A Hidden Gem at the Museum of Nature: Macro-Photography

While recently visiting the Nature Museum, I briefly sneaked out from my excited preschooler (“Dinosaurs! Bugs!”) and took some time to see the “Canadian Wildlife Photography of the Year” exhibition. This annual photo exhibition (now in its seventh edition) presents the winners of the 2014 Canadian Geographic Wildlife Photography of the Year contest. It is indeed a fabulous photo exhibition.

My favorite: A half-underwater-half-over-water shot of a Sockeye Salmon run! Very unique and almost abstract.

But I have to say, what impressed me even more was the little exhibition in the Stone Wall Gallery, which is unfortunately hidden in the Nature Museum's basement. Absolutely stunning and fascinating macro photographs of beetles, like I have never seen before. The exhibit “Beetles in Focus” includes 18 macro photographs of real specimens from the museum's national collection. The detail is just amazing – but also the aesthetics! I would say it is a hidden gem at the Nature Museum; and totally worth a visit (even without the dinosaurs).

Facts:

Canadian Wildlife Photography of the Year
May 8, 2015 – March 20, 2016

Beetles in Focus
Stone Wall Gallery (in the basement)
No dates for that show posted on the Nature Museum's website (probably a permanent exhibit)

Museum of Nature, Ottawa
www.nature.ca