Artists Against
Extinction
Eric Gitonga
Supporting African Butterfly Research Institute
 Woolly Legs |  Regal Swallowtail |
|---|---|
 Honey Bee 4 |  Honey Bee 3 |
 Carpentar Bee |  Clover Blue |
 Honey Bee 2 |  Honey Bee |
Eric is a trained electrical engineer who worked with General Electric for 6 years as a Hardware Design Engineer. He picked up photography as a hobby while still employed, but decided to go into it as a full time career in 2008.
His love for photographing arthropods began around 2012. He is interested in ecosystem restoration and conservation. An intact ecosystem means a safe haven will exist for the many arthropods he loves to photograph. He has a desire to capture features of arthropods that are too small or too hidden for the human eye to observe unaided. Using a variety of equipment that extends the capabilities of the regular camera, Eric is able to capture these hidden attributes and share their beauty with the world.
Why conserve insects? Sir David Attenborough puts it very well when he observes that, were all back-boned organisms to die out, life on earth would continue just fine. But if the insect population was to be killed off, then the ecosystem would come to a grinding halt in a very short time. Beyond their importance in the ecosystem, insects are also very beautiful creatures when seen up close, thus their beauty is also something that warrants their conservation.