The Art of Science
Katerina Molina and Oakley Grioli
The Art of Science is a new collaboration between the Science and Art departments. Students who demonstrate an affinity towards each of these Key Learning Areas are invited to utilise their artistic interests to represent aspects of Science in a different and interesting manner. The current photos, displayed below, were themselves a collaboration between two such students. Katerina Molina and Oakley Grioli, both keen photographers were provided with the following brief: Use photography to raise the profile of the Animal Room at Concord High to the greater school community. The end result; an outstanding success. Please enjoy, the work of Katerina and Oakley.
Spiny leaf insect (Extatosoma tiaratum)
The spiny leaf insect looks a little more scary than it actually is. In fact, it is totally harmless. Its fearsome appearance is the result of 'mimicry', taking on the physical appearance of other organisms to scare off possible predators. Other interesting facts include the females ability to produce identical offspring without males- parthenogenesis.
The final product was created by converting the image into black and white, leaving the leaf insect and its reflection in the eye in colour. This format was chosen to highlight the unique features of the insect. The contrast in colours creates a dramatic feel within the photo.
Red-eyed tree frog (Litoria chlori)
Red Chibi our red-eyed tree frog is a medium sized frog approximately 60mm long. Disk-like suckers on the toes provide exceptional grip, meaning he is often found stuck to the roof or walls of the glass enclosure. He is a male, identified by his call, a series of long moans followed by a soft trill. The red-eyed tree frog lives in rainforests and adjacent habitats along the east coast of Queensland and NSW.
The background of the photo was first inverted; the process in which colour are turned to negative colours (opposite). The frog itself was not inverted, but was made lighter and more vibrant to stand out against the inverted background.
Stimson's Python (Antaresia stimsoni)
Cedric our in house Stimson Python is a regular guess in Science classes and popular with students who are given the opportunity to feed him once a week.
Stimson's Pythons are Australia's smallest species of python growing to a maximum of 1.4m long. It is found from the arid interior of Australia, ranging from Central and South Western Queensland to Broome in Western Australia. As a desert species, Stimson's Pythons spend most of their time deep in rock crevices or in burrows emerging at night to feed on small lizards and mammals. Their small size and docile nature make them fantastic pets.
This final image is a construct of two separate photos. The hand with the snake wrapped around it was cropped out and then superimposed onto a second image of a log. The textured, monochrome colour of the log in the background was intentionally blurred to ensure that Cedric was the focus of the shot, whilst still providing a natural backdrop. The image also conveys the hands on experience of the animal room.
Gillen's tree frog (Litoria gilleni)
Gillen's tree frogs are a fairly large species of tree frog, growing up to 8cm in length. The 'Troop' as they are called at Concord High are often difficult to find in their enclosure due to ability to camouflage and hide in small rock crevices. When found they are often huddled together. Their colour ranges from chocolate brown or beautiful hues of green with small white spots. Their colour seems to change depending upon the time of the year and exposure to light. In the wild they are found in the MacDonnell Ranges in central Australia
This image consist of a number of different action shots cropped together on a black background. This process is then repeated multiple times and shrunk to draw the viewers eye along the axes of the yellow tweezers. These yellow tweezers are cues to many of the animals that feeding time is approaching and the final image attempts to capture the chaos brought on by the feeding frenzy that results when the live food is released into the enclosure.
Central Bearded dragon (Pogona vitticeps)
Adult bearded dragons can reach a length of 2 feet and come in a range of colour variations. The specialized scales along both sides of the throat, neck, and head form many narrow spines which run down the side of the body to the tail. When feeling threatened, a bearded dragon will flatten its body against the ground, puff out its spiny throat, and open its jaws to make itself appear larger. It is all for show though as to the touch, they are soft and rubbery. Students are always amazed at how Stripe and Spot's threatening looks are very deceiving once they handle them.
The image below is of Stripe our female bearded dragon.
the images colour levels were changed making Stripe stand out more. It was sharpened to add texture to add to the feel of the photograph. A black fade frame was create around it to draw the views eyes to the middle.
It is intentionally simplistic and aims to draw the viewers attention to the Concord High logo and its connection with opportunities that the animal room and its inhabitants offer the students.
