spring,
about the world, and in 2014, in spring,
23
73986
5125
01:31
he brought in a ground beetle
from the garden.
from the garden.
24
79135
2857
01:34
There was nothing particularly special
about this insect --
about this insect --
25
82016
2798
01:36
you know, it was a common species.
26
84838
2123
01:38
But he was still curious,
27
86985
1350
01:40
and he brought it up to my office,
28
88359
2408
01:42
and we decided to look at it
under his microscope.
under his microscope.
29
90791
2427
01:45
He had a little science kit for Christmas.
30
93242
2394
01:48
And this is what we saw.
31
96189
1478
01:51
Now, when I first saw this,
it blew me away.
it blew me away.
32
99210
2187
01:53
Up here -- this is the back
of the ground beetle.
of the ground beetle.
33
101421
3037
01:56
When I first saw it,
it reminded me of a galaxy.
it reminded me of a galaxy.
34
104482
2544
01:59
And all the time, this had just
been outside our window.
been outside our window.
35
107050
3351
02:02
You know, I was looking
for this extraordinary subject,
for this extraordinary subject,
36
110425
2685
02:05
and it took Seb's eyes and curiosity
to bring it in to me.
to bring it in to me.
37
113134
3503
02:09
So I decided to photograph it for him,
and this is what I produced.
and this is what I produced.
38
117362
3877
02:13
I basically asked myself
two simple questions.
two simple questions.
39
121263
2746
02:16
The first one:
40
124033
1166
02:17
Could I take all my knowledge and skill
of photographic lighting
of photographic lighting
41
125223
3818
02:21
and take that onto a subject
that's five millimeters long?
that's five millimeters long?
42
129065
3130
02:24
But also: Could I keep
creative control over that lighting
creative control over that lighting
43
132219
3631
02:27
on a subject that size?
44
135874
1716
02:29
So I practiced
on some other found specimens,
on some other found specimens,
45
137614
3306
02:32
and I approached the Oxford University
Museum of Natural History
Museum of Natural History
46
140944
3526
02:36
to see if I could have access
to their collection,
to their collection,
47
144494
2812
02:39
to progress the project.
48
147330
1478
02:41
And I went up there for a meeting,
49
149448
1798
02:43
and I showed them some of the images
that I'd been shooting,
that I'd been shooting,
50
151270
2876
02:46
and they could see
the kind of detail I was able to get.
the kind of detail I was able to get.
51
154170
3121
02:49
I don't think they'd ever really seen
anything quite like it before,
anything quite like it before,
52
157830
3279
02:53
and from that point forward,
they gave me open access
they gave me open access
53
161133
2502
02:55
to their entire collection
54
163659
1314
02:56
and the assistance of Dr. James Hogan,
their entomologist.
their entomologist.
55
164997
2870
03:02
Now, over the next two-and-a-half years,
56
170133
2054
03:04
I shot 37 insects from their collection.
57
172211
3044
03:07
And the way I work
58
175898
1708
03:09
is that I essentially split the insect
up into multiple sections,
up into multiple sections,
59
177630
4084
03:13
and I treat each one of those sections
like a small still life.
like a small still life.
60
181738
3808
03:17
So for example, if I was photographing
the eye of the insect,
the eye of the insect,
61
185570
3720
03:21
which is normally quite smooth
and dome-shaped,
and dome-shaped,
62
189314
2788
03:24
then I'd use a light source
that is large and soft and diffuse,
that is large and soft and diffuse,
63
192126
4379
03:28
so I don't get any harsh hot spots
on that surface.
on that surface.
64
196529
3341
03:33
But once my attention
turns over to a hairy leg,
turns over to a hairy leg,
65
201203
2759
03:35
that lighting setup
will change completely.
will change completely.
66
203986
2573
03:38
And so I make that one tiny section
look as beautiful as I possibly can,
look as beautiful as I possibly can,
67
206583
3637
03:42
and I work my way across the insect
68
210244
1824
03:44
until I have about 20 or 25
different sections.
different sections.
69
212092
2772
03:48
The issue with photography
at high magnification
at high magnification
70
216268
3837
03:52
is that there is inherently
a very shallow depth of field.
a very shallow depth of field.
71
220129
3245
03:55
So to get around that, what I do is,
72
223398
2763
03:58
I put my camera on a rail
73
226185
1442
03:59
that I can automate
to move 10 microns in between each shot.
to move 10 microns in between each shot.
74
227651
3343
04:03
That's about one-seventh the width
of a human hair.
of a human hair.
75
231018
2655
04:06
And then that provides me
with a deep stack of images.
with a deep stack of images.
76
234165
4139
04:10
Each has a tiny sliver of focus
all the way through.
all the way through.
77
238328
3061
04:13
And I can squash that down
78
241413
2096
04:15
to produce one image
that is fully focused from front to back.
that is fully focused from front to back.
79
243533
3431
04:18
So essentially, that gives me
25 sections that are fully focused
25 sections that are fully focused
80
246988
3545
04:22
and beautifully lit.
81
250557
1376
04:25
Now, each one of my images
82
253146
1542
04:26
is made up of anywhere
between 8- and 10,000 separate shots.
between 8- and 10,000 separate shots.
83
254712
4061
04:31
They take about three-and-a-half
weeks to create,
weeks to create,
84
259546
2577
04:34
and the file sizes on average
are about four gigabytes.
are about four gigabytes.
85
262147
4253
04:38
So I've got plenty of information
to play with when I'm printing.
to play with when I'm printing.
86
266424
3119
04:41
And the prints at the exhibition
are around the three-meter mark.
are around the three-meter mark.
87
269567
3650
04:45
In fact, I had a show
in Milan two weeks ago,
in Milan two weeks ago,
88
273241
2563
04:47
and we had some prints there
that were nine meters long.
that were nine meters long.
89
275828
2757
04:52
But, you know, I realize
90
280205
1176
04:53
that these images still have to work
in the digital world.
in the digital world.
91
281405
2908
04:56
There's no point in me putting
all my blood, sweat and tears
all my blood, sweat and tears
92
284337
3092
04:59
into these pictures
93
287453
1151
05:00
if they're only going to be showing
500 pixels on a screen.
500 pixels on a screen.
94
288628
3125
05:03
So with the help of Rob Chandler
and Will Cookson,
and Will Cookson,
95
291777
3541
05:07
we developed a website
96
295342
1794
05:09
that enables the viewer
to immerse themselves
to immerse themselves
97
297160
2805
05:11
into the full four-gigabyte files,
98
299989
2025
05:14
and they can explore
all that microscopic detail.
all that microscopic detail.
99
302038
3030
05:17
So if you have the time,
and I encourage you,
and I encourage you,
100
305523
2174
05:19
please visit microsculpture.net
101
307721
1767
05:21
and go and have a play.
102
309512
1515
05:23
It's good fun.
103
311051
1158
05:26
I first showed the work at Oxford,
104
314082
1942
05:28
and since then, it's moved on
to the Middle East.
to the Middle East.
105
316048
2924
05:30
It's now back in Europe
and goes to Copenhagen this month.
and goes to Copenhagen this month.
106
318996
3121
05:34
And the feedback has been great.
107
322141
2181
05:36
You know, I get emails, actually,
from all over the world --
from all over the world --
108
324926
4645
05:41
from teachers, at the moment,
who are using the website in school.
who are using the website in school.
109
329595
3155
05:44
The kids are using them on the tablet.
110
332774
1828
05:46
They're zooming into the pictures
111
334626
1701
05:48
and using it for art class, biology class.
112
336351
2227
05:50
And that's not something I planned.
113
338996
1754
05:52
That's just a beautiful offshoot
of the project.
of the project.
114
340774
2591
05:56
In fact, one of the things
I like to do at the exhibitions
I like to do at the exhibitions
115
344160
2858
05:59
is actually look at
the kiddies' reactions.
the kiddies' reactions.
116
347042
2077
06:01
And, you know, standing
in front of a three-meter insect,
in front of a three-meter insect,
117
349143
2723
06:03
they could have been horrified.
118
351890
1535
06:05
But they're not. They look in wonder.
119
353449
1886
06:07
This little chap here, he stood there
for five minutes, motionless.
for five minutes, motionless.
120
355359
3446
06:10
(Laughter)
121
358829
1462
06:12
And at the end of the day, actually,
at the end of the day at the exhibitions,
at the end of the day at the exhibitions,
122
360315
3913
06:16
we have to wipe down
the lower third of the big prints --
the lower third of the big prints --
123
364252
3021
06:19
(Laughter)
124
367297
999
06:20
just to remove
all those sticky handprints,
all those sticky handprints,
125
368320
2175
06:22
because all they want to do
is touch those big bugs.
is touch those big bugs.
126
370519
2816
06:27
I do want to leave you
with one final image, if that's OK.
with one final image, if that's OK.
127
375079
2831
06:29
This has to do with Charles Darwin.
128
377934
2049
06:32
One of the recent images
that I photographed
that I photographed
129
380007
2849
06:35
was this one here.
130
383548
1266
06:37
I'm talking about the creature
in the box, not my cat.
in the box, not my cat.
131
385977
2731
06:40
And this is a shield bug
132
388732
2759
06:43
that Charles Darwin
brought back from Australia
brought back from Australia
133
391515
3173
06:46
on the HMS Beagle in 1836.
134
394712
2328
06:49
And when I got it home,
135
397937
1764
06:51
I stood in my kitchen
and stared at it for about 20 minutes.
and stared at it for about 20 minutes.
136
399725
2869
06:54
I couldn't believe I was in possession
of this beautiful creature.
of this beautiful creature.
137
402618
3813
06:58
And at that moment, I kind of realized
138
406455
2269
07:00
that this validated the project for me.
139
408748
1863
07:02
The fact that the museum
was willing to risk me playing with this
was willing to risk me playing with this
140
410635
3478
07:06
kind of showed me
that my images had worth --
that my images had worth --
141
414137
2326
07:08
you know, they weren't disposable.
142
416487
1796
07:10
That's the image that I produced.
143
418922
1927
07:12
I often wonder, still,
when I look at this:
when I look at this:
144
420873
2126
07:15
What would Charles Darwin
make of these images?
make of these images?
145
423023
2480
07:17
Do you think he'd like his picture
of his shield bug? I hope so.
of his shield bug? I hope so.
146
425527
3598
07:21
So --
147
429149
1164
07:22
(Applause)
148
430337
4452
07:26
You know, I think it's strange in a way.
149
434813
1947
07:28
I'm a visual person,
I'm a creative person,
I'm a creative person,
150
436784
2058
07:30
but I still needed the eyes of a child
to find my extraordinary subject.
to find my extraordinary subject.
151
438866
3911
07:35
That's the way it was.
152
443665
1163
07:36
So all I can say is,
thank you very much, Sebastian;
thank you very much, Sebastian;
153
444852
2505
07:39
I am very, very grateful.
154
447381
1225
07:40
Thank you.
155
448630
1165
07:41
(Applause)
156
449819
5923
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Levon Biss - PhotographerWith his "Microsculpture" series, Levon Biss photographs the incredible details of insects.
Why you should listen
Levon Biss is a British photographer who works across many genres, including reportage, sport and portraiture. His passion for nature and photography have come together to create Microsculpture. For the project, a unique photographic process composites thousands of images using multiple lighting setups to create the final insect portraits. Each specimen was mounted on an adapted microscope stage, allowing close control over the position of the specimen in front of the camera lens. Most insects were photographed in about 30 sections, each section lit differently with strobe lights to accentuate the microsculpture of that particular area of the body. Each insect portrait is created from more than 8,000 separate images. In between his insect projects, Biss continues to photograph humans.
Levon Biss | Speaker | TED.com