Our story
The story of “Small Beings” begins with Jörn, who discovered his passion for macro photography due
to the restrictions of the coronavirus pandemic. From 2020 onwards, he slowly swapped his interest in architecture and
vast landscapes for the unknown world right on his doorstep. In the process, Jörn developed a deep fascination for the
tiny but impressive creatures that live right around us.
Jörn’s journey into macro photography was not just a technical challenge; it became an emotional experience. With his
Sony 𝛂7R v in hand, Jörn soon wanted not only to capture the sharp details of insect eyes, but to create expressive
compositions that would carry and convey a story. The reactions of friends and family to Jörn’s pictures were mixed and
ranged from fascination (”Look at those filigree compound eyes; simply incredible!”) to reserved skepticism (”Oh no, not
another one of those gross bugs”).
Difficulties in identifying the species quickly led Jörn to citizen science projects and other scientific resources.
Reading Dave Goulson’s “Silent Earth” deepened Jörn’s understanding of the acute loss of biodiversity. Working with
Patrick Gebhardt, the project “Small Beings” was born.
Jörn developed a process to turn a one-off encounter into a “sighting” and an image into a story. The core of his work,
as you can see in more detail below, was divided into 3 main phases: the careful sighting and recording of the small
creatures, the identification of the species using iNaturalist.org, and finally the
publication of the discoveries, often using wikipedia.org as the source of information. However, rather than creating an illustrated encyclopedia, Patrick’s mission is to give the little creatures an
individual voice.
With an impressive mix of artistic photography, touching stories, and sound
scientific information, this initiative perfectly complements the beyond content
portfolio. It emphasizes the need for healthy biodiversity and dedicated arthropod conservation — as a solid foundation
for a world worth living in.
