bugbeast's Nature Photos

Nature photography blog of @bugbeast; bug pics present so beware, Box Ghost style

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art | reblogs | shop | ko-fi

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art blog | aesthetic blog | my ko-fi | my shop

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daffodils, dead nettles, and grape hyacinths

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Lonely little birdhouse

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R. I. P.

Okay, so I debated posting this because - and I think it's pretty obvious - that empty shell didn't happen to be on that piece of wood by chance. I found it nearby in the grass and put it there for the sake of a photo. I don't really like moving things around in nature unless I'm looking for life under rocks and logs, in which case I always put it back; or it's something that's not supposed to be there, like garbage.

It kind of got me thinking: Who am I to exploit this creature's remains for the sake of art? Is this just another example of humanity's hubris, thinking it's fine to put the corpse of a "lesser lifeform" on display for the entertainment of others? Would we be okay with a more advanced lifeform doing the same to one of us?

Or, has this singular gastropod been forever immortalized through the act of setting a scene and snapping a picture? Like an obscure artist that only becomes famous after their death, will this snail be remembered by the 3 people that like this post when they're thinking about aesthetic nature photos they've seen?

"That snail corpse photo looked pretty nice; wonder what it's life was like?"

Would a human even consider a snail worthy of such a thought? Are we worth that thought? Did an eventual gust of wind blow this shell back into the grass rendering my concerns ultimately irrelevant? Does it even matter? Does anything matter?

idk this is a nature blog not a philosophy blog lol

[ekmerald4]

As much as I understand this train of thought, I cannot fully go with it myself simply because I am not the least bit unsettled by the mental image of using a human corpse in a similar manner. Lol.

Still, at the core of this idea is a level of awareness for the way humanity views nature in general which I often find myself thinking about. It's quite literally ingrained in our nature at this point. The closer an organism is to us (the more humanoid, the more we can see ourselves in them – as long as they're not *too* close [people tend not to like monkeys much] the more empathy we regard them with). The average person will have a semblance of care for a dog or a cat (which are considerably expressive) but very little for a plant, for example. Insects, snails, and the likes fall into that same category.

I wouldn't feel too bad about moving the corpse, however, considering humans are at the end of the day, part of nature. We *are* supposed to leave an impact, a trace, evidence of our existence. Not because we are humans, but because we exist, and all existing beings get to leave something behind. Moving things around is the least harmful way we go around it.

As for doing it for the aesthetic – I think that's definitely the most complicated part. I don't know whether the way I view this is just my way of providing myself with a semblance of comfort, but if sentimentality is to be pushed away (which in and of itself is impossible, but looking at it theoretically) doing something like this might be unsettling, but ultimately harmless. Doing things for fun is how we are wired, and indulging in that pleasure is fine. From a moral standpoint, there is technically no harm in it unless we wish to regard this creature with the ethics and honor we might a human. That's where the problem arises, I assume. Still, you can consider it more like a funeral tradition. Think of it as a deceased's family clothing them elegantly before burrowing them into the earth. Placing the shell on a piece of wood is in a way finding beauty in a sad moment. Something we practice amongst each other with affection. That in itself is a sign of respect.

Yet there is no denying that when people make decisions like this, it's usually on a whim. Why? Because no matter what, most of us cannot fathom viewing something so other as *alive*. We know they're alive, but we struggle to process it. Much like we know that the sun is huge, but we can't truly grasp the size of it. And that in itself is a limit humanity has yet to surpass.

R.I.P

(forgive my yapping. You inspired me XD)

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Nymph of some kind; the shape suggests grasshopper, but I couldn't find any images online that match this exactly so I'm not sure of the species or if that's even what it is

Sure is cute, though

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[bugbeast]

_-~-_ My shop _-~-_

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Some art I made using some dandelions someone gave me

Check out my art (and I make board games, too!)

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Archway

[feralfaelife]

My parents' grove has a ton of downed branches that make archways. Not as curved and arched as this one, but similar enough. When I was little and we were visiting my grandma (it was her house before they bought it) I always pretended they were portals to another realm. I don't remember what I called it anymore, but I had a whole world thought out. My mom actually started writing a children's book about it (2nd-3rd grade level chapter book) and I'm hoping to get her to publish it someday.

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Maybe this archway does lead to a mystical fairy realm

But it was too small to crawl under so I'll never know :(

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moon

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Jumping spider paying its respects

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Low quality shelf fungus