First published 2022
David Liittschwager spent decades creating specialized techniques to photograph three elusive marine creatures. His methods capture the pulsating bioluminescence of jellyfish, the translucent forms of octopuses, and the delicate movements of seahorses. Traditional photography fails with these subjects, but Liittschwager developed portraiture approaches that reveal their hidden qualities. This collection presents 200 of his most successful images alongside essays from science writers Elizabeth Kolbert, Jennifer Holland, and Olivia Judson. The writers explain how creatures without brains or bones experience their environment and describe the advanced cognitive abilities of these spineless animals. Readers encounter a half-inch seahorse, a moon jelly creating snowflake-shaped clones, and the blinking comb jelly that may represent Earth's most ancient living species. The book documents current marine science research while showcasing the beauty of these rarely seen and threatened animals.
Genres: science, nature, art, animals, non-fiction, biology, photography
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: nature-documentary
256 pages · Hardcover · National Geographic