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Starfish

Maker Valerie Taylor (born 1935)

Subject or historical figure Valerie Taylor (born 1935)

Date1953-2000

Object numberANMS1469[681]

NameSlide

MediumColour transparency film

DimensionsOverall (inc carrier): 50 × 50 mm

ClassificationsPhotographs

Credit LineAustralian National Maritime Museum Collection Donated through the Australian Government's Cultural Gifts Program by Valerie Taylor in memory of Ron Taylor

Terms

DescriptionEchinoderms (Phylum Echinodermata) are a group of mostly benthic invertebrates including sea stars, urchins, sea cucumbers and crinoids. They have a unique set of characteristic features including radial symmetry in adults, unique internal skeletons with thousands to millions of calcium carbonate components and the ability to regenerate tissue. Echinoderms are ecologically, economically and scientifically important. However, in the past few decades, echinoderm species such as the Crown of Thorns Starfish and the Long-spined Sea Urchin have been a problem in Australia as population booms have contributed to the loss of coral reefs and kelp forests respectively. SignificanceThe simplest definition of macro photography is taking a picture of something so that it appears larger than it is in real life. This technique reveals the tiny hidden wonders of our world. In the early 1970s, Ron made Valerie the first known macrophotography set up for an underwater camera, with extension tubes and framers. Her stunning close-up shots of Great Barrier Reef corals were the cover story for the June 1973 issue of National Geographic. With this setup, Valerie was able to take some of the first high quality macro photographs of very small creatures, like the echinoderms seen in this archive.