Chances are you've never seen a stubby squid or heard of a broadbase tunicate. But more than 98 percent of ocean-dwelling animal species are, like these unusual creatures, invertebrates, and nature photographer Susan Middleton gives them the recognition they've long lacked in Spineless, her latest book. Middleton will speak about the book's 250 images of diverse, complicated, and eye-popping invertebrates, including a fuzzy red-spot crab, a pink brittle star, a tiger cowry, a hooded nudibranch, and something called a sea angel (it looks as otherworldly as it sounds). The project involved seven years of work in the Pacific Ocean and the use of techniques Middleton developed to photograph the fragile animals. Middleton, who has worked with notable photographer Richard Avedon, is an artist as well as a naturalist and is known for photographing rare, delicate creatures on solid backgrounds. She describes herself as drawn to subjects that usually go unseen. Her portrait-like images inspire us to consider each of these animals individually and completely. Expect to be fascinated.
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