Luminosity
Nature producing luminous pixels of its own.
- Medium
- Long-exposure photography
- Year
- 2015
- Location
- Limestone caves, North Island
- Subject
- Arachnocampa luminosa
- Covered by
- Wired, Smithsonian, National Geographic, Colossal, The Verge and more
I’m curious about colour, and as an artist I often use artificial light in my installations. However, there is something very compelling when you see nature producing luminous pixels of its own.
Arachnocampa luminosa is a species of glowworm endemic to New Zealand. These long-exposure photographs were captured in a number of limestone caves in the North Island, where thirty-million-year-old formations make a majestic backdrop to the bioluminescence.
12 images · click any to view
In the winter of 2015 the series went around the world, from Wired and Smithsonian to National Geographic. Some of the coverage:
- WiredJoseph Michael's glowworms
- SmithsonianCaptivating long-exposure photos of New Zealand's glowworm caves
- ColossalA New Zealand cave illuminated by glowing worms
- The VergeNew Zealand glow worms
- National GeographicThe glowworm caves, US and China editions
- Wired UKGlow-worm cave photos, New Zealand
- JuxtapozLuminosity by Joe Michael
- ScienceGlowworms harness surprising ingredient to keep their threads sticky
- PetaPixelStarry photos of glowworms in limestone caves
- Popular MechanicsUnderwater caves of New Zealand glow
- Travel + LeisureNew Zealand's limestone caves
- Feature ShootThe glow worms of New Zealand's limestone caves
- IFLScienceA New Zealand cave illuminated by glowing worms
- Bored PandaGlowworm caves in long-exposure photos
- Tabi Labo, JapanGlowworms
- Mistérios do Mundo, BrazilVocê nem imagina o que faz essa caverna ser tão brilhante