Vibrant Photography Exhibition reveals the beautiful side
of butterflies and other insects at the Fernbank Museum.
Award-winning nature and wildlife photographer
Bill Harbin of Rome, Ga. decorates Fernbank Museum’s walls with 33
astounding photos of bright flowers and fluttering insects in his
exhibition Winged Beauty: Butterflies and Other Insects.
A variety of insect photos illuminate the entry level walls with
vibrant, unbelievable colors. Delicate butterflies rest on sturdy
flowers, buzzing dragonflies glide motionlessly through the air, and
beetles feed on flowers covered in dew drops.
The crisp photos capture every microscopic detail, inviting viewers into
a bug’s world. When met eye-to-eye, the delicate, tender butterfly
suddenly becomes a dominant, aggressive creature, and tiny dew drops
become heavy weights.
Related Fernbank Museum Exhibits and Articles:
DeSoto Artifacts
Gecko Exhibit
Arabia at IMAX
“The world of insects dazzles in color and form,” said Harbin, who was
named Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2008 by Natural History Museum,
London and BBC Wildlife. Harbin also had three images published in
North American Nature Photography Association’s Annual Showcase
Competition 2010.
In one image, the fierce heat of a Florida afternoon rests on the fiery
petals of a gaillardia flower. The drooping tips of the flower petals
fade from yellow, to orange, to red and finally to deep burgundy
surrounding the base of the flower.
Harbin’s photographs magnify every small detail, including the
interaction between blossom and butterfly in one image that depicts
pollen escaping the gaillardia as a Great Southern White Butterfly
nectars the flower.
“Capturing this rapidly moving natural spectacle with still camera
images is challenging hard work at best,” said Harbin, who succeeds with
brilliant images that stop time and allow the beauty of nature to be
seen up close. “Most of these scenes lasted only a few seconds, a
moment as ephemeral as the average lifespan of these creatures, but now
frozen in time for lingering views.”
Winged Beauty: Butterflies and Other Insects is now on view at Fernbank
Museum of Natural History through September 6, 2010. The exhibition is
included with Museum admission, which is $15 for adults, $14 for
students and seniors, $13 for children ages 3 to 12, and free for Museum
Members and children under 3.
The exhibition is featured in conjunction with Geckos: Tails to Toepads,
a live animal exhibition featuring 80 live geckos and 18 species.
Visitors can experience the magnified world of more bugs by adding an
IMAX(r) film during their visit. Bugs! A Rainforest Adventure, showing
daily through September 30, follows the real-life adventure of a
butterfly, a praying mantis and a variety of other rainforest insects.
Value Pass tickets, which include Museum and IMAX(r) admission, are $23
for adults, $21 for students and seniors and $19 for children 12 and
under, and only $8 for members. Call 404.929.6400 to order Value Pass
tickets in advance.
Fernbank Museum of Natural History continues to be one of the top
Atlanta Attractions! It is located at 767 Clifton Road NE in Atlanta.
For tickets or visitor information call 404.929.6300.
For more information on Fernbank go here:
http://www.atlantagatoday.com/pmcparland/category/atlanta-blog/atlanta-attractions/fernbank-museum
