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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 |
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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.
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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.
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