Comparing something to a grain of sand is usually supposed to mean that it’s small or insignificant, but Dr. Gary Greenberg’s awesome pictures made using a microlens aims to turn this stereotype on its head. His photographs of minuscule grains of colorful sands magnified up to 300 times reveal that sand under a microscope can be a mesmerizing view.
Greenberg’s story is a fascinating one. First of all, he invented the high-definition 3D lenses that he takes his pictures on, resulting in 18 U.S. patents under his name. He was a photographer and filmmaker until age 33 when he moved from LA to London and earned a Ph. D. in biomedical research. This seems to have given him a unique appreciation for biological and scientific curiosities and for the optical macro photography technologies he would need to document them.
The sand composition can vary drastically depending on where it’s from. The coastal beach sands in Hawaii, where Dr. Greenberg is located, are very likely the subjects of his amazing micro-photography. The tiny pebbles in his images are full of remnants from various tropical sea organisms large and small. The sand on other coasts, depending on the temperature, surf conditions and marine environment, may include an entirely different set of rocks, minerals and organic matter.
Source: sandgrains.com
We’d like to thank our reader Lukas Palaitis for the tip!
When you look closely at something that seems uninteresting, it becomes fascinating!
there is so much beauty in the tiniest things which go unnoticed by us as we rush around.
This doesn't at all turn the "stereotype" on its head. This is very pretty, but doesn't change the fact, that grains of sand are small and insignificant, since they are in fact small, and are in fact in abundance. Furthermore, these aren't just average bits of sand. These are selected grains. A random pile of sand looks much more plain and boring.
Please thank God for making such a beautiful world for us.
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Not scary if you know God loves you so much that He created an absolutely beautiful world for you to live in.
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gems ....as we always knew the world is full of gems and magnified sand grains are the proof that our world is full o gems love the pic thank you v.much
they look like treasures...like gems..very expensive jems..its amazing how our Heavenly Father, the creator of the universe, can create something as significant as a miniscule sand into something so beautiful under microscope, yet with the naked eye..its just sand..
Yes, as Walter said, let's please do keep in mind that these specimens were selected expressly for the purpose of this photographic essay. A more random sampling from most beaches around the world would reveal that a majority of what is actually present is boring, highly pulverized, non-organic material (rocks and/or silica).
I wish I had a microscope and could see all that beauty. I would be at the beach everyday.
It's true that you can find things like this in the sand. But these are your typical grains of sand. Each of these was hand picked for the purposes of photography. Most sand grains are nothing more than tiny,tiny pieces of rock.
When you look closely at something that seems uninteresting, it becomes fascinating!
there is so much beauty in the tiniest things which go unnoticed by us as we rush around.
This doesn't at all turn the "stereotype" on its head. This is very pretty, but doesn't change the fact, that grains of sand are small and insignificant, since they are in fact small, and are in fact in abundance. Furthermore, these aren't just average bits of sand. These are selected grains. A random pile of sand looks much more plain and boring.
Please thank God for making such a beautiful world for us.
Load More Replies... Not scary if you know God loves you so much that He created an absolutely beautiful world for you to live in.
Load More Replies... gems ....as we always knew the world is full of gems and magnified sand grains are the proof that our world is full o gems love the pic thank you v.much
they look like treasures...like gems..very expensive jems..its amazing how our Heavenly Father, the creator of the universe, can create something as significant as a miniscule sand into something so beautiful under microscope, yet with the naked eye..its just sand..
Yes, as Walter said, let's please do keep in mind that these specimens were selected expressly for the purpose of this photographic essay. A more random sampling from most beaches around the world would reveal that a majority of what is actually present is boring, highly pulverized, non-organic material (rocks and/or silica).
I wish I had a microscope and could see all that beauty. I would be at the beach everyday.
It's true that you can find things like this in the sand. But these are your typical grains of sand. Each of these was hand picked for the purposes of photography. Most sand grains are nothing more than tiny,tiny pieces of rock.
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