PhilosophySciencePsychologySocietyCulture
EssaysVideos

Popular

About
DONATENEWSLETTER
/
/
Aeon
DONATE/NEWSLETTER/
/

    The inadvertent art of tiny bodies – stunning, hidden patterns of animal movement

    A mesmerising confluence of biology, aesthetics and filmmaking, the ingenious nature photography of Dennis Hlynsky, professor at the Rhode Island School of Design, condenses frames of footage to reveal marvellous patterns in the activities of small creatures. The occasionally eerie effect shows the appearance of intricate trails in the wakes of insects and birds. Works of art in their own right, the clips also double as small-scale investigations into animal movement patterns and flock behaviour.

    Director: Dennis Hlynsky

    Website: Imagine Science Films

    7 March 2016
    Two beetles with translucent wings flying against a pink background.

    videoBiology

    Beetles take flight at 6,000 frames per second in this perspective-shifting short

    9 minutes

    Close-up photo of butterfly wing scales in shades of orange, pink, white and black arranged in a mosaic-like pattern.

    videoBiology

    Brilliant dots of colour form exquisite patterns in this close-up of butterfly wings

    3 minutes

    An insect with long legs and wings stands on a white surface against a blue background.

    videoBiology

    How insects become airborne, slowed down to a speed the human eye can appreciate

    8 minutes

    Microscopic image showing a close-up view of a butterfly’s proboscis covered with vibrant pink and orange structures.

    videoBiology

    Butterflies become unrecognisable landscapes when viewed under electron microscopes

    4 minutes

    Close-up of a vibrant moth with orange and black patterned wings against a green background.

    videoBiology

    There’s no one way for an insect to fly, but they’re all amazing in close up and slo-mo

    7 minutes

    A close-up of a rosy maple moth with yellow and pink furry body and wings, set against a pastel purple background.

    videoBiology

    Witness the majesty of moths taking flight at 6,000 frames per second

    5 minutes

    Abstract digital artwork with glowing circular shapes and bright colours, including red, orange and white, against a cloudy background.

    videoBiology

    How airborne microbes ride clouds, hop continents and even make it rain

    5 minutes

    Black and white photograph of a cloudy sky with swirling lines resembling bird flight patterns.

    videoBiology

    Starlings swoosh like brushstrokes across the sky in this dazzling short

    3 minutes

    Abstract image with a vibrant pink and purple swirling pattern, featuring a glowing orb in the lower right corner and organic, fluid shapes around it.

    videoChemistry

    A square inch in a Petri dish becomes a grand stage for chemical transformations

    4 minutes